In Nomine: Liber Canticorum by Mors Rattus

The Sound of Music

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum



I rolled dice since no one voted, so you get the Liber Canticorum! It is the book that explains how Songs do, and has a lot of new Songs. Songs are...well, they're Essence-fueled miracles, transcending the normal interaction of the world and altering reality by calling on the Symphony's own chords. Unlike a resonance or attunement, a Song is not intrinsic to your nature and does not alter your Forces when you learn it. They aren't really skills, however, so much as acquired abilities. Songs appear magical to the uninitiated, and they are supernatural in the basic sense of bypassing physical laws, but they tap into chords that already exist in the Symphony. Even mortals can learn to use them, in theory and with instruction.

Songs are part of the Symphony, but apart from it. None know who sang the first Song, though some say God used a Song to create the universe. Every Song heard after that, they say, is an imperfect echo of the first and true Song. Others believe the Symphony itself is a Song, continuously sung by God. Regardless of the truth, all Songsk nown to celestials have existed from the first moment, though not all have been known for that long. Many Songs are still undiscovered. Eli is believed to be the first angel to learn to sing, and he taught it to the others. Some say God taught him the Songs of Creation directly, while a more heretical view holds that he created the Symphony's music himself and was given the Word of Creation for it. Celestials used Songs in the first days to manipulate the Symphony when subtler means could not be used. As the unvierse became more settled and celestial manifestation more difficult, they found it more advantageous to use resonance and attunements, but Songs remain effective, if noisy, tools.

Most celestials spend little time on the metaphysics of Songs. Some appreciate their art and most appreciate their use, but the average angel or demon has better things to do than care about why they work. Others, like ethereals and a few sorcerers, have studied more deeply. Even the most dedicated student, however, can only imperfect understand if they are unable to experience and comprehend all three realms. The being whose understanding is closest to perfect, exceeding even most Superiors, is Israfel, Angel of Music, a very old angel of Creation. It is largely by her research that the body of knowledge on Songs has grown, and she has contributed more than a few discoveries to Heaven. Many angels have Fallen since she first began, so she cannot be blamed for them taking her discoveries to Hell.

Israfel remains constantly amazed, even after millenia investigating her Word, by the mysteries she finds every day. When God gave favor to mortals, Israfel focused her attention on them. Rather than jealousy, she was fascinated by the relationship they held with the Symphony, and began a long-term analysis of their music, its effects and its sources, trying to discover how much of the Symphony they could perceive, and how they could manipulate it without Disturbance. Obviously, they had a very different place than celestials in the grand plan. Humans, it seemed, were the Symphony yet unaware of it, unable to hear the notes because of the tune. As she went further, however, Israfel found that humans did subconsciously perceive the Symphony, which manifested in their desire for and love of music. Humans were affected so much by music because it duplicates the Symphony in a way they con consciously appreciate, resonating with a truth they inherently understand. In some exceptional individuals, the Symphony actually rose the surface of the mind, compelling them to imitate its truth and beauty. These people became the great performers and composers of the world, though at a heavy price: they rarely believe their music is good enough, and their drive to express what they hear in their heads often produces odd or self-destructive behavior. Israfel also found thath umans could hear an infernal symphony - that a rare few humans were mentally disturbed enough to tune into a demon's personal view on the Symphony. These people act out of the selfish and violent impulses of the 'broadcaster,' often claiming to hear voices telling them to do things. Israfel found this could not be made to happen deliberately, and that demons can't tell when it's happening. She was also one of the first c elestials to learn that some mortals could be taught Songs, and to correlate this with their possession of a 6th Force. She still has not found why ethereals and celestials with less than 6 Forces can learn Songs, but corporeal beings cannot. Israfel has not studied demons very deeply. She would like to know more aobut their interaction with the Symphony, but realizes that understanding their selfish symphonies would mean understanding their viewpoints, which is quite dangerous for an angel. She has no desire to Fall and so curbs her curiosity.



Humans can perceive a muted echo of the Symphony, and a few exceptional people can do more. They are haunted by the nagging sense that something is just barely beyond the reach of their senses, and some try to reach for those chords, as Israfel found, and became great musicians. Many ohters, however, have believed those secret melodies are something to understand and control. This became the study of magic, which celestials regard as an ignorant and vulgar term. Magic is an attempt to invoke the supernatural via key words, actions or ingredients, based on superstition that often derives from ancient encounters with real power. It doesn't work. If a human were to somehow gain the power to use a Song without anyone explaining it, they may think of it as and call it magic, but magic, as humans understand the term, doesn't exist. (Sorcery does, but it's much more involved.)

It is impossible to record a Song in a mundane way. The vocal ritual can be recorded, but even an expert singer with perfect pitch mimicking it exactly will produce only a mundane song. Likewise, a mortal can watch an angel perform a Song, imitate each sound and gesture, and get nothing. The mundane components of the Song performance - singing, dancing or an act of will - together make up a performance ritual, but the ritual only facilitates the Song, which must be powered by the singer's Essence and enabled by their knowledge of the chord being played. Though each performance is unique and no two performers do a Song exactly the same way, each Song does have a distinct melody when vocalized, and certain motions are identifiable in each physical ritual of a particular Song. It doesn't matter what language you sing in - lyrics are not required. A Song can be danced in any style. But anyone who knows the Song can make a Perception roll to recognize verbal or physical ritual to invoke it. Identify the ritual does not mean the performer is actually invoking the Song, however - several have entered popular culture. Quite a few common tunes, some nursery rhymes and some hit music,. are based on the vocal component of a Song ritual. While the performance ritual can never invoke a Song by itself, recording one doess serve a purpose. For those who can do Songs, the ritual is an aid to learning the Song. Celestials have sometimes passed Songs on this way, leaving the key to unlocking their power in the form of a doggerel verse. (London Bridge, for example, is the tune to a once-secret Song. Kobal had something to do with this.) Usually, it's only other celestials that crack the code, but on rare occasions, a mortal has figured it out.

Celestials use the word 'magician' for those who practice useless magic. It's a derisive label among those who know the truth of their ignorance. Some magicians are New Age wannabes, others are serious occult researchers, but none have any idea what they're doing and most have no true power. They take many paths in search of magic, and many do make the connection to music, which has led to a study of musical structure in search of magical power. Some magicians delve into symbology and the encoding of words and music with numbers, and a lot of religious mysticism, such as Kabbalah and Gematria, have come from this research, as has astrology in all its forms and the I-Ching and tarot. Other magicians focus on the sounds themselves, studying incantations, prayers and hymns. Songs can, however, be done without singing or even moving. Some mortals intuitively deduce this or witness it, and so attempt to replicate the ritual by chanting, dance, drumming or meditation. Others practice alchemy, mixing physical compounds in an attempt to brew magic. They operate on fragmentary and incomplete knowledge, often based on artifacts or the true sorcerous alchemy. Every once in a while, however, a magician is truly exceptional and by some accident acquires real power. Any mortal who attracts attention will be recruited or killed, and may become Soldiers or srocerers. But sometimes, they succeed, oblivious as to how or why, and avoid being noticed by anyone who knows the truth. They always have at least 6 Forces and must be able to control their Essence, but they can, very rarely, learn Songs without celestial help. For this reason, while magicians are mostly ignored, there are a few celestials that stay active in occult circles just in case.



Israfel is an ancient and venerated angel, who has dedicated herself to the study of the Word of Music and its performance. She holds a very wide view of the Word, concerning herself with both Songs and the music of a child banging on a pot. This has kept her occupied for millenia, though her focus has shift ed from using Songs to solidify the young universe to discovering how the Symphony works on all planes. She is dedicated and perhaps the best singer of any celestial. She can make angels cry with joy via the beauty of her song, but she must be cery careful when singing on Earth - her divine gift is so powerful that humans can actually suffer acute mental, spiritual or even physical pain. Thus, she prefers instruments to singing while on Earth. She can pick up any instrument and play it well within half an hour and perfectly within a day. She loves all genres, periods and combinations of music, and she is fascinated by the human desire to create music. Because she spends so much time on Earth, she has become a sort of talent scout for Soldiers, particularly those with a talent for Songs. She routes them to appropriate Archangels, which has earned her much favor in Heaven, and also acts as a mentor for talented young musicians, especially those who are innovating. She knows pretty much all common Songs at virtuouso level, and is a genius at improvisation, thanks to her understanding of the Symphony's rhythms. She likes to say that the Symphony plays her, in fact. She is capable of performing any Song she can learn, even those normally restricted. It is believed that she may know more secret Songs than most Superiors, due to her age and curiosity. She may even have the key to some lost Songs. Dominic doesn't mind, as she seems inclined to keep them secret and lost. What he dislikes is her knowledge ofi nfernal Songs, but she learned them as part of her research and would never use them. Their sounds torture her ear. Israfel will share her research with any angel that approaches her with a true appreciation of music. She has never sworn to serve another Archangel, but she remains on good terms with all of them and has even earned several Distinctions - rare for an angel of Eli. Many believe she will someday be an Archangel, but for now, she is too focused on her studies.

Israfel has two vessels, one male and one female. She has 17 Forces (only five Corporeal, see) and has all of the Creation Choir attunements she can learn, plus Seraph of Animals, Seraph of Destiny, Seraph of Flowers, Abracadra, Dream Walking, Transubstantiation, Songmaster, Vassal of War, Friend of the Divine Spark and Friend of Stages. She has three unique Rites: Compose a new song, teach a song or Song to someone else, and inspire someone to develop their musical abilities to their full potential.



Songs can be acquired by any non-mundane being. There are some restructions, however. They must normally be bought with XP, costing 1 point per level. However, just because you can learn a Song doesn't mean you can use it. Anyone who can perceive Disturbance can learn Songs, and technically can learn any Song. However, many have additional requirements, and if you learn a Song you can't perform, well, it doesn't do anything, and you can't even teach it to others. All Songs have certain basic performance requirements. First, you must be able to control your Essence expenditure. Second, you must have at least 1 Force in the realm of the Song, and if you are a mortal, you must have at least 6 Forces. Even then, mortals cannot normally perform Ethereal or Celestial Songs unless given a connection to those realms. Celestials of any kind (including spirits), Saints, ethereals and undead can use Songs in any realm, save for zombis, who can only do Corporeal Songs. Remnants cannot perform Celestial Songs, lacking any Celestial Forces. Some Songs have other restrictions on their usage.

Thre are three main ways to get a Song: imprinting by a Superior or Songmaster, learning from another being, or imitating a Song until you learn it independently. A Superior can imprint a Song at any level on someone capable of learning Songs. That doesn't mean they can use it, of course. They also rarely imprint Songs above level 1 - after that, you can improve on your own. Songmasters can also imprint Songs, but not automatically and only at level 1.

It is also possible, but difficult, to teach a Song to someone else. Superiors discourage this, however, and most Princes forbid it entirely. It requires (9-appropriate realm's Forces) weeks to learn a Song this way, assuming you are shown the Song at least once a day. This doesn't require any rolls, but will generate Disturbance and cost the Essence minimum each day. A minimum of one demonstration per week is required, and this will extend out the learning period appropriately. A relic can teach a Song this way as well. At the end of the learning period, you roll against the teacher's level with the Song plus your Forces in its realm, +1 if you already know one other version of the Song, +2 if you know two. You get -2 if you are learning from a Relic, and -4 if you are incapable of the Song's performance. Essence cannot be spent on this roll. Success means you get the Song at level 1, while failure means the entire period has been wasted. Songmasters never fail to learn a Song, but must still spend the time and roll to check for Intervention. No one can learn more than one Song at a time.

Learning a Song by imitation is essentially the same, save that the teacher doesn't know they're doing it. All the rules above apply - you need to witness the song at least once a week, at least by perceiving its Disturbance. (And, in fact, you must perceive the Disturbance to benefit from the 'instruction.') At the end of the interval, you roll as above, but at -1.



Once you know a Song, all you have to do is practice it to get better at it and psend 1 XP per level. The GM is told not to allow you to get more than 1 level per adventure, however, unless you have a teacher or are a Songmaster. Superiors, of course, can just hand out knowlege, but rarely do. We then get a basic explanation of Song rules like from the core. Some Songs can be opposed or Dodged, but they will specify this. OTherwise, they can't be. Songs that can be opposed are either resisted (you have to beat the singer at a roll) or negated (you just have to succeed at a roll). Most opposable Songs are resisted. Songs that cannot normally be opposed can be resisted in certain conditions, however - msot commonly, when two people are using the same Song for opposing purposes, such as both trying to use the Celestial Song of Dreams to control a dreamscape. Other powers can also do this, such as the Ethereal Song of Harmony versus the Habbalah resonance. In these cases, whoever gets the higher CD on a successful roll wins. Ties continue to the next round, but no additional Essence is spent.

Songs can have affiliations with a Superior's Word. When performed by servants of that Word (Saint or celestial, but not Soldier), the singer getrs +1 to the CD of a success. Likewise, some Songs resonate with a Choir or Band, granting +1 to Cd that way. However, you can never get more than +1 to the CD, even if the Song resonates with your Word and your nature. Songs are usually done solo, but can be performed as a chorus. Each singer must perform the Song identically in all ways, and all singersm ust be able to see each other. All must begin simultaneously, spend the same amount of Essence, do the same rituals and spend the same amount of time. All must be in the same form, corporeal or celestial, and must all be within range of the target. Songs that affect only the user can be done by chorus, but all must be able to touch each other, though they need not do so as long as they are close enough to be able to. Each who successfully uses the Song must then make a Singing roll to match harmonies. The chorus manifests as if one person sang the Song, but with an independent effect on each performer, as applciable. Essence is not combined. The advantage, however, is that the Song's effects are all calculated at the highest skill level, Forces and CD among the performers. Disturbance is equal to the highest of any individual singer, plus the sum of all Essence spent. Anyone who successfully performs the Song but either varies their performance or fails the Singing roll instead invoke the Song normally.

Next time: Sotto Voce

I Sing Hosanna, Hosanna, In A Calm And Lucid Manner

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: I Sing Hosanna, Hosanna, In A Calm And Lucid Manner

One note on choruses: if anyone rolls an Intervention, it affects everyone. Relics can't be used for a chorus unless everyone is using identical relics and the GM allows it. And Kyriotates can't chorus with themselves as they can't do multiple celestial actions per turn. Anyway! Moving on.

Songs do not get invented. They are discovered. Every chord in the Symphony exists already, and discovering new Songs is finding new ways to play them. However, as there are nearly infinite chords, neither the Council nor Lucifer has discovered all the ways to play them, or even all the chords. Thus, new Songs are sometimes discovered, accidentally or deliberately. The GM can invent their own Songs as they see fit. They can also forbid that players can discover Songs, as most are discovered by long periods of experimentation that aren't interesting for PCs to do. However, there are rules to discover Songs you already know exist - though even then, it's not easy. There are also rough guidelines for discovering new Songs.

For a new Song, you first decide what it does, and the GM approves it or writes it up or whatever. If the GM allows the Song to exist in some form or if you didn't have to make it up, you then have to go looking for it. The base time to find a new, unknown Song is a year, assuming 24 hour a day research with no significant other activities except traveling between the planes. Obviously, PCs can't generally do that. The base time increases based on how much time is not spent looking for the Song. You roll at the end of each duration - so if you can only research an average of 2 hours each day, it's 12 years before your first roll. (The GM may reduce this period if they see fit, but the game suggests that this is a bad idea, for reasons.) The base TN of the Song research roll is 0, and cannot be modified by Essence. However! The following modifiers are applied.

First, you get +1 for each realm in which you have 6 Forces. You get a further +1 for each Song you know all three versions of. You get +1 if you know another version of the Song in another realm, or +2 if you know two other versions. You get another +1 if you have Singing 6. You get +2 if you are a Songmaster. You get +1 if you are looking for a Song affiliated with either your Word or your resonance. You get -2 if you are researching a Celestial Song and can't go to the celestial plane, or an Ethereal Song and you can't consciously travel to the ethereal plane. You get -4 if you can't perform the Song you're researching. Then, any other modifiers the GM feels is appropriate. Then you roll. Failure means you wasted your time. Success means you found a close chord to the one you want, but will need to study and experiment to get the Song at level 1, with the period of study based on the CD, with 1 meaning several years and 6 meaning mere weeks. You learn only one realm of the Song at level 1, unless you get a favorable Intervention, in which case you either find the right chord immediately or discover the chords for all three versions and can learn them all after the appropriate period of study. On an unfavorable intervention, the GM is encouraged to be devious and cruel. Sometimes, you not only know a Song exists, but also know its performance ritual. Trying to reconstruct a Song from this is essentially the same process...but much easier. The base time period is a month, not a year, and the base TN is your Forces in the appropriate realm. This makes it possible, but difficult, for mortals to acquire new Songs on their own from a base of a ritual.

Let's see - sotto voce! Sotto voce is the power to evoke lesser effects from a Song without any use of Essence, also known as humming a Song. You must know the Song at level 4 or more. At level 4, you need 6 Forces in the Song's realm, and at 5 you need 5 Forces in it. At level 6, no Force minimum. Songs with a base Essence cost greater than 1 cannot be performed sotto voce. Sotto voce peformance is done as per a regular Song use, but the level of the Song is reduced by 3 for the roll, meaning that at level 4 it takes hand motions and voice, and even at 6 it takes one or the other, or will take effect the round after. Sotto voce Songs do not cause Disturbance, but the TN for their use is equal only to the Song's level, improvable by time or Essence as normal. Some skills can aid sotto voce Songs, but they require a round of use before the Song is invoked. If the skill roll is successful, the CD is added to the Song's TN. If not, you can either use the Song without a bonus or wait for (CD) rounds to try again. Dancing is the skill for Corporeal Songs, but you have to use physical rituals in the performance. Meditation boosts Ethereal Songs and takes complete concentration. Singing boosts Celestial Songs and requires a vocal performance. Sotto voce Songs are much weaker than normal. Their duration is always equal to (CD) rounds no matter what the Song's normal duration is, unless it's measured in rounds, in which case they last a single round. Any time the Song would use the performer's skill level, Forces or CD, except duration, use a 1. Whenever the Song uses Essence spent, use 0. Songs with a range of 0 as a result can be done sotto voce, but require physical contact or else do not extend beyond your body.

Themes! Most Songs have an immediate effect, but Themes do not. Once, they were sung every day, to help the world form. The universe is largely self-sustaining now, but there are a few places where you can still hear the echoes of Themes, maintaining one part of reality in a special state. Demons have also made use of Themes on a smaller scale since the Fall. A Theme is a special chorus that must be performed continuously. Some Themes are based on normal Songs, but others are based solely on qualities of the performers. Anyone who doesn't have the prerequisites for a Theme cannot help in it. Themes takes days, months or even years of continuous use to have effects. They are mostly performed by celestial spirits as a result. The GM rolls for Theme usage, but it's done differently than a normal Song. First, you determine how many performers are helping, as per a chorus. There is no bonus for spending extra time on a Theme. At the end of the minimum time requirement, the GM rolls once for the group, no Singing or individual rolls needed. If the roll succeeds, the Theme lasts for as long as they keep going. Failure means you wasted your time and Essence and must start again. Themes last as long as they have Essence fueling them, and performers can leave or join the group, but each change requires a new roll and a recalculation of the Theme's effects based on the number of performers an the check digit. Failure means you have to start over.

Each Theme has special traits. The TN is the Song of other quality the GM rolls against. For a Song, the TN is the lowest among any member of the group. Each performer must spend the same amount of Essence, expended over the course of the listed time increment. You can do anything else you want as long as you are still performing the Song - which means no talking if vocal performance is required - as long as you all remain in range of each other. However, you cannot spend Essence on anything but the Theme. Themes cause Disturbance equal to the total number of performersp lus the total Essence spent over the course of each increment. This Disturbance is continuous as it is performed, but causes no echoes until the Theme ends. Once someone can hear a Theme's Disturbance, they continue to hear it until they move out of perception range.





Variations! Using the same Song the same way is fairly predictable...but there's a lot of variations in how you can use a Song. Most produce no effect at all and result from failed rolls. However, sometimes, a variation does a thing, usually quite similar to the base Song. The variations are effectively new Songs that vary only slightly from the original, and they can be recognized as a variation of the original Song even from their Disturbance. Variations are a good way to customize Song effects. For example, a Thunder variant might produce a different sound with the same mechanical effects, a variant Corporeal Light might have a different color, a variant Numinous Corpus: Claws might produce mechanically identical crab pincers, while a variant NC: Acid might produce mechanically identical but much grosser phlegm. A variant Possession might let you take over only part of the victim's body, leaving them in control of everything else and you in your own body, but making that body part mimic your own movements.

Virtuosos! Most Songs have strict limits on their range and duration and so on. However, virtuosos can surpass those limits. To be a virtuoso with a Song, you must know it at level 6 and all other versions of it at level 3 or higher. You must have at least 6 Forces in the Song's realm, minus 1 for each alternate version you know at level 6. (Numinous Corpus are a special case - all of them are alternate versions of each other.) Virtuosos may increase the effects of their Song taking a penalty to the roll - for each -1 to the TN, they can increase any one factor the Song cares about by 1, such as the CD, Essence spent or total Forces. Virtuosos can also perform more subtly than normal, taking a -1 penalty for each -1 to Disturbance caused, though you can't reduce Disturbance to 0 or reduce the amount caused by Essence spent. Virtuosos may also attempt to improvise new Song variations on the fly at a -4 penalty, or -2 if they've witnessed the variationb before.

New attunements! We've seen Celestial and Ethereal Connections before. But Songmaster is an attunement normally found among powerful Wordbound, though rumopr says that some potent Ethereals also hold it. Any Superior can grant it, but it gives the power to grant Songs, so only the most trusted get it, and most aren't going to be in PC positions, but teaching ones. A Songmaster can teach any Song they know to anyone capable of learning it, requiring only one performance. The student makes a roll, TN equal to your skill at the Song plus their Forces in its realm. Success means they get the Song at level 1; failure means they can't try again for (CD) days for that particular Song. You cannot use this to give someone more skill at a Song they already know. Further, if you perceive a Disturbance, you automatically know if it was a Song. If it was a Song you know, you add your skill with that Song to the CD of a successful roll.

Now, the Songs themselves! The Songs of Affinity are also known as the Songs of Contagion. They can trace a subject through the Sympony, so long as you have a part of the subject or something they made. You do not need them to be present when the Song is used, however, and the Song will tell you if they're on a different plane. Each lasts (CD+Essence Spent) hours. The Corporeal Song uses a part of an object to find the whole, causing the held piece to pull towards the whole. This does not work on the living, but will work on corpses and the undead. The Ethereal Song tracks a person by part of their body, as long as the bdoy part has not been ritually severed or cleaned. It otherwise acts as per the Corporeal Song. The Celestial Song can find someone by something htey made. If the item is an artifact, the Song traces its current owner and gets a bonus equal to the Artifact's level. Lilim may also use the Celestial Song to track anyone they have a Geas-hook on, with a bonus equal to the level of the Geas. In all cases, this takes at least 2 Essence and causes (CD) Disturbance.



The Songs of Artifacts speed the creation of artifacts. A successful use of the appropriate realm's Song divides the amount of time required for artifact creation by (1+CD), while a failed use adds (CD) hours to the time required. Angels of Creation are specially attuned to the use of these Songs. They cost 1 Essence and cause (CD+artifact's level) Disturbance.

The Songs of Attraction are in the core, but we do get special attunements. Cherubim and Djinn are attuned to the Celestial Song, and Habbalah to the Ethereal Song.

The Songs of Cacophony generate chaos. The Corporeal Song causes random noise that drowns out all other sound in (Corporeal Forces*Essence Spent) yards, lasting (Corporeal Forces+CD) minutes. You can roll at -2 to create a specific noise, such as somone's voice - or more ,for something very complex, like a multi-person conversation or an orchestra. Listeners must roll Perception with the Song's level as a penalty to detect the illusion. The Ethereal Song, or Song of Babel, creates a zone in which all speech is unintelligible. Those within the area hear only their own speech normally, hearing all others as incoherent babble. This covers a radius of (Ethereal Forces + Essence Sopent) yards, lasting (10*CD) minutes. Each person in the area when the Song is performed or who enters the area after can roll Perception at a penalty of its level to negate the effects, with a bonus equal to the level of the Corporeal Song of Tongues if that's active. The Celestial Song creates a very, very loud Disturbance, equal to (Celestial Forces*Essence Spent*CD), drowning out all other Disturbance and making Song use difficult. As long as the echoes last, all other Song use is at -1 per 10 points of Disturbance or fraction thereof. These cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance, except the Celestial Song.

The Songs of Calling issue a non-compelling summons. You must have met whoever you're calling or otherwise establish a connection via the Songs of Affinity or know their true name. On a success, the target feels a tug in your direction, and if they know you, they know it's from you. For (CD*appropriate realm's Forces) minutes, the target can unerringly follow the tug towards you. They can shut it off with a Will roll. The Corporeal Song can reach someone anywhere on the corporeal plane, and if they are a celestial and you are on the celestial plane, it allows them to ascend to your location. The Ethereal Song can be used only on the ethereal plane, and can reach anywhere on that plane that is not in an individual dreamscape. If used in a dreamscape, it can call to anyone else in the dreamscape, including the dreamer. The Celestial Song can reach someone in one of Heaven or Hell, chosen when performed. If you're on Earth or the opposite realm, the target may descend to your location. These Songs cost 2 Essence and cause (CD+Total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Darkness, depending on who you ask, either draw on the power of darkness to eclipse light or return the Symphony to its natural state of darkness. They cast shadows on the Symphony, causing blindness and fear, and are more commonly known by demons. Their range is (Song level+Essence spent) yards. The Corporeal Song drains all light from a radius of (2*Corporeal Forces) yards, causing your choice of either absolute dakrness, the darkness of a moonless night or mere shadows. Mundane illumination cannot brighten the area, but the Corporeal Song of Light can. This lasts for (CD) minutes. The Ethereal Song intensifies fears of the dark and unknown, affecting anyone in range, with a -1 penalty per target beyond the first. Directed at someone in darkness, it inflicts a temporary Fear (Darkness) Discord at a level of (CD). Alternatively, it can cause fear of anything unknown, causing a reaction penalty of (CD) to any strangers, new ideas or anything else the GM feels might apply. This lasts for (Etherea ForceS) hours either way and can be resisted by Will, plus Celestial Forces for celestials. The Celestial Song inflicts blindness on any one target for (CD) rounds, resisted by Perception, plus Celestial Forces for celestials. Demons of Nightmares have an affinity for the Ethereal Song. These cost at least 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Direction can map objects and places. The Corporeal Song allows you to touch someone or something, making them a beacon to any Symphonic tacking method, including the Cherub and Djinn resonances, the Celestial Song of Attraction, the Songs of Affinity and any Perception rolls to detect Disturbances caused by the target. All of these add your Corporeal Forces plus any Essence spent to the TN of any roll to find the subject for the next (CD) hours. The Ethereal Song gives you perfect knowledge of your location for (CD) hours, allowing you to unerringly retrace your path to any place you visit while the Song is active. You get precise knowledge of corporeal longitude, latitude and altidude, and of location in the Marches. Celestials, even without Hearts, can also use this to repeat an ealier ascent to the celestial plane, asl ong as both visits take place during the duration of the same Song and they leave from the same location, making a Perception roll as if following someone. The Celestial Song allows you to sense locations as an Ofanite might, adding the CD to a single use of the Area Knowledge skill. Ofanim have an affinity for the Ethereal and Celestial Songs. These cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance, plus Corporeal Forces for the Corporeal Song.

Next time: We continue the letter D

Sing A Song of Sixpence

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Sing A Song of Sixpence

The Songs of Draining allow you to siphon power from other things and people. They were discovered by Valefor and are most often taught by him and Haagenti, though some angels also know them. The Corporeal Song allows you to touch a person an drain away HP eqla to (CD + additional Essence on top of the base cost). If the victim is helpless, one use of the Song will let you keep drainining for (Corporeal Forces) rounds, draining that same amount each time. If draining a mortal, this still causes Disturbance. The victim can roll Will each round to end the drain and negate the damage. You can go over your max HP, and if you do, they are lost the next time you recover your daily Essence. The Ethereal Song steals a specific memory from a target within (Song's level) feet and gives it to you. The CD determines how detailed the memory is - a low CD steals only fine details and gives you only superficial memories, while a high CD can give you most or all details and rid the victim of progressively more. For highly specific memories, any success gives all the knowledge, such as 'your wife's appearance,' 'the network password' or 'what you had for breakfast.' You retain this memory for (Etheral Forces) hours. The victim resists with Intelligence, and can roll Intelligence mius the CD each day to recover the memory. Celestials add Celestial Forces to resistance but not recovery. This Song cannot steal skills or abilities. The Celestial Song turns a circle with diameter up to (Celestial Forces) yards into an Essence trap. Anyone who spends Essence in the area, including you, must roll Will or have the Essence instead transferred to you. (If you were trying to spend Essence, it just aborts your action.) The Song lasts for (CD+Essence spent) hours, and any excess Essence you can't hold is lost. All Essence drained, no matter what, causes a Disturbance. You must be within the circle to gain the Essence, or it just vanishes. Demons of Theft and all Impudites have an affinity for the Songs of Draining. These Songs cost 2 Essence, and no more than 5 can be spent on the Corporeal Song. They cause Disturbance equal to (CD+Total Forces).

The Songs of Dreams are in the core, but they get an affinity for angels of Dreams and demons of Nightmares.

The Songs of Empathy allow you to sense emotions within (Song's level+Essence spent) yards. All last for (CD+appropriate realm Forces) minutes, during which you can sense emotions from anyone in range, but only one person at a time. They are not especially good at mixed feelings. The Corporeal Song can sense physical sensations - heat, cold, pain, pressure and so on, as well as emoptions associated with physical changes in the body, like anger, fear, hunger and lust. The Ethereal Song senses mental drives, such as greed, envy, pride, love or hate. The Celestial Song can sense if someone is acting from selfish or unselfish moments - but only in the moment, not as a general tendency or inclination. Elohim and Habbalah have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence, and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Entropy are in the core, but get an affinity for Calabim.

The Songs of Essence allow greater control over Essence expenditure. They are highly coveted as rewards for good service. The Corporeal Song allows you to store Essence in an object as a temporary reliquary. You must spend 2 Essence, plus whatever you want to store, which can't be higher than the Song's level. The Essence remains for (CD) days or until the objecti s destroyed, after which it all bleeds off at once and creates Disturbance. Objects used to store Essence are not detectable as artifacts, though other means can detect them. Only you can remove the Essence from them. The Ethereal Song allows you to sense how much Essence is within a person or object within (Song's level) yards. You can do this for (CD) minutes or (CD) items and individuals, whichever comes first. The Celestial Song lets you combine Essence from two or more sources into one action. You must use this while either giving Essence to someone or receiving it. Everyon must be in sight, and you can't affect more than (CD) people. You must contribute at least 1 Essence yourself on top of the Song's base cost. All Essence must be given on the same round the Song is used, and the action it is to boost must happen within one round after, or the Essence is all wasted. These Songs cost 2 Essence and cause (CD+Total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Fire call on the power of both literal and metaphorical fire. Their range is (Song's level+Essence spent) yards. The Corporeal Song creates fire in an area up to (Corporeal Forces) square yards. The fire burns without fuel for (CD+Essence spent) rounds, dealing 1d6 damage per round to anyone or anything in it. After that, it will continue to burn if it catches anything flammable. The Ethereal Song sparks the imagination. If the target is facing a problem of some kind, they get inspired to a new approach, getting a bonus to any relevant rolls eqla to (ESsence spent) for the next (CD) days. Only one such problem can be affected by a single Song use. The Celestial Song turns fire into celestial fire, making it supernaturally entrancing. It can affect a fire up to (Celestial Forces) square yards in size and lasts until the fire goes out. Anyone staring into the flames must roll Will minus the CD or be entranced for (failed CD) minutes. They often see glimpses of the celestial or, more rarely, ethereal plane. Most later shake these off and forget them, but the GM may allow these visions to have a lasting effect on mortals. Celestials add their Celestial Forces to resist. Demons of Fire have an affinity for the Corporeal and Celestial Songs, while angels of Fire have an affinity to all versions. Menunim have an affinity for the Ethereal Song. These Songs cost 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Forbidding prevent action. The Corporeal Song is used on a portal of some kind or an enclosed area with diameter no more than (Song's level) yards, which must have a clearly marked or physical boundary. When the Song is used, you invoke a specific target, whom you must be attuned to somehow or be able to see. The target rolls Will minus the CD in order to physically enter the enclosed area or pass through the portal. If they succeed, they must still roll each time to re-cross the boundary. On a failure, they cannot try again for a full day. If inside the area, they will be trapped. Beings in celestial form are still affected. The subject can be physically forces across the boundary, or someone else can destroy the boundary. The Song lasts for (Corporeal Forces) days. The Ethereal Song lets you target someone who can hear you. If they fail a Will roll to resist, you may forbid any one specific action for the next (CD) hours, which they will try to rationalize. They may try once to perform the action by spending a point of Essence and making a Will roll. They can do it once, if they succeed, but must do this again each additional time. The Celestial Song targets an ethereal or celestial vessel, temporarily giving it the Bound Discord at a level of (Celestial Forces). The target must be in (Song's level) feet, and the Discord lasts for (CD) minutes. These Songs cost 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Form are in the core, but angels of Creation get an affinity for the Celestial Song.

The Songs of Harmony are in the core, but angels of Flowers get an affinity for them, and all Mercurians get an affinity for the Ethereal Song.

The Songs of Ice have a range of (Song's level) yards. The Corporeal Song causes sub-zero temperatures on one person or thing. Inanimate objects must be entirely frozen or not at all. The Song will freeze (10*Corporeal Forces + 30*Essence Spent) pounds of matter. Liquids are frozen solid, and metal is so cold flesh will stick to it. Frozen matter becomes brittle, and add the CD to any damage dealt to an object after subtracting its Protection. The freezing is instant, and it takes (CD) minutes to thaw. Living beings take (CD+Essence spent) damage which ignores Protection but can be reduced by a strong heat source, at the GM's whim. The Ethereal Song numbs the mind. If the victim doesn't resist with Will, they may only act every other combat round for (CD) minutes, possibly reduced by proximity to a heat source. The Celestial Song conjures ice, which can cover an area of up to (Celestial Forces+Essence spent) square yards. It is (CD) inches thick. Pedestrians moving across it may have to roll Agility to do so at the GMs whim. It takes one round to solidify, so it can't trap a resisting target unless they are helpless. They may break out with a Strength roll minus the thickness of the shell in inches, rolling once per round. The ice lasts as long as it naturally would. Angels of the Waters would have an affinity for the Celestial Song, were any left. The Songs cost 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Location are rare and powerful Songs. They are similar to the Celestial Song of motion, but on a larger scale, and rather than causing motion, they temporarily brdige two locations, allowing instant travel between them. There is no theoretical range limit, but the Song must be used at both locations to form the bridge, lasting for (lowest of two CDs) hours. The ends need not be made at the same time, but the first end will only last for (CD) hours before vanishing. Once the second end is made, subtract the waiting period from the duration the entire bridge lasts. Once used, the Song makes a Disturbance at both ends any time something passes through the brdige, equal to the Forces that cross (or 1 per 50 pounds of inanimate matter). The Corporeal Song anchors an endpoint on Earth. The Ethereal Song anchors an endpoint in the Marches. The Celestial Sogn anchors an endpoint in Heaven or Hell. (The Superior who controls the Cathedral or Principality where it is used automatically knows it has been used.) The Song costs 6 Essence and causes (CD*Essence spent) Disturbance.

The Songs of Machines were discovered by one of Jean or Vapula, who both claim credit. They are usabler on any artifical construct, even simple tools, but not any kind of artifact. Their range is any machine you can see. The Corporeal Song heals damage to the machine, healing (CD*Song level) damage and causing the target to function at peak performance for (CD*Essence Spent) hours, as well as causing it to be perfectly tuned until it wears down naturally. This translates to about 20% increased efficiency, but no increased weapon damage. Simple tools gain little benefit beyound instant sharpening, oiling and cleaning. The Ethereal Song temporarily grants life but not will to a mahcine. It gains (Essence spent) Intelligence - so 1 for about as bright as a dog, 2 for complex commands and 3 for any conditional statements. The machine obeys you for (CD) minutes and understands speech, the Songs of Tongues and any transmissions it is equipped to receive. The Celestial Song primes a machine for a specific task, like shooting a specific person or jumping a chasm. You define the task, as specifically or generally as you like, and don't have to be the one to do it, but it must be resolvable in a single roll. The TN for that task gets a bonus of (Essence spent), which must be used within (CD) hours. For the duration, or until the bonus is used, the machine requires no fuel or power and can be taken between planes. If it is on the ethereal or celestial plane when the Song ends, it will return to its last earthly location, causing Disturbance equivalent to an artifact being summoned. Angels of Lightning have an affinity for all of the Songs, while demons of Technology for the Corporeal and Ethereal Songs. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Memory allow you to pick out strains of memory from the Symphony. The Corporeal Song can be used on inanimate objects and plants, as long as they have no mind. You may read impressions off the object, based on your skill level and Corporeal Forces: at level 1, (Corporeal Forces) hours. At 2, days. At 3, months. At 4, years. At 5, decades. At 6, centuries. The CD determines how much informaiton you get, with 1 being vague impressions, 3 giving specific details on significant or relevant things, and 6 giving either the object's entire history in broad overview or a full visual (but silent) impression of any one scene the object was present for. The Ethereal Song lets you or a person you touch gain total recall, allowing the target to remember all experiences perfectly for (CD) minutes. This does not recover any memories lost to celestial intervention, but will affect normal amnesia, though their amnesia returns once the Song ends. The Celestial Song picks up on minute traces of past Disturbance, allowing a Perception roll to detect the most recent Disturbance that could possibly have been heard from that spot, using the normal Disturbance rules, save that you can look back up to (CD) days. You will know when a Disturbance happened to within a day, and with a second Perception roll, to within 2 hours. Additional uses of the Song will continue to detect each successive previous Disturbance. These Songs cost 2 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Might increase a target's raw power. The range is within (Song's level) yards and the duration is (CD*appropriate realm Forces) minutes. All damage bonuses apply only to melee attacks or their equivalent, not any ability to deal damage at a distance. The Corporeal Song increases the Power of the target's melee attacks by (Essence spent). The Ethereal Song gives a bonus to all damage dealt in ethereal combat equal to (Essence spent). The Celestial Song is the same for celestial combat. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Motion are in the core, but Ofanim have an affinity for them.

The Songs of Nemesis detect hostile forces in the Symphony. They have a range of (Song's level*Essence spent) feet. The Corporeal Song identifies physical threats, which can be objects or living things. On a success, it reveals information aobut the physical hazard the subject poses, and can identify concealed danger, but only if it is direct - if someone has a weapon or is strong, but not if they know Songs or martial arts. The CD determinesh ow detailed the information is. The Ethereal Song detects hostile intent, so can only be applied to beings capable of having intent. On a success, you know if the subject is hostile to you, with higher CDs giving more information on how hostile they are and, at 5-6, perhaps why or what their plans for you are. The Celestial Song gives you a sixth sense for immediate danger, giving you an indication of the direction, approximate distance and general intensity of the danger, but not details on its nature. This lasts for (CD*Celestial Forces) minutes. These Songs cost 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Nightmares were discovered by Beleth after her Fall, and turn someone's fears against them. They all have range of (Song's level+Essence spent) feet, or in the Marches, one dreamscape. The Corporeal Song causes a physiological fear response. The victim resists with Will, plus Celestial Forces for celestials (and doubled for Malakim), but subtracting the highest of any Cowardly or Fear Discord. If the victim fails, they become nervous, jumpy and so on for (CD) minutes, with exact game terms determined by the GM. Elohim will not gain dissonance unless they allow the fear response to alter their actions. The Ethereal Song sense the target's hidden fears. The subject can roll Will minus the CD to negate, but otherwise you know their greatest fea,r inclding Fear Discords. If a demon of Nightmares can use that fear against the victim, any Will rolls to resist are at a penalty of (CD) for (Ethereal Forces) days. The Celestial Song lets you create a fear in dreams that will affect the target in the waking world. You must first learn something they had a nightmare about, then use it within (Ethereal Forces) days of that nightmare. The subject must not have had a peaceful dream within that period, however. If used successfully, the victim feels a strong, irrational fear of whatever nightmare subject you chose. This might be a person, a thing, a place or a situation. The victim may connect the nightmare and fear, but it will not make it less intense. This lasts for (CD) days and can be resisted by Will. Ethereals and celestials, who do not dream, are immune to this Song. Demons of Nightmares have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Nimbus create auras, or 'halos' around the user. All last for (CD+appropriate realm Forces) minutes. The Corporeal Song makes you glow, with bright colors for divine users and dark colors for infernal ones. Pagan Soldiers, ethereals an other unaligned groups glow gray if truly neutral or with a clarity and color according to their leaning in either direction. Halos cannot be faked, and even mundanes instinctively recognize their meaning. The other side finds it uncomfortable to look on an enemy halo and painful to touch them, thouygh non-damaging. If they have less than 6 Forces, they must make a Will roll minus the Essence spent or be unable to confront or attack you for (failed CD) minutes. The Ethereal Song is invisible, but anyone within (Song's level*Essence spent) yards is aware of your presence at all times and cannot ignore you. Most perceive an aura of authority from you, and the GM determines how they react to that. The Celestial Song wreathes you in celestial flames, which for celestials take the appearance of their celestial form. This halo cannot be faked by any means. If you take celestial form, you add (Essence spent) to your Celestial Forces to determine the ease of perceiving you, and Kyriotates and Shedim become more shocking. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.





Next time: More Numinous Corpus

Sing Sing

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Sing Sing





The Songs of Opening create opportunities. They all have a range of (Song's level+Essence spent) feet. The Corporeal Song can open any locks, physical or electronic, within range, for 1 Essence per lock. It automatically bypasses security devices, but unconnected devices like a camera watching a vault are not affected. Failure with CD 6 will set off any alarms, traps or triggers tied to the locks, however. The Ethereal Song makes people more receptive to you words. You can target additional people at -1 to the TN per target past the first. Targets resist with Will. Any who fail to resist treat you as having (CD) additional Charisma for (Ethereal Forces) minutes. The Celestial Song erases hostility towards a person or idea. Each use causes the taarget to reevaluate a negative opinion of someone or something, no matter how negative, as if encountering it for the first time. It will not automatically ensure positive reaction, however. Multiple targets can be affected, at -1 TN per target past the first, but the object to be reevaluated must be the same for all. Targets resist with Will. Demons of Theft and angels of the Wind have an affinity for the Corporeal Song. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (number of targets) Disturbance.

The Songs of Plagues inflict Biblical plagues, not disease or illness. They have a duration of (CD) days and a range of (Song's level*Essence spent) yards, targeting a person or an area of a radius up to the Song's range. No resistance roll is ever allowed. In addition to the overt effects, the Plagues cause a cumulative penalty to Will equal to the number of days the victim has been suffering, starting at -1 on the first day. If the victim succeeds at a Will roll despite this, the penalty vanished for the rest of the day but returns, increased as normal, the next day. Celestials may subtract (Celestial Forces) from the penalty, due to their increased tolerance for weird. If the plague targets an area, the penalty applies to anyone who stays in the area for more than an hour per day, but the penalty applies only while in the area. The Corporeal Song summons unnatural phenomena, most commonly a plague of animals native to the area, which follow victims around or infest the area. Rains of frog, blood or summer sleet are also possible when cursing an area, or other strange and unnatural events. The user can determine the effects toa limited extent and should be encouraged to come up with appropriate Fortean weirdness. The Ethereal Song causes a recurring sound, phrase or event to follow the victims. The thing itself is not inherently troubling, but the victim notices constantly, until convinced the world is trying to drive him mad. For example, 'It's a Small World' might play repetitively, along with the phrase 'small world' showing up all over, or images of a cartoon character, or whatever. Others will not notice unless the Song is targeted on an area, in which case it plagues everyone in the area as long as they remain there. The Celestial Song marks the target with an invisible brand, causing anyone they meet to instantly and unreasonably dislike them. Anyone who comes in contact with them, even family and friends, must make a reaction roll at a penalty of (Celestial Forces), and any negative reaction persists until the Song ends, at which point those who already know the victim will revert to their original attitude, perhaps apologizing. Those who did not know the victim will likely retain their negative opinions until the victim does something to change them. The Celestial Song does not, however, create the cumulative Will penalty. Celestials are also less affected by the mark, subtracting (Celestial Forces) from the reaction penalty. They must still, however, make the roll, even with someone they know. Celestials can perceive the mark with a Perception roll at a penalty of (Song's level), and while this doesn't prevent the effect, they will know why it's happening. If the Song is targeted on an area, all meetings in the area are affected and all parties invovled must make a reaction roll. The effects vanish when they leave the area, but hostility generated by it may not. The effects return if they come back. These Songs cost at least 3 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Song of Possession is in the core, but Kyriotates and Shedim get an affinity for it.

The Songs of Revulsion cause forces to repel each other. They last for (Song's level*Essence spent) hours. The Corporeal Song causes two objects to push away from each other. You must touch both when performing hte Song, and neither can be living. Afterwards, each object will resist proximity of the other with an effective (CD) Strength. This is the amount neededl to hold them still or together. Otherwise, they automatically move apart until at least (CD) yards from each other. If an object repels the ground, it loses (10*CD) pounds of effective weight, and will float if this is less than 0. The Ethereal Song causes deep disgust in one person to any one person or object of your choice, which you must be able to see. The target must be within (Ethereal Forces) feet. They can negate this with a Will roll at a penalty of (CD), but if they fail, they will avoid the person or object's presence for the Song's duration, and will avoid looking at or pseaking to them if they can't. Physical contact may cause a violent or nauseous reaction. The Celestial Song temporarily severs attunements, including the Cherub or Djinn resonance, the Celestial Song of Attraction, the Songs of Affinity or the bond between an artifact and its owner. This is treated as a contest, and the Song's CD must equal or exceed the CD of the attunement or Song it is severing, or the level of the artifact. You must touch the object of attunement, though you need not know it has any attunements on it - but you also won't know if any attunements were negated. Habbalah have an affinity for the Ethereal Song. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Sanctity help establish and maintain Tethers. The Corporeal Song temporarily stabilizes a 'wild' Tether. IT must be used at the Tether's corporeal endpoint and must be performed constantly to maintain control. You concentrate on holding the Tether and can do nothing else without ending the Song. The Song lasts (CD*Essence spent*10) minutes, and Disturbance occurs only when the Song ends. If more than one group attempts to use this Song to control the upper locus, it becomes a contest between Songs, with the higher CD maintaining control for the duration. If the Tether is anchored and a new Song seizes control, the upper end will immediately jump somewhere, though not necessarily to the domain of the new singer. The Ethereal Song sends a call for help, but can only be used in a Tether. Within (Ethereal Forces*Essence spent), all celestials of the side the Tether belongs to will feel a draw but not a compulsion to the location. Anyone who has experienced this before will recognize its nature, and a Perception roll with a bonus of (CD) will give an exact distance to the Tether. Celestials of the Superior that controls the Tether will also know it's their Tether with that same roll. The Celestial Song boosts a Tether's divine or infernal nature. It affects only the Tether in which it is used, and within that Tether, any celestial of the opposite side suffers discomfort, getting a penalty of (Essence spent) to all TNs, which can be ignored with a Will roll, but only for (CD) minutes. The Song lasts (10*CD) minutes. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence. The Corporeal Song causes (CD) Disturbance, and the other two cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Seals affect barriers. They were discovered by the Archangel Zadkiel. All have a range of (Song's level )yards and duration of (CD+appropriate realm Forces) minutes. The Corporeal Song locks a door, window or container, or anything else that can be opened or closed. While it lasts, the item cannot be opened by any means short of destroying it, and the Song adds (CD) to the object's Protection. The Ethereal Song places a barrier around a person's mind, blocking all Will-based intrusion, such as the resonances of Kyriotates, Balseraphs, Habbalah, Shedim and the charm part of Impudites. However, the subject also cannot use those abilities on others. Unwilling subjects can negate this with a Will roll. If used on a sleeping human, it also locks off the border of their dreamscape, making it impossible to see in, enter or affect anything inside, and those inside cannot leave. The dreamer cannot wake until the Song ends. The Celestial Song creates a celestial barrier enclosing an area definedb y some kind of physical barrier, such as walls or a fence. The barrier cannot be crossed in celestial form, though it allows all physical movement. Anyone completely contained by the barrier cannot ascend to the celestial realm, or leave it if performed in the celestial realm. This also blocks the Celestial Song of Motion and the Songs of Location, provided the barrier is a complete closed loop. The maximum volume it can cenclose is a diameter of (Celestial Forces) yards. Angels of Protection have an affinity for these Songs. They cost 2 or more Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Sensation share experiences. Both Andrealphus and Eli are credited with their invention. All have a range of (Song's level+Essence spent) yards and a duration of (CD) minutes. The Corporeal and Ethereal versions each have a common variant that allow you to cause them to experience another's sensations rather than projecting your own. The Corporeal Song allows you to project any physical sensation you have ever felt onto someone else - pain, hunger, suffocation, orgasm, the works. They may resist with Will, but on a failure, they feel the sensation for the duration of the Song, though they suffer no actual damage even if they feel like they're having a cardiac arrest. The Ethereal Song allows you to force your emotions onto someone. They can resist with Will, and if they fail, they experience whatever you are feeling for the duration, though they are not compelled to act on it. If the GM agrees you are singing (mundanely) in a way that reinforces the emotions, a successful Singing roll will reinforce those emotions for (CD) minutes, at which point you roll again, until you fail. While singing, you may use the Song multiple times, targeting different people each time, and they will all continue to feel the Song's effects for as long as you keep singing, with the (CD) minute duration starting only when you stop. The Celestial Song allows you to tap into the local Symphony to generate a montage of emotions, impressions and memories. The target can resist with Will, or else they experience emotions and sensations with each sense, related to the immediate environment. A child's bedroom could, for example, contain the joy of hours of play, or the terror of years of abuse. For as long as the Song lasts, the target is entranced either way, and must roll Perception to notice anything going on, and Will to take any action. Habbalah have an affinity for the Ethereal Song. These Songs cost 2 or more Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Shadows control shadows. The Corporeal Song calls shadows to wrap around you in any shadowed area, making you hard to see. Add (Song's level) to any Move Silently TNs while in shadow, and you become invisible while motionless in shadow, requiring a Perception roll with a penalty of (Song's level) to spot at all. As soong as you move, you return to visibility. The Song lasts (Corporeal Forces+CD) minutes. The Ethereal Song lets you animate shadows in any shape you want, though they remain insubstantial and banished by bright light. The range is (Song's level) yards, and you control any and all shadows in that range for (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. On the ethereal plane, this Song can create and animate substantial shadows, which can be used to make ethereal attacks on either others in the Marches or on the occupants of a dreamscape. The attack is rolled against (Intelligence+Song's level), doing damage as normal for ethereal combat, and they act independently of you. The shadows can attack only one person per round, and they are immune to all ethereal attacks, though a clever dreamshaper can banish them from a dreamscape by making it too bright for them to exist, though this would take a CD of 5+ on a dreamshaping roll. The Celestial Song makes celestial forms harder to spot on the corporeal plane. For (CD) hours, your Celestial Forces are reduced by (Song's level) for purposes of spotting your celestial form, and you can go into the negatives. The duration does not change or stop when you are in corporeal form. These Songs cost 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Shattering are pure destructive blasts. They have a range of (Song's level*appopriate realm Forces) yards. The Corporeal Song generates a sonic blast which deals (CD*Essence spent) damage to inaimate objects and (CD+Essence spent) to living bodies, which ignore protection. Nothing outside the line of fire can hear the blast. The Ethereal Song fires an ultrasonic shriek which only affects the living. They may resist with Will. If they fail, their ears ring and they suffer a headache for (failed CD) hours, reducing their Intelligence and Precision by (Ethereal ForceS+Essence spent). If this drops Intelligence to 0, the victim is crippled by migraines. The victim can roll Will to ignore the effects for (CD) rounds, but on a failure they can't try again for (CD) rounds. The Celestial Song disrupts the target's Forces, causing them to bleed Essence or take soul damage if they run out. The target can resist with (Will+Celestial Forces). IF they fail, they lose Essence equal to the amount spent on the Song, taking any remainder in soul damage. This Song cannot strip a Force, however. Lost Essence is dispersed and creates a Disturbance equal to its amount. Relics and reliquaries can also be effected, resisting with a TN of (2*artifact level), and can be destroyed by the soul damage. Demons of Hardcore have an affinity for these Songs. These Songs cost 1-3 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Shields are in the core, but angels of Protection get an affinity for them.

The Songs of Sight grant vision beyond limits. Each lasts for (10*CD) minutes. The Corporeal Song gives perfect night vision and adds (Essence spent) to the TN of all visual Perception rolls for the duration. The Ethereal Song amplifies your visual magnification by (Ethereal Forces*Song's level*Essence spent) times. The Celestial Song allows you to ignore barriers to your vision, seeing through all objects out to (Song's level*Essence spent) yards as long as they are no thicker than (Celestial Forces) feet. These Songs cost 1 or more Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Silence quiet the Symphony. They all last for (CD) minutes. The Corporeal Song affects an area up to (Song's level*Essence spent) yards, rendering it totally silent. No physical noise may enter or exit, though Disturbance remains perceptible. This renders vocal rituals for Songs impossible, and will silence the Song of Thunder but not prevent its stunning or Disturbance-masking effects. The Ethereal Song renders a target temporarily mute. It has a range of (Song's level*Essence spent) feet, and as with the Corporeal Song, it only prevents the target from using verbal rituals for Songs, not Songs in general. The victim can resist with Will. The Celestial Song creates a pocket of Symphonic quiet in an area up to (Song's level*Essence spent) yards. For the duration, no one in that area will hear any Disturbance, though Disturbances created within can be heard outside it. Normal sound is unaffected. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Sleep have a range of (Song's level+Essence spent) yards, and can affect multiple targets at a penalty of -1 per target. The Corporeal Song prevents the target from falling asleep for (CD*Essence spent) hours. The subject can ignore all missed sleep for the duration, but suffers 1 mental damage per use of the Song, which can only be restored by a full 8 hours of sleep per pont of damage - not even the Ethereal Song of Healing will heal this. Any mortal awake long enough to hit 0 Mind HP will enter a coma from which they never awaken. For the duration, any target must subtract (Essence spent) from the TN of any Will roll to deliberately fall asleep, as well. The Ethereal Song makes the target tired, forcing a Will roll to remain conscious, -2 if the target is already bored or sleepy. If the target fails, they sleep normally until awakened or (CD) hours pass. The target automatically goes to the singer's side of the Marches - or the Far Marches, for an ethereal or pagan unaligned with Beleth. Celestials add (Ethereal Forces) to the TN to resist, and if they fail, the duration is merely minutes, as sleep is unnatural for them. The Celestial Song enhances the soothing rest of sleep. It can only be used on someone already asleep, and they must remain so at least eight hours to get the benefits. They heal Body and Mind HP as if they had slept an extra (CD) days. This does affect celestials, and additionally will speed the recovery from Trauma by (CD) days. Angels of Dreams have an affinity for all three Songs, while demons of Nightmares have an affinity for the Corporeal and Ethereal. These Songs cost at least 2 Essence and cause (number of people who attempt to resist) Disturbance.

The Songs of Solace bring temporary peace and comfort to the suffering. They last (CD) hours and require you to touch the target. The Corporeal Song eases physical pain, inuring the target to physical trauma and preventing them from being stunned for the duration. The Ethereal Song eases mental and emotional pain, granting a sense of peace and calm in place of fear, guilt or other anguish, and giving a bonus of (Ethereal Forces) to any rolls to resist the effects of other Songs or attunements that cause painful emotions. The Celestial Song restores victims of celestial damage ot their previous state temporarily, such as Remnants. Anyone who has lost Ethereal or Celestial Forces will perform mentally as if their Forces were whole, though they will regain no lost powers. They will, however, regain any lost memory or personality. This can also affect mortals suffering from equivalent effects due to drugs, brain damage or deterioration such as Alzheimer's. It will not affect anyone born mentally deficient nor any undead at all. Angels of Protection have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Storms control the weather. Each can affect an area up to (CD+Song's level) miles in diameter, and all last for (appropriate realm Forces) hours. Different versions canafect the same area, but multiple uses of the same version are not cumulative. Once they end, the weather rapidly returns to normal. The scale of alteration depends on how much Essence is spent on top of the base cost. The Corporeal Song can cause or prevent precipitation appropriate to the climate. 1 Essence will cause minor changes, while 3 can stop it entirely or cause the heaviest natural possible for the area. More can call down unheard-of amounts, and 6 could bring a blizzard otthe Sahara. Summoning precipitation when there are no clouds costs 1 extra Essence. The Ethereal Song causes or suppresses wind, with 1 Essence causing or weakening a slight breeze, 3 causing strong wind or stopping anything short of a storm, and 6 causing or stopping hurricane-force winds. The Celestial Song affects temperature. 1 Essence can cause slight warming or cooling, 3 can cause normal extremes for the season, 7 can cause the arctic to become moderately warm, make a desert unlivable, cause the arctic to become unearthly cold or freeze a desert at noon. The change is not instant, but occurs over the course of an hour. Angels of the Wind have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence nad cause (CD*total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Succor conjure sustenance. The Corporeal Song creates manna, the perfect food. It is nutritionally balanced, filling, tastes good no matter what you like and is low in fat. It does not keep well and will dissipate within an hour. Each use provides enough to feed (CD*Essence spent) mortals, animals or plants. Haagenti will not eat manna, as a note. The Ethereal Song restores consciousness. Anyone who is asleep, comatose or knocked out may roll Will with a bonus of (CD) to instantly awaken. This does not remove foreign influences - someone passed out drunk remains drunk - but will give a Shedite's host an extra Perception roll to realize the Shedite is in control. The range is (Song's level+Essence spent) yards. The Celestial Song requires no Essence to use, and instead gives the user one point of Essence, calling on sunrise, sunset or midnight somewhere in the world. However, you do not receive your usual Essence when you hit local sunrise/sunset/midnight. This Song can be used only once every 24 hours. Those with Celestial Discord must have a CD that equals or beats their Discord's level, however. Demons of the Game gain only 1 Essence this way and still lose all Essence gains from sunset. The Corporeal and Ethereal Songs cost at least 1 Essence and all three cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Symphony answer questions. They are rarely taught, however. The realm used determines what questions can be asked, the CD determines how precise the answer is and how complex the question can be and still get a helpful answer. The GM rolls the dice secretly for this, however. Some questions are beyond the Songs entirely - mostly things involving direct intervention of God or Lucifer, or anything that would require knowing the mind of a Superior. The GM can also rule it doesn't work on questions that would spoil secrets they don't want spoiled. The Corporeal Song asks questions about earthly matters. It can only ask about the present, only about subjects on Earth and it cannot ask anything about ethereals or celestials. If asked about a Role or someone you don't know is a celestial, it either gives an answer appropriate to the celestial's corporeal existence, a vague answer, or just fails. The Ethereal Song can answer about the past or future, but only the future that would occur absent celestial intervention. It cannot ask questions about celestials, either. The Celestial Song can answer questions of past, present or future, but only about ethereals and celestials, and its answers will not take into account the presence or actions of mortals. Angels of Destiny and demons of Fate have an affinity for these Songs. They cost 4 Essence and cause (CD*2) Disturbance.



Next time: Secret Songs

Kidz Bop

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Kidz Bop

The Songs of Transferral allow you to perform a second Song while touching someone or something else, and rather than that Song affecting you, it affects the thing you touch. This lets you use normally personal-only Songs on other people. Your Transferral must be of the same realm as the other Song, and you have (CD) rounds in which to use the other Song. If you have enough time, you can transfer more htan one Song, but not the same Song more than once unless the other Song specifically says it can stack. The subject has control over the effects of the Song as if they used it, and can roll Wil lat any time to prevent or terminate its use. These Songs cost 2 Essence and cause (level of Song transferred) Disturbance on top of that Song's Disturbance.

The Song of Transfiguration can be used by anyone possessing another body - mostly Kyriotates, Shedim and anyone with the Song of Possession. It temporarily removes your host from the corporeal, taking them along when you go celestial. The host is treated as any other corporeal object when you enter celestial form, save that it doesn't cunt against your maximum weight allowance - though any clothing is. Each use costs (host's Corporeal Forces) Essence. Kyriotates can use the Song multiple times for multiple hosts. The Song lasts (CD) hours, or until your possession ends, whichever comes first. For the duration, you can go celestial and rematerialize with the chosen host as much as you want, as long as you obey all other rules of taking on celestial form. Should the Song end in celestial form, the host rematerializes wherever your celestial form is, if on Earth, or at oyur last location before leaving hte corporeal, if elsewhere. The Song is considered a Celestial Song. It costs at least 3 Essence and causes (host's total Forces) Disturbance when used, which is also added to any Disturbance made by entering or leaving the corporeal plane.

The Songs of Truth touch on truth. The Corporeal Song reveals corporeal disguises and illusions. It can affect anyone you can see, and used on a person, it shows their true form, stripped of physical disguises, makeup or even the Corporeal Song of Form, but will not reveal a celestial vessel or possessed host. On an object, it reveals hidden compartments, concealed functions, secret doors and so on. It only detects features intended to obscure an object's true nature, however - it can't detect a fake ID because the ID is what it is, it just is intended for use in deception. For 1 Essence, only you can see the truth, and you may look at up to (CD) subjects or for up to (CD) minutes, whichever comes first. For 2 Essence, you target only one thing, but for (CD) minutes, everyone sees the truth. The Ethereal Song detects lies. It has a range of (Song's level) yards and a duration of (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. The target can resist by Will, and you only learn if the subject believes what they're saying, so it's useless against Balseraphs. The Celestial Song compels truth from the target. It has a range of (Song's level) yards and is resisted by Will. The victim may roll Will to keep silent rather than answer a question. Whatever they sa for (CD+Celestial Forces) minutes will be true to the best of their knowledge, however. Those experienced with the Song can attempt misleading evasion, much as Seraphim can, and Balseraphs can attempt to use their resonance on themselves to lie, but must contest the Song with their resonance and win. Failure automatically causes dissonance. Seraphim have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance for the Corporeal and Ethereal, (CD) for the Celestial.

The Songs of Unity join things together. The Corporeal Song permanently joins two or more objects. You must be touching all of them and they must be touching one another. For the base cost, two objects are joined, with each additional object costing 1 more. A permanent bond is made along all points of contact, treated as an invisible join with Body HP equal to (CD) and Protection equal to (Corporeal Forces). This cannot be used on living things without a particularly nasty variant Song. The Ethereal Song allows skills (though nothing else) to be shared among a group for (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. All members must be willing and touching each other. This costs 1 Essence per person, but you don't count for the cost. While it lasts, any member can use the skills of any other, at the highest level of any member of the group. TNs are calculated normally with the borrowed skill. Everyone instinctively knows what skills are available. The Celestial Song links the minds of a group into a mass gestalt entity, similar to a temporary Kyriotate. Each member has access to everyone else's skills, Songs, resonances and attunements. Any mind damage delat to any one member can be redistributed as the gestalt sees fit. All Essence possessed is pooled and available to all members. Only one member can be in celestial form on Earth at a time, and their appearance will bear traces of all others. All participants must be willing and touching when the Song is used, and it costs 1 Essence per member, not including you. It lasts for (CD+Celestial Forces) minutes. However, if members disagree on courses of action, the gestalt mind may hesitate and do nothing. The group mind can be controlled by a contest of Wills among members. When the Song ends, the individuals retain only a little memory of the gestalt's actions, with an Intelligence roll to determine how much they remember if needed. Angels of Stone have an affinity for these Songs, and get an additional bonus to the Corporeal Song if all objects to be joined are made of stone. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD+people or objects affected) Disturbance.

So, Secret Songs! Most Superiors have a small selection of Songs that they guard and teach only to their favored servitors. Not all Superior knows every Secret Song, and some are even unknown to exist by most. Any servant that goes to the other side and knows a Secret Song will be hunted down viciously.

The Songs of Banishing are also known as the Songs of Exorcism. No one knows who first made them. Uriel and Jordi are both candidates - Uriel because he used them a lot and Jordi because he discovered how to create vessels. Each Superior who knows them tries to keep them secret, but there have been leaks, and a few ethereals have been known to use the Ethereal Song. The Corporeal Song drives a celestial or ethereal from their body, whether host or vessel. It has a range of (Song's level) feet, and may be resisted by Will, plus any levels of Bound. If this fails, the target is driven out of any host and treated as if they failed the possession in the first place, while those in a vessel are sent to the ethereal plane if ethereals or forces into celestial form if celestial, with the vessel unable to be used for (failed CD) minutes. Celestials need not pay Essence, but do cause Disturbance and are subject to normal time limits. Against a mortal, the Song does nothing. The Ethereal Song can banish intruders from the ethereal plane. You must be able to see the target, and they can resist with Will. If they fail, they are sent back to their vessel on Earth or to the celestial plane, depending on how they entered the Marches. Nothing stops immediate return, however. The Song can also banish an outisder from a dreamscape, and if this works, the target can't re-enter until the next time the mortal sleeps. The Celestial Song can be used against those in celestial form. It has a range of (Song's level) yards, and on a success, the subject must resist with Will or be forced back to the celestial plane, unable to return for (failed CD) minutes. This can be used to send an angel in Hell back to Heaven or a demon in Heaven back to Hell. Asmodeus, Beleth, Blandine, Jordi and Laurence know these Songs. They cost 3 Essence and cause (CD+target's total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Battle were discovered by Laurence in an attempt to turn the Host into a drilled and united body. He kept them secret from all but the other militant Archangels, but there are rumors that demons of the War have been using them lately. They create unity between disparate forces. They can affect any number of targets, but have -1 TN for each. All must be visible when the Song is used, but can move after, and all must be willing. They will not affect the unwilling, and anyone can end being part of one with Will. They do not work on inanimate objects. The Corporeal Song grants you awareness of the exact location of all targets for (CD*Corporeal Forces) minutes, appearing as an icon in your imagination that shows location, speed and heading relative to you. It instantly loses anyone that transfers to another plane or dies. The Ethereal Song gives a telepathic connection to all targets for (CD*Ethereal Forces) minutes. All communication is only what each target chooses to broadcast. You can send your thoughts to each target selectively, while all targets can either send them to you alone or to everyone. The Celestial Song allows a common spirit of the group to share in epiphany. All members may take a 5 minute timeout in which all action is suspended, in which they may work together to plan, strategize and debate, even mid-action. The GM should then apply a bonus of (CD) to any action taken immediately afterward as a direct result of this gestalt decision-making. This bonus lasts for (CElestial Forces) combat rounds. Angels of the Sword, angels of War and demons of the War have an affinity for these Songs. Baal, David, Janus, Laurence and Michael know them. These cost 2 Essence, or 3 for the Celestial Song, and cause (CD+number of targets, including you) Disturbance.

The Songs of Beasts are Jordi's. They last (CD) hours. The Corporeal Song allows you to communicate with any animal via sound and gestures, understanding and being understood by up to (Song level) animals at any one time. This grants no special intellect to the animals, however. The Ethereal Song temporarily enhances an animal's mental abilities. You must see the target, and it gains (Essence spent) Intelligence. This grants it no special communicative abilities or understanding of English, and does not change its natural instincts. The Celestial Song lets you turn into any animal you have personally seen, costing 1 Essence per 20% decrease in mass, or 1 Essence per added ton or fraction thereof of mass. You gain any natural abilities the animal has. Angels of Animals have an affinity with these Songs, and only Jordi knows them. They cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD+number of targets) Disturbance.

The Song of Binding holds a celestial or ethereal in their current host. It can affect Kyriotates, Shedim or anyone using the Song of Possession. It also prevents changing vessels or assuming celestial form. The range is (Song's level) yards, negated by Will. If this fails, the victim is trapped in their current form for (CD*Essence spent) minutes. This is considered a Celestial Song. Asmodeus and Dominic know it, it costs 2 or more Essence and it causes (CD+target's total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Blades sharpen the Symphony. Laurence's angels discovered them, and they were traded to Michael for some of War's Songs. The Corporeal Song turns any object into a weapon, sharpening their surfaces. For (CD+Corporeal Forces) minutes, the objecth as (Essence spent) Power and counts as a blade for Laurence's Blade Blessing, which is cumulative with it. Objects that are already weapons do not add Power - use only the highest value. The Accuracy is decided by the GM. This can turn your appendages or those of a willing target into blades as well. Thge Ethereal Song creates an ethereal weapon in any form you want, allowing you to roll attacks with the higher of (Ethereal Forces+Intelligence) or (weapon skill+Intelligence). Each attack with the weapon adds (Essence spent) to its damage. On the corporeal plane, it appears as an illusory, flickering image which can still inflict ethereal damage, but with TN of (Ethereal Forces+Intelligence) and damage only equal to (attack roll CD). The weapon lasts for (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. The Celestial Song summons blades wielded by the Symphony itself. They hang in the air over a radius of (Song's level+Essence spent) feet. You can define a fixed area or have them follow you around. You can also define anyone you want them to ignore. Anyone else who comes in range is automatically struck by them, doing (Celestial Forces+1d6) damage per round. They can't be dodged, but Protection helps as normal. If you assume celestial form, so do the blades, causing Soul damage instead of Body damage. On the ethereal plane, they do Mind damage. The Song lasts (Celestial Forces*CD) rounds. Angels of the Sword have an affinity for these Songs, and Laurence and Michael know them. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Concealment are believed to have been discovered by Valefor, but they haven't been used or taught in centuries. The Celestial Song is believed lost. Only a few know that any object concealed by these Songs are always visible in their true form in reflection. The Corporeal Song can make any single small item appear to be any other item of similar size, which fools all senses and tests except a mirror reflection, but does not actually change it. This lasts (CD) days and can affect nothing larger than (Corporeal Forces+Essence spent) pounds. It can alter an artifact's appearance but not keep it from being detected as an artifact. You must touch the object. The Ethereal Song conceals your true feelings and thoughts, instead emoting as you choose for (Ethereal Forces) hours. All resonances that would read mood, intention or character, the Ethereal Song of Tongues or similar aiblities will read whatever you choose to broadcast unless their CD beats that of your Song. (Seraphim win on ties.) The exception is if they resonate your reflection, which gets the truth. The Celestial Song, if discovered, would disguise your celestial form or the true nature of an artifact for (10+CD-Celestial Forces) minutes, but would be foiled by mirrors and counts as a lie for Seraphic resonance. Valefor knows these Songs, and Asmodeus and Janus might know them. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Correspondence takes advantage of similar patterns in the Symphony. It is known by most older Superiors but rarely taught. This allows you to use nearly any celestial ability at a great distance, as long as you can establish a correspondence with the target. If you can do it, then the appropriate realm's Song will let you affect them for (CD) minutes with any other Song, resonance or attunement, even if you don't know where they are. With the Celestial Song of Motion, you can bring a target yto you if they are in range. The cost is (target's total Forces) Essence to use these Songs, and you have to guess at what that number is. If you spend enough, it works, and any excess is lost. If you don't, it fails. You can't aaffect anyone with more Forces than you. (Objects and locations require 3 Essence.) The Corporeal Song affects corporeal objects, mortals, corporeal vessels and places on Earth. The Ethereal Song affects ethereals, celestials in the Marches and locations on the ethereal plane. The Celestial Song affects celestial forms or locations on the celestial plane. Only the newest Superiors, like Haagenti and Nybbas, do not know these Songs. They cost at least 3 Essence and cause (total Forces) Disturbance.



The Song of Daydreams is an Ethereal Song with no known other versions. It is known to Dreams, but Blandine claims she didn't discover it, but rather that it was learned from humans who invoked it in great crisis. It only works on mortals who have, at some point in their lives, desperately dreamed of being someone else or having other abilities. When used, it only affects those who are either daydreaming about or remember those fantasies. Otherwise, it fails. You do not need to know if it will work when you use it, at least. If it works, then for (Ethereal Forces*CD) minutes, the target gains all the mundane abilities they longed for in the person they wanted to be. They get any appropriate skills, stats and so on at a level of (Essence spent). They remain themselves, but have all the mannerisms and attitude of their idol and will feel as if they are living out their fantasies, giving it all a dreamlike quality after. This does not grant any supernatural abilities, however. Angels of Dreams have an affinity for this Song, and it is known to Blandine and Yves. It costs 1 or more Essence and and causes (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Deception were devised by Alaemon, though they have been sold to Lilith by one of his Barons. The Corporeal Song allows you to fool the Symphony into believing you are a natural part of it. For (Corporeal ForceS) minutes, you are treated as having a Role of level (CD), which covers all actions you might cause Disturbance for - but only for Disturbance purposes and nothing else. If you already have a Role, add (CD) to its effective level for actions that Role would normally cover. When used by mortals, it will mask Disturbance caused by supernatural abilities. The Ethereal Song makes anything you do or say seem plausible, like the Balseraph resonance. Add (CD) to the TN of any Lying or Fast-Talk or deceptive use of Emote. This lasts for (Ethereal Forces) minutes. The Celestial Song changes the apparent origin of any Disturbance you cause. You choose a person, place or object you are touching when you use the Song. Thy appear to be the source of all of your Disturbance, except if the Perception roll has a CD of 6. When this ends after (CD+Celestial Forces) minutes, any remaining echos point to you. Demons of Secrets and all Balseraphs have an affinity for these Songs. Alaemon and Lilith know them, and they cost 2 or more Essence, causing (CD) Disturbance, but only when the Songs end.

The Songs of Disjunction were discovered by Malphas. They tear things apart. All have a range of (Song's level) yards. The Corporeal Song disassembles objects into their component pieces, working on anything that can be taken apart without damaging the integrity of the parts. This can't work on living things. Each use deals ((Corporeal Forces+CD)*Essence Spent) Body damage, ignoring Protection...but it's all or nothing. Either the object hits 0, or it takes no damage. The Ethereal Song seperates the mind from the body. The target can resist with Will, plus Celestial Forces for celestials. Otherwise, they are sent to the Marches and their body enters a coma. The duration is (CD) minutes for mortals or (CD) rounds for celestials. Only the Ethereal Song of Healing will return the mind sooner - and then only if it beats the CD. On Kyriotates, however, the victim's manifestation is instead separated from the rest of their Forces for (CD) hours. They remain aware of all manifestations and can control them, but cannot bring the Forces affected back to any other Forces, nor send Forces to the location of the disjointed Forces. The Celestial Song sunders the target's Forces. Victims resist with Will, plus Celestial Forces for celestials. If they fail, they remain outwardly intact but for (CD) minutes, they can use only one of their three realms at a time. While using any skill or ability or activity requiring one type of Force, their stats and Forces in the other two are treated as 0. This means that they cannot move or think at the same time! They can make Perception rolls, but need another realm to process what they see. Any Song or attunement using multiple stats or taking multiple types of Force into account can't be used. Resonances can be, but use a value of - for any non-Celestial stats or Forces. Demons of Factions have an affinity for these Songs, and Calabim have an affinity for the Corporeal Song. Only Malphas definitely knows these, but any other Superior might. This costs 1 or more Essence for the Corporeal Song and 3 or more for the other two. They cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Ecstasy cause pleasure. Their range is (Song's level+Essence spent) yards, and can target multiple people at -1 TN per person beyond the first. The Corporeal Song makes any physical sensation pleasurable, exactly per the Balseraph of Lust attunement, but for (CD) minutes. If the subject becomes permanently conditioned, a reverse application can undo it. It can also undo the attunement. The Ethereal Song causes profound joy for (CD) minutes, resisted by Will. This negates the Angry and Fear Discords for the duration, and also resists the Fury, Sadness or Emptiness effects of the Habbalite resonance. It will also allow a Will roll for a dreamer to move to Blandine's Marches. The Celestial Song empowers a celestial's Word, as a morale booster. For (CD) hours, they gain 1 extra Essence from any Rite used, as well as from sunrise/sunset, if it happens in the duration. Further, they add an extra die on any dissonance rolls, arranging them in any configuration of three dice they like an getting unfavorable Intervention only if all four dice are identical. Any celestial with dissonance, or any Outcast or Renegade, does not get the bonus Essence, but does get the bonus die. Angels of Creation have an affinity for these Songs, and demons of Lust for the Corporeal Song. Andrealphus, Eli and Novalis know these Songs. They cost 2 or more Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Enslavement were discovered by Andrealphus. They all require prolonged intimate contact with the victim in which you are increasingly dominant. At level 1, it requires a full night of sex, while at level 6, it equires only a brief makeout session. Andre himself can use it with a kiss. The Corporeal Song forces a Will roll at a penalty of (Corporeal Forces) to avoid slavish obedience to all orders, up to and including suicide, taking pleasure in doing so. This lasts for (CD) days and you must fuck the victim at least once per day or it ends at sunrise. The Ethereal Song makes the target obsessed with pleasing you, similar to an addiction, and they become dull and depressed except when serving you. This lasts (CD) days, after which the victim enters withdrawal. This can be resisted by Will. The Celestial Song gives a temporary Need Discord at a level of (CD), with the Need being to see you once per day. While in effect, the victim has an effective Will 1 against anything you want to do to them. This lasts (Celestial Forces) days, during which time shackles are visible on the target's celestial form. They may resist by Will. Demons of Lust get an affinity for these Songs, and only Andrealphus knows them. They cost 4 Essence and cause (Total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Freedom were discovered by Lilith and are rarely shared. The Corporeal Song acts as instant success with the Escape skill against up to (CD) restraints. They just fall away. This includes someone's grasp. Even at only level 1, it can be used silently and mentally, taking effect after two rounds. The Ethereal Song temporarily stops a Geas. The CD must equal or beat the Geas's level, but the target is freed from its effects for (Celestial Forces) hours. This also works against the Bound discord. You must touch the target. The Celestial Song works as the Corporeal Song, but for the celestial form. Any attempt to confine the celestial form must have a CD higher than the Song to work, though this does nothing to the Bound Discord. Anyone using Lilith's Rites and dissonance has an affinity for these Songs, and only Lilith knows them. They cost 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Fruition aid in reproduction. Since the casting out of the Grigori, the Celestial and Ethereal Songs have been kept secret and are illegal to know for angels. The Corporeal Song is not. The Corporeal Song allows mortals to be fruitful. For (CD) hours, any coupling between male and female humans or animals within (Essence spent) yards of you automatically results in conception, even if the couple is normally infertile or is using contraceptives. The Ethereal Song allows ethereals to interbreed with humans...but on CD 5-6, produces a Gorgon. The Celestial Song allows it for celestials. On CD 5-6, angels produce Nephilim. Demons do so on CD 3+. Calbim halve their Celestial Forces, rounding up, when calculating TN to use this Song. Angels of Creation have an affinity for these Songs, and angels of Flowers for the Corporeal Song. All Superiors know them, but few will teach them. This costs 1 Essence for the Corporeal, 3 for the other two, and causes 10 Disturbance at the moment of conception, except for the Corporeal Song, which has no base Disturbance.

Next time: More Secrecy

Peter, Paul and Mary

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Peter, Paul and Mary

The Songs of Hunger were discovered by Haagenti, who has traded them only to Mammon and Kobal. All have a range of (Song's level*Essence spent) yards and duration of (CD) days. The Corporeal Song causes someone to become ravenously hungry, while accelerating their metabolism so no food is enough. They may negate it with a Strength roll with a penalty of (Corporeal Forces). Failure means, no matter what they eat, they neither gain weight nor lessen hunger. If used on one person over an extended period, they will eventually waste away. Each week, they lose 1 Strength, and die at 0. Lsot Strength returns at one point per week not subject to the Song. This does affect corporeal celestials, but they get a bonus to the resistance roll equal to their Corporeal Forces, and the hunger and strength less only affects the vessel they were in when targeted. The Ethereal Song fills the target with a sense of insufficiency regarding one expendable resource of your choice that the target can consume. The victim constantly desires more. This has no mechanical effect, they just feel they never have enough and will hoard or consume more than they need, suffering nightmares about the lack. This can be resisted by Will. The Celestial Song causes a hunger for Essence. It is resisted by Will, and means making another Will roll any time during the duration that they want to spend Essence. Anything less than full Essence will also make the target desire to gain more Essence by any means they have, while mortals will feel restless and unfulfilled. Demons of Gluttony have an affinity for all Songs, while demons of Greed have an affinity for the Ethereal and Celestial Songs. Haagenti, Kobal and Mammon know these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Laughter were discovered by Kobal while he was an angel. They have recently been rediscovered by Christopher, Archangel of Children, which has rather angered Kobal. The Corporeal Song causes people to laugh and smile. It does not make them happy or cheerful - they just have to smile or laugh for (Corporeal Forces+CD) minutes, and makes them easily amused. Someone who is determined to look sour can with a Will roll. This Song affects anyone within (Song's level+Essence spent) yards when it is used. The Ethereal Song makes everything you do seem funny to everyone within (Song's level+Essence spent) yards, no matter what you say. This lasts for (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. Will negates. The Celestial Song lets you gain Essence from the genuine and unfeigned laughter of an audience at anything. The audience must be at least 10 people, and you get 1 point of Essence per five minutes of general laughter, as at a party, or one one minute of breathless laughter at a single joke. An audience of 100 or more doubles the Essence gain, and any number less than 10 doubles the amount of laughter needed. The maximum Essence you can gain is (CD). The Essence is not stolen from anyone - it just appears as per a Rite. Demons of Dark Humor have an affinity for these Songs. It is known by Kobal, Christopher and Novalis. The Songs cost at least 1 Essence and causes either (number of targets) Disturbance for the Corporeal or Ethereal, or (CD) for the Celestial.



The Songs of Lightning control the power of lightning. Jean does not teach them lightly. The Corporeal Song immunizes the target to electricity for (CD+Corporeal Forces) minutes. This also grants immunity to the Celestial Song of Lightning. Machines that need electricity will stop working. The target remains conductive, however. You must touch the target. The Ethereal Song activates and powers any electrical device for (CD*Essence spent) minutes. It will operate normally, but needs no outside power. Alternatively, you can cause a destructive electical surge, which will not damage the device but will burn out any electrical components and require them to be replaced before it will work again. The range is (Ethereal Forces) yards. The Celestial Song calls down a bolt of lightning. The target must be within (Song's level*10) yards and must be either outside or near a window. The lightning bolt strikes automatically, doing (CD*Essence spent) Body damage. It cannot be dodged, but Protection from anything but metal armor works normally. If the target takes any damage, they are automatically stunned. Angels of Lightning have an affinity for these Songs, and only Jean knows them. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD*2) Disturbance.

The Songs of Oblivion were, until very recently, lost with the death of Mariel. However, Alaemon recently rediscovered them. The Corporeal Song temporarily removes one person or object from the Symphony. You touch the target, and for (Corporeal Forces+CD) minutes, no harm done to the target causes any Disturbance. The Song has an opposite effect on Roles, however - a celestial with a Role gets to resist with a tN of (Corporeal Forces + Role's level). Failure drops the target to effective Role 0 for the duration, for the purposes of masking Disturbance only. The Ethereal Song erases memories permanently. It has a range of (Song's level) yards and allows the user to choose one memory to erase from the target's mind. The memory may be of a time period up to (Ethereal Forces) hours, or any specific single fact. The victim can resist with Intelligence, and celestials add Celestial Forces. The Celestial Song can only be used against celestials, and only on the ethereal or celestial plane or against those in celestial form - and any Kyriotate with any Forces in a host is immune, at that. The target must be visible to you, but if they are, they must roll Will or be banished to Limbo. They can roll Will after (CD) hours to try and leave, rolling again after (failed CD) hours if they fail, until they succeed. Kyriotates and Shedim, who cannot enter Limbo, are instead banished to Heaven or Hell respectively. The bodies of slepeing celestials banished from the ethereal remain in a coma until the owner returns. On emerging from Limbo, the celestial automatically returns to that body, unless it has died, in which case they go to trauma. Any surviving demons of Oblivion have an affinity for these Songs. Only Alaemon currently knows it. It costs 2 or more Essence, or 3 for the Celestial Song, and causes (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Pestilence were once common, discovered by Makatiel, Prince of Disease. After his attempt to destroy humanity, Superiors on both sides worked together to destroy him and are much more careful about teachin the Songs. Killing with them will create Disturbance at the moment of death for celestial singers. However, others infected by the initial victim will not. Celestial victims are normally immune to infection. The corporeal Song allows you to infect a single target with a disease by touching them. They resist with Strength at a penalty of (CD), and failure indicates they are infected, and the disease runs its course naturally. The Ethereal Song only works with contagious diseases. It turns one mortal or object into a carrier, though the living carrier will not contract the disease. For (CD) days, they infect anyone they come in contact with as appropriate for the disease. It is up to the GM to decide what counts as contact for the disease and the object. The Celestial Song works in the same manner as the Ethereal, but the carrier can be an ethereal or celestial object or being. Demons of Corruption, Disease or Death have an affinity for these Songs. Most Princes know them, as do most older Archangels. They cost 1 Essence and cause (CD+disease level) Disturbance.



The Songs of Poison were discovered by Sammael, a servant of Fleurity, Prince of Drugs, who earned the Word of Poison as a reward. Saminga is known to have learned them, as have others. The Corporeal Song turns any physical substance up to (Corporeal Forces) pounds toxic with a touch. It creates an ingested poison with a base 1d6 damage and cycle of 1 hour, with a term of (CD) hours. Each additional Essence spent can decrease or increase the cycle by one increment, which adjusts the term by the same amount - so 2 Essence gives a cycle of 1 round and a term of (CD) rounds, for example. 2 Essence can increase or decrease the term one increment without altering the cycle, and 3 Essence can increase the damage by 1d6. Sung at a -2, the poison can be made contact or can be made as an invisible, odorless gas that fills a radius up to (Corporeal Forces) feet. The Ethereal Song imbues a substance of up to (Ethereal Forces) pounds with the effects of a drug of your choice. One performance makes (CD+Essence spent) doses. At -2, you can make contact or inhaleable drugs as per the Corporeal Song. The Celestial Song creates celestial poison, acting as the Corporeal Song, except damage is Soul damage and the base damage is 1, not 1d6, with each 3 Essence increases the damage by 1. Celestial poison is resisted by Will, not Strength, and can remove Forces. Demons of Drugs have an affinity for these Songs. Fleurity and Saminga both know them. They cost 2+ Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Purity were used by Uriel in creation of the universe. They remove impurities from a touched target. The Corporeal Song destroys physical impurity, or for 2 additional Essence, separates out the impurities. It can strain salt from seawater or poison and disease from a creature. It will not repair any damage already done, however, and cannot remove 'impurity' that is integral to an object, such as the iron in a human body. This does not affect things below the molecular level, either. Each use affects one living thing or (CD) cubic feet of inanimate material. The Ethereal Song removes foreign influence from the target's mind, including hypnosis, resonance, Songs or attunements. It will not fix minds addled by drugs or disease, however, as those are physical causes, and will not cure insanity, which is not a foreign influence. Discords, likewise, are not foreign. When attempting to remove the effects of celestial powers, the CD must beat either the effect's CD or the Ethereal Forces of the responsible party for effects with no CD. The Celestial Song deals (CD) Soul damage to any entity possessing the target. This cannot remove a Force, but if the total damage would remove a Force, the possessor is forced from the host and cannot repossess them until all Soul damage is healed. This has no effect on anyone but an etheral or celestial possessing a host, and you know if you hit something after use. Any remaining angels of Purity have an affinity for these Songs, and Gabriel, Khalid and Laurence still know them. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Retribution were discovered by Asmodeus, but a Redeemed Gamester taught them to Marc and Dominic. The Corporeal Song causes the Symphony to lash out at Disturbance in an area up to (Song's level+Essence spent) yards in radius, set when the Song is used, or a single dreamscape. For (Corporeal Forces+CD) minutes, anyone who causes Disturbance, including you, takes Body damage equal to the Disturbance caused. If on the etheral or celestial plane, the damage is Mind or Soul damage respectively. The Ethereal Song amplifies dissonance, making it painful and distracting. You must touch the target, and they get -1 per note of dissonance to all TNs for (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes. This obviously does nothing to anyone with no dissonance, and you do not automatically know if the target has any. The Celestial Song amplifies Discord. You touch the target and choose a realm. The target has a penalty to all TNs qual to the highest level Discord in that realm for (CD+Celestial Forces) minutes. If you know or guess exactly what Discord that is, you may use this Song to exacerbate it. For each additional Essence spent past the base cost, that Discord's level is increased by 1 for (CD) days, to a max of 6. Any excess Essence, or all of it if you picked one they don't have, is wasted. Asmodeus, Dominic and Marc know these Songs, which cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Stone control the earth, and David never teaches them to anyone below the rank of Vassal. The Corporeal Song causes earthquakes in a radius of ((Corporeal Forces+Essence spent)*100) yards. The CD determines how severe the quake is. Anything damaged by it causes Disturbance due to being from celestial interference. The Ethereal Song moves earth and stone. It has a range of (Song's level) yards and affects (10*Essence spent) pounds of mass. For (CD+Ethereal Forces) minutes, the mass animates and moves at your command, with a maximum speed of (Precision) yards per turn. Whatever form it's in when that runs out is how it remains, as long as the formation is stable. (Unstable ones collapse.) The Celestial Song grants Celestial Forces to corporeal objects. The user or object targeted will be able to affect beings in celestial form ofr (CD) minutes, allowing them to strike in combat for Soul damage without being in celestial form. Solid objects form a barrier to celestial form, able to withstand their HP in soul damage. The base cost affects either you or an inanimate object with HP up to (4*Celestial Forces). Each additional point of Essence adds 8 HP to the max allowed. Angels of Stone have an affinity for these Songs, and only David knows them. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD+appropriate realm Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Vulnerability result from vapula's experiments, but they are still experimental, and failed use causes the user to suffer the Song's effects most of the time. All require the user to touch the target, and none can harm mortals...yet. The Corporeal Song renders a vessel vulnerable to all diseases that can affect a mortal, though it doesn't infect them directly. This lasts for (CD) days, during which the vessel also heals at human rates. Any diseases contracted vanish when the effects end, however. The Ethereal Song renders a vessel with the need to sleep for (CD) days, as much as any mortal does, causing all effects of fatigue and sleep deprivation if the celestial does not sleep. The Celestial Song renders the target hypersensitive to Disturbance for (CD) hours. In this period, the target is pained by any Disturbance, proportional to the seveirty. A Will roll may be needed to maintain concentration and avoid TN penalties. The victim gets +2 to all PErception rolls to detect Disturbance, but cannot get CDs higher than 2. Only Vapula knows these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of War were not discovered by Michael, but an ancient servant of his. Until the Fall, there was little use for them. Baal took them with him when he Fell, but has been choosy about teaching them, as have the militant Archangels. However, most Princes do know them due to their age. The Corporeal Song requires you to touch someone. For (CD+Corporeal Forces) minutes, they suffer no negative effects from blood loss, and remain conscious even at 0 Body HP, and able to fight until their negative HP exceeeds (Essence spent+target's Corporeal Forces). Their blood also flows copiously and in great quantity while the Song is in effect. The Ethereal Song has a range of (Song's level*Essence spent) yards. Everyone in range must roll Will or suffer boosted aggression for (CD*Ethereal Forces) minutes. This does not force violence, but makes it much more likely. It also adds the CD to any Will rolls to reisst fear or uncertainty in a violent situation, including suppression of the Cowardly Discord. The Celestial Song allows you to harm a mortal without causing Disturbance, if the mortal starts the fight. You must touch both the mortal and any celestial subject you want to bless this way. For (CD) minutes after, if the mortal takes any violent action delberately and aggressively, the blessed celestial may harm or kill the mortal without Disturbance. The mortal need not strike first - they can be attacked, and the Song will just take effect after they retaliate. However, anything that forces the victim to attack will not trigger it. Angels of War and demons of the War have an affinity for these Songs. David, Gabriel, Janus, Jean, Khalid, Laurence, Michael and Baal certainly know these Songs, and most Princes could know them. The Corporeal and Ethereal Songs cost 1 or more Essence, while the Celestial costs 3 or more. They cause (CD+number of targets) Disturbance.

Secret Songs are kept secret, and other Songs may have practical limits on their performance, such as Essence cost, but some Songs just can't be used by most people. They may not be secret, but they are restricted, able to be performed only by certain beings. You can learn a Song that is restricted, but if you don't fit the criteria, you can't use it. The following are Divine Songs, intrinsically holy and able to be used only by angels, relievers and Saints. (And not any Soldiers or ethereals, even if they happen to align with Heaven.)

The Songs of Faith require submission to the unaltered Symphony and opening yourself to it, gaining insight and removing yourself from Earthly concern. Any dissonance an angel has subtracts from the TN to use these Songs. Only Khalid commonly teaches these, but any Archangel can. The Corporeal Song turns your vessel insubstantial, allowing you to walk through solid objects and ignore any purely corporeal attack, though ethereal and celestial attacks work normally. You remain visible. This lasts for (CD+Corporeal Forces) minutes or until you cause a Disturbance, whichever comes first. The Ethereal Song opens your perceptions. For (CD) minutes, you automatically detect any Disturbance you could possibly perceive, with a CD of 6. During this period, you cannot move, speak or react in any way, however. The Celestial Song voluntarily gives up all free will to your divine nature. You are driven entirely by your resonance and Word and, for (CD) minutes, the GM controls all of your actions, in the most consistent manner to your nature and Word. However, while in this state, you are immune to any effects that might alter your conscious decisions, such as Discords or demonic resonance, but not the Song of Possession. Angels of Faith have an affinity for these Songs. They cost 2 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance when they end.

The Trisagion we've seen, but Seraphim get an affinity for it.

The Song of Witness is an ancient Song, taught by the more traditional Archangels. It only comes in Celestial Song version. To use it, you make a binding promise and call on the Symphony as witness. If at any point afterward you break the promise, a Disturbance of (10*original Essence spent) happens, along with obvious unearthly effects. Out of respect for the Malakim, this Song is now rarely used except by the Sword, who must get Laurence's permission before invoking it but traditionally do so when accepting a quest. This costs at least 1 Essence and causes (Celestial Forces) Disturbance.

The following are Diabolical Songs, usable only by diabolical beings - demons, infernal spirits and undead, but not sorcerers, Soldiers or any Hell-aligned ethereals.

The Songs of Blood only affect mortals, and each has a duration of (CD+appropriate realm Forces) minutes. The Corporeal Song requires you touch the victim. For the duration, you can regain Body HP by drinking their blood. The amount of damage you heal is equal to the amount you cause by bloodletting, and can exceed your maximum, lasting until those points are lost. The Ethereal Song must be used on a sleeping mortal or in a dreamscape. If the target dies while stil asleep and the Song is in effect, they automatically become a dream-shade. You do nnot control them, however, and cannot stop their passing after, but you can promise them things in exchange for cooperation - and need not tell the truth. The Celestial Song must be used while you can see your target. If you then kill them before the Song ends, you get all Essence they had at the moment of death, though Essence transferred causes Disturbance and excess Essence is lost. Demons of Death have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Self declare self-ness to the Symphony, shutting it out almost entirely. Any dissonance is subtracted from the TN of these Songs, and while they are active, you can't sense Disturbance at all. The Corporeal Song makes you insubstantial but not invisible for (CD+Corporeal Forces) mintues. The Ethereal Song gives you great insight into the motives of others with regards to yourself, and inutition for what might impact you, but also makes you deeply self-absorbed. For (Ethereal Forces) hours, you get a bonus of (CD) to any roll to deduce intentions, motivations or probable outcomes that directly involve you, but an equal penatly to any rolls to perceive or deduce anything that does not directly relate to you. The Celestial Song boosts your Will for (CD) rounds, giving a bonus to all Will rolls equal to double the Essence spent. This is the only Song known to work in Limbo, so it is rarely taught. Balseraphs have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance when they end.

Next time: Resonance-restricted Songs.

Band Camp

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Band Camp

Resonance-restricted Songs are usually restricted to a particular Band or Choir, but if you manage to get that resonance, such as from the Master of Divine Knowledge distinction or the Balseraph of Fate attunement, you can use those Songs, too.

The Song of Truthswearing exists only in Celestial variant. It attunes a Seraph to someone's truthful voice. First, the Seraph must use the Song in the presence of the target, who then must make a statement which is true - not just something they believe is true, but objectively true. For (CD) hours, the Seraph treats all statements the subject makes as if they had successfully uses their resonance with a CD of (Celestial Forces). No roll is needed, though you can choose to make one for a higher CD. If your resonance is impaired during the period, such as by a failed resonance roll, the Song does not end but provides no useful information until you regain resonance usage. This Song does not affect your ability to resonate anyone but the target, and it can only affect one target per usage. Seraphim have an affinity for this Song. It costs 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Lending temporarily loan a Song or ability to the target. They were discovered by and are usable only by Cherubim. The range is (Song's level+Essence spent) yards, but if the Cherub is attuned to the target, it can be used at any range. While the Song is active, the user cannot use the transferred ability without ending the Song, and it cannot transfer itself. These Songs can theoretically transfer any power, but do not allow the target to use any they could not normally use - so attunements only affect Soldiers or other angels, and then only if they could in theory learn that attunement, for example. Lending a skill does not add your skill to the target's - it's a substitution, and the Song fails if the target already has the ability at a higher level than you. The exception is Forces: the Songs can transfer a single Force, with the Cherub choosing how their stats are reduced by the loss. The target gains the same amount. You cannot transfer your last Force in a realm. A Djinn who knows one of those Songs after a Fall can still use it, but only on an attuned. (Djinn cannot learn the Song, just use it if they already knew it.) The Corporeal Song can transfer corporeal skills (based on Strength or Agility) or 1 Corporeal Force. Skills last for (CD) hours, Forces for (CD) minutes. The Ethereal Song can transfer non-corporeal skills or 1 Etheral Force, same duration. The Celestial Song can transfer Songs or attunements for (CD*Celestial Forces) minutes, or a Celestial Force for (CD) minutes. The Corporeal and Ethereal Songs cost at least 1 Essence, and the Celestial costs at least 2. They cause (CD) Disturbance, plus 1 if a Force is transferred.

The Songs of Speed are restricted to Ofanim. The Corporeal Song grants their tendency to movement to a target in (Song's level) yards, or multuple targets at -1 per target past the first. All targets must roll Will to resist or else find it uncomfortable to sit still and receive a penalty of (Corporeal Forces) to all Precision or Agility-based skill rolls. The user must also roll Will just to hold still, or else fidget and be nervous. The effects last for (CD) minutes, and Ofanim are immune to its effects. The Ethereal Song enables toal concentration on a single task, allowing the time required to complete it to be divided by (CD), so long as the target does not stop even to eat or sleep until it's done. You must touch the target, and they must begin the task immediately, but you don't have to stick around for them to complete it. Once the task is complete or as soon as they stop, the target collapses of exhaustion. Mortals need 8 hours of sleep, while celestials need only an hour of rest. Ofanim receive no benefit from this. The Celestial Song imbused others to keep up with Ofanim using their resonance. (Only celestials can travel with them in celestial form, however.) Targets must travel with the angel, remaining within (Celestial Forces) yards, but will not tire while the Song lasts. It costs 2 Essence per passenger and lasts (CD) hours. Ofanim have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence for the Ethereal and Corporeal or at least 2 for the Celestial. They cause (CD+number of targets) Disturbance.

The Song of Moodreading is restricted to Elohim. It works similar to the Song of Truthswearing, and like it, has only a Celestial variant. The Elohite must touch the target when using it, but will continually be aware of the target's moods and motivations as though resonating them with a CD of (Celestial Forces) for (CD) hours. It is otherwise identical to the Song of Truthswearing. Elohim get an affinity for it, it costs 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Virtue is restricted to Malakim. It tunes their resonance to a specific type of noble or ignoble behavior for (CD) hours. You can end it with Will, but while it is in effect, your resonance will detect only that sort of behavior. This is a Celestial Song and has no other varieties. This is a normal use of resonance during the duration, but the results apply only to acts falling in the purview of your criteria, which can be as general or specific as you like. However, the virtue or sin chosen must be a virtue or sin by the subject's moral standards - and you can't define something you consider virtuous to be a sin or vice versa. So if you name 'being a demon' as a sin...well, it won't detect demons because demons don't agree with you that it's ignoble, usually. Malakim have an affinity for this Song, which costs 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Song of Castling is actually a variant of the Celestial Song of Motion usable only by Kyriotates. It allows a Kyriotate to swap the position of two hosts, with range and Essence cost identical to the normal Song of Motion - so base 4 Essence, for two hosts, and they move into each other's locations. Some Kyriotate virtuosos have improved the Song to switch hosts with non-host targets, or even swap two external targets. This requires a virtuoso performance roll at -1 for host to non-host or -2 for two non-hosts. Non-host targets can resist if they like, as per the Celestial Song of Motion, and if either resists, the Song fails. This costs at least 4 Essence and causes (CD) Disturbance at each location.

The Songs of Friendship are restricted to Mercurians. They make it easier to get people to like you...but cannot force anyone to feel anythng they would not normally. The Corporeal Song allows you to share some of your resonance, giving others a natural feeling for how best to present themselves. This zone radiates out from you for (Corporeal Forces) hours, with a radius of (Song's level+Essence spent) yards. Within that range, all successful reaction rolls have a minimum CD equal to the Song's CD. Unsuccessful reaction rolls are not affected. The Ethereal Song generates an aura of friendship. For (CD) hours, you get (Essence spent) levels of Charisma, as long as you remain friendly. Hostile action ends the Song. Further, the bonus does not apply against anyone you do not feel genuinely friendly towards. The Celestial Song is rarely used these days. It hgas no game effect and can only be used in celestial form. It has a range of (CD*Celestial Forces) yards, and you pick anyone in that range to be affected. Anyone affected automatically perceives your form, but feels no fear whatsoever towards you. They will be naturally inclined to trust and believe you unless given strong reason to feel otherwise. This part continues even after you leave your celestial form. Mercurians have an affinity for these Songs, which cost at least 1 Essence and cause (CD) Disturbance for Corporeal and Ethereal, or (number of targets) for Celestial.

The Song of Distortion is a Celestial Song restricted to Balseraphs, allowing them to 'lie' when causing Disturbance. It does not diminsh the Disturbance, but distorts it so it is hard to get accurate readings on. This lasts for (Song's level) minutes, during which time any Disturbance you make, up to (Celestial Forces+Essence spent), will be distorted. Others must subtract (CD) from the CD of their Perception roll, and if this results in a 0, all they know is that a Disturbance happened somewhere in range. Negative numbers provide false information decided on by the GM. Demons of Secrets and all Balseraphs have an affinity for this Song. It costs at least 1 Essence and causes (CD+Celestial Forces) Disturbance when it ends, which is not distorted.

The Song of Stalking is a Celestial Song restricted to Djinn. It can only be used on someone you're attuned to, and has a range of (Song's level) yards and a duration of (CD) days, or until the attunement ends, whichever is first. It can be resisted by Will. While it is in effect, the subject automatically fails any Perception rolls to notice you except on a Divine Intervention, but only in situations where a Perception roll is actually required. As long as you hide, they can't see you. Djinn have an affinity for this Song, which costs 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Song of Feedback is a Celestial Song restricted to Calabim. It cycles their resonance, generating a pent-up field of destruction waiting to be unleashed. Each use allows you to invoke your resonance (CD) times without targeting anything. Once you hit that limit or at any point before that, you can then invoke your resonance to damage equal to (CD*number of stored rolls+Corporeal Forces) damage, or plus Celestial Forces in celestial form. At that poiint, the Song ends. It cannot hold charges longe than (Song's level) hours, at which point you must either release the charges on something or they turn on you. When storing resonance, a failed or resisted roll has normal effects and end the Song, dissipating all held charges. Further, when you unleash, a failed roll means your resonance is unsuccessful as normal, the Song ends and all charges are lost. However, a resisted roll requires you to take damage or dissonance as usual...multiplied by the same factor you would have increased your damage by. Calabim have an affinity for this Song. It costs 1 Essence and causes (CD) Disturbance once the charges are unleashed or dissipated.

The Song of Hysteria is a Habbalah-restricted Ethereal Song which lets them use their resonance more broadly over a long period. It can affect anyone within (Song's level+Ethereal Forces) yards, with each victim past the first costing 1 more Essence and giving -1 to the roll. Victims resist with Will, and celestials except for Elohim add Ethereal Forces. The Song does not itself generate emotions, but for (CD) hours, it amplifies any emotions the target feels to extremes. People react as they naturally would to extreme emotion. As a side effect, after the Song ends, their emotions are burnt out and dulled temporairly, reducing their Will by 1 as though targeted by the Celestial Song of Dreams and recovering the same way. Habbalah have an affinity for this Song, which costs at least 1 Essence and causes (CD+number of targets) Disturbance.

The Song of Desire is a Celestial Song that reveals desires, restricted to Loilim. Normally, Lilim must make eye contact to read Needs, but this Song briefly attunes them to Needs revealed by voice or body language. You choose one target you can see when using the Song, and can make Perception-based resonance rolls to read their Needs without eye contact for (CD) minutes, but each roll requires one full minute of studying the target. Lilim have an affinity for this Song, which costs 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Corruption are Shedite-restricted Songs discovered by Legion, the late Prince of Corruption. Asmodeus and some other Princes forbid their Shedim to learn them, both out of fear of Legion and because they allow Discord to be lost. These Songs allow a Shedite to, over al ong period, transfer their Discord to a host instead of themselves. The victim must be thoroughly corrupted, however, over a long period. The appropriate realm's Soing is needed for the Discord you want ot lose, and you must be in the host continuously for (Host's Forces - Song's level) weeks, minimum 1. At the end of that period, you spend (Discord's level*2) Essence, and the host can negate with (Will+appropriate realm Forces). If you succeed, the CD must equal or exceed the Discord's level. If it does, you transfer one level of Discord from yourself to the host. If you fail for whatever reason, nothing happens. Either way, you have to wait the full period again before the next use. Demons of Corruption, if any survive, and all Shedim have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence and cause (CD+total Discord level pre-reduction) Disturbance.

The Songs of Symbiosis are Shedite-restricted, and more commonly know as the Parasite Songs. Each requires you to occupy a host for (host's Forces-Song level) days, minimum 1, before the Song can be used...but once you successfully use one on a host, you can leave and return and still get the benefit by using the Song, for (number of days ridden) weeks afterward. All of these last until you leave the Host, and each can be done only once per possession - so your CD is whatever you get until you leave and come back. The Corporeal Song lets you leave the host for up to (CD+Corporeal Forces) minutes and automatically reenter without rolling. The host regains control while you're gone, but if you return within the time limit, the possession is treates as uninterrupted. If using the trick to transfer back silently from another host, reduce your Forces by (CD), minimum 1, to determine how long it takes. The Ethereal Song shares your Word with the host, causing any attempt to force the host to commit an evil act in that Word's purview to reduce the host's Will by (CD) - so Shedim of Lust have an easier time committing lustful acts, say. The GM is supposed to be fairly strict about what qualifies. The Celestial Song allows you to tap into your host's Essence. You can draw (CD) Essence from the host, drawn out however you like over the course of the possession, though you obviously cannot take Essence they don't have. These Songs cost 2 Essence and cause (CD+host's total Forces) Disturbance.

The Song of Harvesting is an Impudite-restricted Celestial Song. It allows an Impudite to prepare a future Essence donor by infusing them with a bit of Essence. You must touch the target and, on top of the base cost, transfer at least 1 Essence, with a max of howeverm uch the target can hold at the moment. The transfer happens even if you fail the Song roll. However, on a success, you get a bonus to Essence theft against that victim for (CD+Celestial Forces) days. The bonus is equal to the Essence initially transferred. Note that anyone who controls their own Essence can refuse an Essence transfer. Impudites get an affinity for this Song, which costs at least 1 Essence and causes (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Life were granted by God to help create the universe. No one is capable of using the Corporeal Song any more, even Lucifer, while only Superiors can use the other two - though some others have used them, leading to speculation that anyone who hunts long enough can discover them. All require you to touch the target. The Corporeal Song used to create life from inanimate matter - specifically, from Primordial Clay, which is a very rare substance indeed. It must be shaped into the creature you want to bring to life. The Song then turns it into a living creature, with each Force the target is to have requiring one 'level' of Clay. The being is unique and cannot reproduce, even if it appears to be an existing type of life, unless you have a CD 6, in which case it is a new and viable species, though still the only member unless you make more. The Corporeal Song could also end life, killing any living being instantly, resisted by Will. This includes vessels and undead. The Ethereal Song gives the power to create and destroy ethereals. One use creates a new spirit, which will last for (CD) days, except on a CD 6, in which case it is as permanent as any ethereal. Once created, however, even 'temporary' Ethereals can live indefinitely if they find a source of Essence to sustain them. However, ethereals and celestials can use this Song only to create ethereal beings they have seen before or using images from a mortal dreamscape. Humans, if they somehow got the ability to use this Song, might be able to create anything. Used to destroy, this Song can kill any ethereal in much the same way the Corporeal Song was, even if that ethereal is in a vessel. The Celestial Song is used by Superiors to create new celestials. You must either use your own Forces or have other Forces available to build a new celestial - and only Superiors can access loose Forces. This Song cna also destroy celestials, either in celestial form or in vessel (in which case the vessel drops dead). The celestial resists with Will, but if they fail, their Forces are dispersed. Angels of Creation would have an affinity for creating life, and demons of Death with destroying it. These Songs cost 6 Essence and cause (target's total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Sacrifice can only be used by mortals, though celestials can learn them for the purpose of teaching. Anyone who knows one version can learn the others without a teacher...but all other restrictions apply, so the non-Coporeal versions are rare. They allow a mortal to give of themselves freely and without reservation. When someone transfers HP this way, they are treated as normal healing for the target and normal damage for the donor. They cannot give more HP than the recipient normally has, nor take more than that from the user, but it is possible to kill yourself or Force-strip yourself to heal another. You can choose whether or not to take on other maladies, but the HP transfer is automatic. Other maladies include Discord, conditions imposed by powers and so on. Most transfers are permanent or until the condition ends, but Discord is only transferred for (appropriate realm Forces) hours. All require you to touch the recipient. The Corporeal Song transfers (CD*song's level) Body HP to any corporeal being or object, including vessels, and you may choose to take on eany one adverse physical condition, such as disease, poison, drugs, infestation or so on, or (CD) levels of Corporeal Discord. The Etheral Song transfers (CD*song's level) Mind HP, and you can choose to take on one adverse mental condition, such as the Habbalah resonance but not possession, or (CD) levels of Etheral Discord. Most permanent menta conditions are treated as Discord and so will revert after (Ethereal Forces) hours. The Celestial Song transfers (CD*Song's level) Soul HP, and you can lose Forces from it. If someone dies as a result of using this Song, they are automatically drawn to the Higher Heavens, even if they are a Soldier of Hell. These Songs cost 1 Essence and causes no base Disturbance.

The Songs of Souls can only be used by Superiors...or mortals. However, most Archangels would never teach a mortal. Princes might, for a great price, but even then it is very rare. These Songs cost (target's total Forces) Essence and affect anyone you can see. The Corporeal Song delays death, bot for mortals and vessels. It must be used within (target's Corporeal Forces) rounds after the target's death, but if successful, it forces the soul back into the body for (CD) hours. The target is still dead...but if the body can be restored to positive HP, the soul will attach again, and the target will return to life. The Ethereal Song delays a soul's journey to the afterlife. It needs to be used in the same duration as the Corporeal Song. If successful, the soul does not go to its final destination, but becomes a dream-shade for (CD) days, which can be extended by repeat uses of the Song...but the target can roll Will to negate the Song and move on. The Celestial Song brings a mortal back to life, provided they've been dead no more than (target's Corporeal Forces) days and their body is healed enough to prevent them from immediately dying a second time. Superiors can only bring back those killed by celestial intervention, and only if the soul went to their own realm - an Archangel can't revive the damned, nor can a Prince steal a soul from Heaven, and neither can revive a reincarnated or pagan soul, nor one that has dispersed. Further, the subject automatically attempts a Will roll to negate, even if they want to return to life. If they succeed, they cannot be brought back by anyone. Those who are revived do not remember their brief stays in Heaven or Hell, though there are rumors of exceptions. Celestial vessels can also be revived, though they still need healing. However, the celestial must have entered Trauma or Limbo no more than (target's Corporeal Forces) days ago. Success brings them back, though celestials can choose not to resist, though they do not know who is performing their revival or where their body is. These Songs cause (target's total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Spirit Speech can only be used by ethereals and mortals. Celestials can neither learn nor be affected by them. All require the user to have met the target at least once, though they can send messages anonymously. You must visualize the target when using the Song, and they must be in the corporeal or ethereal realms. The Corporeal Song only works on those in the corporeal realm. It sends a verbal message, audible in your vocie to anyone in hearing range of the target, no longe than (Essence spent*Corporeal Forces) words. If the target is sleeping, roll Will to see if they wake up and hear it. The Ethereal Song creates a minor illusion, perceptible to only one sense, for (Ethereal Forces) minutes. The Celestial Song allows oyu to manifest briefly before the target for (Celestial Forces) rounds, unseen by anyone else. If you use this as an etheral to manifest on Earth, you may materialize there if you have a vessel, ending the Song. This can be maintained indefinitely if you or the target keep spending Essence on it. These Songs cost at least 1 Essence and cause no base Disturbance if used wholly in the ethereal realm, or (CD) Disturbance if at least one of you or the target is in the corporeal realm.

Next time: Lost Songs

Don't Download This Song

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Liber Canticorum: Don't Download This Song

Lost Songs are usually quite powerful and were known to long-dead Superiors, such as Raphael. Some of these can reappear unexpectedly - ancient relics, an ancient celestial emerging from Limbo, clues in the Library of Yves...that kind of thing. It is also possible to rediscover lost Songs via research.

The Song of Abjuration is an apocryphal Song, sought for millenia. There are many rumors, but no proof that it even exists. It is the Song that negates other Songs, a sort of anti-miracle. Some say it would lock the Symphony such that all celestial intervention is prevented, while others believe it is just a chord that overwhelms all other chords. As far as anyone knows, however, it has never been discovered, and some say it doesn't exist.

The Songs of Creation are the first Songs Eli discovered, perhaps the first anyone did. They haven't been used in a long time, as they spin loose Forces into new forms. They are very dangerous, as they will draw on any Forces in the area. Only Superiors can control Forces enough to have loose ones ready - others can't control which Forces are used, and might Force-strip themselves or others. Further, the Songs of Creation create new, imagined things. Only Superiors can reliably get what they intended, and anyone else often finds things materializing based on subconscious thoughts as well as what they envisioned. The Songs were forbidden to use or teach shortly before the Fall, and some Archangels even voluntarily gave up their knowledge of it. To this day, only Baal and Lucifer are believed to know them in Hell, and only the elder Archangels in Heaven. They do not use them, as they need not use the Songs to make known forms, and few have need for new creations. For every 10 Essence, once Force of the appropriate realm is made into something else. Any non-Superior attempting to use these Songs will use the CD to determine how close it was to what they wanted...and a failed CD for how horrific the disaster is. Creating anything requiring more than one type of Force means using multiple Songs...but remember, living things can't be made this way, though their soulless bodies can be. The Corporeal Song creates pure elements or elemental forces, physical things - anything imaginable, even Primordial Clay. The Ethereal Song creates things on the ethereal plan, or can givei ntelligence and personality to things on the corporeal plane. The Celestial Song expanded and shaped Heaven and Hell. It can also alter a being's fundamental nature - it can make new Choirs and Bands, and it is believed Saminga discovered a variant to help make the first undead. Angels of Creation would have an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 10 Essence and cause 10 Disturbance.

The Song of Exchange is known to exist only in Ethereal form, though there are rumors of a Celestial variant. Only ethereals can use the Ethereal version, and Heaven ruthlessly hunts down any spirit they learn knows the Song - even Blandine supports its eradication. See, what this does is allow an etherael to manifest without a Tether or vessel. They do this by taking over an existing body possessed by a mortal or animal. They can't even choose who or what they possess. Rather, they spend Essence equal to the amount of Forces they want their host to have, no more than their own total Forces. The Symphony then randomly selects a living creature with that many Forces and shoves them into the body. They are treated as having a vessel of a level equal to the host's Forces. The victim, meanwhile, exists in the Marches in their place. This lasts for (CD) days, but the spirit can prolong it for 1d6 days by spending the same amount of Essence again, with no limit to how many times they do so as long as they have the Essence. If the host body is killed, the spirit enters trauma and the original owner becomes a dream-shade. It is said that some ancient dream-shades still wander the Marches as a result of this. No one has any idea how the Symphony chooses the host, and it is entirely up to the GM, so the host does not get a resistance roll. This costs at least 1 Essence and causes (total Forces) Disturbance.

The Songs of Forgetting were discovered by an ancient etheral deity who used them to punish mortals. However, he used a permanent variation on himself during the Purity Crusade, vanishing entirely, and no one but Yves remembers his name. Mariel also knew them, but they were lost upon her death. All had a duration of (CD) days. The Corporeal Song caused objects to be lost or forgotten. It could be used on any object you touched. After that, anyone who left the object automatically forgot about it, and someone specifically searching for it had to make an Intelligence roll to remember it. The object did not, however, become invisible. The Ethereal Song did the same to living beings, making them ignored unless they forced a confrontation, and even then, they'd be forgotten as soon as they were out of sight without a specific Intelligence roll to remember them. The Celestial Song masked the target's name from the Symphony, causing it to be forgotten by everyone but the target and making everyone ignore it when spoken and written. The victim's presence is noticed, but their personhood is note. This foiled even resonances or the Seraph of Destiny attunement, with only Superiors able to pierce it, and it required (target's Celestial Forces) Essence. Demons of Oblivion had an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 2 Essence and caused (CD) Disturbance, except for the Celestial Song, which made none as the Symphony itself forgot the Disturbance.

The Song of Soul Binding is still known in weaker variants in creation of living artifacts, but only the original Song had such an immediate and absolute result. No one recalls who discovered it, and all Superiors currently deny knowledge of the original. The original may or may not even exist. It was a Celestial Song, which instantly bound any being into a corporeal object. This cost (target's Forces) Essence and could be resisted with (WIll+total Forces). If the Song worked, any ethereal or celestial vessel vanished and a human body would enter a coma. The victim's spirit was placed in the object, now treated in all ways as a living artifact. The user could draw on the victim's Essence as if they were a reliquary and could take them to other planes. Mortals often go mad at this. The trapped spirit must obey the user as if they were servant with level of (CD), though 'ownership' can be transferred later. Anyone trapped by this Song, unlike most living artifacts, are freed automatically if the object is destroyed, though they are not necessarily aware of this. Human souls return to their bodies, if the body lives, or move on to their final reward if not. If a soul is in the celestial realm, however, and the body is dead, they may just stay there, whether they belong or not. This cost at least 6 Essence and caused (CD+total Forces) Disturbance, if it existed.

The Songs of Visions were lost when Raphael died. The Corporeal Song created a soundless image on a particular spot for (CD) days. It could only be seen by those you designated - anyone, a particular type of being or even specific named people. The image is obviously an illusory vision, and could be still or animated, and you chould choose to either loop or just appear once to each viewer. The Ethereal Song allowed a user on the etheral plane to project themself anywhere else in the Marches and either forward to a potential future or backward in time. This projection lasted for (CD) minutes and took 1 Essence per 10 years to travel. The Celestial Song graned any one person in sight a vision of God's glory, granting a bonus of (Essence spent) to resist any demonic intrusions of any kind for (CD) hours. This could be used on demons, but they had to make a Will roll to resist the image, and only got the bonus if they failed - but also lost 1 Essence and became very uncomfortable. Angels gained 1 Essence. These Songs cost at least 2 Essence and caused (CD) Disturbance.

The Songs of Water were lost following the deaths of Oannes and Vephar. The Corporeal Song either made or destroyed water, with range of (Song's level) yards. It generated or destroyed up to (CD*Essence spent) cubic feet of water. If targeted on a living being, it instead caused them to immeidately begin drowning, taking (Essence spent) Body damage per round for (CD+Corporeal Forces) rounds, which could not be stopped by any means but being able to breathe water or assume celestial form, and the panic of drowning also subtracted the damage taken each round from all TNs. It could also drain water from the living, dealing (CD+Essence spent+Corporeal Forces) damage in one shot, ignoring all Protection. The Ethereal Song called on the power of water to wear away the inanimate. It affected a radius of (Song's level*Essence spent) yards, in any shape, or a single object in that area. Anything subjected to the Song takes (CD) Body damage every hour for (Ethereal Forces) days. Protection could not reduce this, but anything removed from the area stops taking damage. This created constant Disturbance while in effect. The Celestial Song allowed scrying via bodies of water, as long as what you were looking at was within sight of a standing body of water. You had to know the location of the water you were spying out from, however. As long as the water remained, though, there was no range limit. It had a duration of (CD) minutes. Angels of the Waters and Demons of Oceans both had an affinity for these Songs. They cost at least 1 Essence and caused (CD) Disturbance.

The End!

What's next? We've got the Ethereal Player's Guide, the Liber Castellorum (Book of Tethers), and Revelations 1: Night Music.