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Seers

I'm pleased to announce that this article has been accepted by Pyramid Magazine. As such, it is no longer available here; instead, let me present those bits that I didn't include in the accepted article - a sort of "Addendum to Seers", if you will...

Seers and Psychics

Psychics are "natural" seers - individuals gifted with a special connection to the Symphony. This is both a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, psychics can forego most of the ritual that the typical seer would have to deal with (in game terms, psychics can forego the performance time of the rituals); on the other hand, psychics who have not been initiated as seers (gamespeak: have the Second Sight Attunement) have no control over their abilities, which often manifest in annoying and potentially dangerous ways. To create a psychic character, pay 5 character points for each Soothsaying skill that the character is a natural with (treat as a set of Advantages).

Lucid Dreaming

Lucid Dreaming relates to seers in much the same way that Alchemy relates to sorcerers: it is a skill that many of them have, with rituals of its own; but it can be learned and performed by anyone, not just those with Second Sight.

Needs further review.

Lucid Dreaming Rituals

Death Blow (Lucid dreaming/1-6)

This ritual allows the performer to add the shock of their own death, or that of another's death which they have experienced, to an attack using Lucid Dreaming. The ritual grants the attack +CD Power until the performer wakes or is reduced to zero mind hits; the level of the ritual depends on the source of the death:

  • LD/1 is required for using your own death; Dream Shades and Saints can do this
  • LD/2 for a death which the performer has learned by a memory Pearl or the equivelent.
  • LD/3 for a death which has been used to power this ritual AGAINST the performer if the performer suffered ethereal 'death' as a result of the attack, LD/4 otherwise;
  • LD/5 is required when using an ethereal death suffered by the performer;
  • LD/6 for an imagined or observed death.
    • Time: CD Hours
    Essence: the CD

    Waking Strike (Lucid Dreaming/2 or /Mastery)

    The Seer gains the ability to inflict ethereal damage in the Corporeal world. For CD rounds, the Seer may use any ethereal attack they possess against a being in Celestial form so long as they are within arms reach of the target. Masters of Lucid dreaming are reputed to be use this ritual on opponents who are embodied; this only lasts for a single round per ritual performance.

    Time Required: 1 round
    Essence: the CD.

    Glimpse of Reality (Lucid Dreaming/3)

    The Seer is guided through the Marches for 24 hours, seeing how a concept, Word or belief system is affecting and being affected by humanity. The information gained depends on the CD, with '1' merely informing the Seer of whether the chosen concept is causing more nightmares or dreams, through '6' informing the Seer of how the concept inspires/harms humans, how Heavenly/hellish influence is affecting it, and what current events are modifying it.

    Time Required: 1 Hour; plus the 24 hours that ritual is in effect.
    Essence: 6

    Sculptor (Lucid Dreaming/4 or /7)

    This ritual allows the Seer to Dreamcraft a section of the Vale (LD/4) or even another's Dreamscape (LD/7) using Lucid Dreaming instead of Will for CD minutes. This ritual may be used by human who can use Lucid Dreaming, even if they are not Symphonically Aware.

    Time Required: 1 minute
    Essence Required: None, but if the ritual fails the Seer will be drained of all essence.

    Dream Journey (Lucid Dreaming/5 or /8+)

    This ritual allows the Seer to travel from Dreamscape to Dreamscape as if they possessed the Mercurian of Dreams Attunement; and yes, they can start in their own. The ritual last for CD minutes, and reutrns the Seer to their own dreamscape at its conclusion. Rumours abound of Seers who are shown glimpses of the Destinies of the humans whose dreamscapes they are in, as they have had the privilege to see some of God's dreams....

    Time required: 15 minutes
    Essence: 1

    Eternal Rest (Lucid dreaming/6 or /9)

    This ritual is normally only useful to the Blessed, although the demons of nightmares insist that some Damned Seers have a version of it. A Seer in the Lower (LD/6) or Higher (LD/9) Heavens may enter the Vale for CD hours, appearing at the base f Gabriel's Volcano. Seer's from the Higher Heavens will normally only appear to give a message (generally to Blandine) and then immediately return to the Higher Heavens.