Editing Xian Wu 2

[[Category:WoD]] [[Category:WoDHamburg]] [[Category:SC]] [[Category:Dyson´s chars - Hamburg]]

:Time.
:The eternal hangs in the moment. All days are this day, the day of glory.
:Spirit.
:All things awaken to behold me on the Brilliant Road. My companions are a thousandfold; my truest friends are my sword and my shield.
:Space.
:The army’s front line is only as wide as the mountain pass. All conflict is drawn down to the point where I stand.
:Prime.
:My power is both within and without. The prima materia waits only for my hand to draw it from its sheath.
:Mind.
:My consciousness is a weapon, hard as steel, raised in readiness. I am awake.
:Matter.
:The bullets are as the earth beneath my feet. The steel is as the sash around my waist.
:Life.
:My heartbeat is the drum. My breath is the battle cry. My body is the instrument of my glory.
:Forces.
:My brother is thunder; my sister is fire. I find the way by walking in their footsteps.
:Fate.
:This is but one more step upon the Adamant Way. The destiny that awaits me is the one I have earned.
:Death.
:The end is the beginning. I am prepared.



==XP==
Gespielt: 0
-----
*Band 1: Attribute,Skills 78xp (51+27 sl xp)
*3-4 composure 20xp
*1-2 int 10xp
*3-5 brawl 27xp
**0-1 Spez waffeloser brawl 3xp
*1-2 Academics 6xp
*0-1 expression 3exp
*0-1 invest 3xp
*0-1 Rote Craft Talisman 3xp
*0-1 Rote Meditieren 3xp
-----
*Band 2: Merits,Willpower 73xp (51+ 22 sl xp)
*3-5 mentor 18 xp
*0-1 status Taoisten 2xp
*0-1 Status Adamantine arrow 2xp
*0-3 Astral Adept 12xp
*0-2 Magical tradition Taoist 6xp
*0-1 meditativ Mind 2xp
*0-2 Bastion 2xp (6xp -10 mentor min 2)
*0-5 FS:Praying Mantis 11xp (30-25 mentor min 11(1+1+1+3+5))
*0-4 Scriptoium Time 6xp (20-20 mentor min 6)
*0-4 Scriptoium life 6xp (20-20 mentor min 6)
*0-4 Scriptoium mind 6xp (20-20 mentor min 6)
*0-1 Multilingual 2xp
-----
*Band 3: Powers,Supernatural-Merits 84xp (51+ 25slxp +9 storyending sl xp)
*0-3 mind 27xp (42-15mentor)
*2-3 life 16xp (21-5 mentor)
*0-1 prime 2xp (7-5 mentor)
* Rotes
** 1 x 1er rote mit scriptorium 1xp 
** 1 x 2er rote mit scriptorium 2xp
** 12 x 3er rote mit scriporium 3xp x 12 = 36xp

-----
*Band 4: Retainer
-----

==Charakterbeschreibung==
:war seit der antike in einem Ton soldaten eingespert -stop
:hat das meiste seiner macht ein gebüst -stop
:muss seine unsterblichkeit wieder erlangen -stop
:seine reise durch die jahrhunderte hat seine sinne gedrübt 
:er kann noch immer in die vergangen heit sehen doch die zukunft bleibt ihm verwehrt-stop
:er konnte nur 3 der scriptorien seiner kopie der Bibiliotek von Alexandria schützen -stop
:diese haben auch bereits schäden genommen -stop

==Charakterentwicklung==
Martial Arts Schools The Adamantine Arrow dojo, fencing salle or wuguan
is a famous tradition. Outside of martial arts, the order
also runs bodyguard academies, elite security training
schools and revolutionary cadres that teach the so-called
People’s War. An innocuous gun club or firearms safety
course could conceal a cabal or caucus from this tradition.
In all cases, the group needs to teach more than a
collection of ordinary fighting techniques if the school
wants to engender a unique magical style.
The school must have a specific theory of magic that
links its mundane methods (instinctive shooting, kenjutsu
or grappling, for instance) to Supernal symbols. A punch
has to be more than a fist smacking an enemy. It should
describe a host of magical operations. A Chinese martial
artist might say the punch flows from focused intent to
create fajin power that shoots through bones and tendons.
She uses that theory to increase her strength beyond what
musculature and even perfect technique allow.
The school also needs special customs. Blood oaths,
belt rankings and uniforms are examples. Without
them, even a school of hardened Talons is an alliance
of convenience, not a true teaching brotherhood. Some
schools are secret societies with political aims in the
Fallen World or monasteries where members govern
their souls with physical discipline.
Oblations: Practicing a martial arts or fitness routine
taught by the school; teaching a class; taking a test
for a license or rank; meditating on the grounds of
the school; performing a ritual in honor of a master
teacher, patron deity or school religion; studying a
manual specific to the school.

Rote Factors: Using the school’s favored weapon as
part of a rote mudra (+1); casting on school grounds
(+1); successfully using one of the school’s techniques
(specific to the rote) in combat on the previous turn
(+1); spending a full turn (or for an extended spell, twice
the usual time) performing a martial arts routine for
no other reason than to focus the mind (+2).

==Charakterbogen==

* 
 Virtue:     Vice: 
 
 Str: 2        Pre: 2        Int:  2   
 Dex: 3        Man: 1        Wit:  3   
 Sta: 3        Com: 5        Res:  3   
 
 Skills: 
 3 Athletics  
 3 Stealth 
 2 Survival 
 1 Animal Ken 
 3 Intimidation 
 2 Academics
    Taoismus
 3 Medicine 
 3 Occult  
 5  Brawl  
   FS,Kung fu,Preying Mantis
 1 Investigation
 1 Expression
 Computer  Crafts   Drive  Empathy   Firearms      Larceny 
 Persuasion  Politics  Science  Socialize  Subterfuge  Weaponry   Streetwise 
 
 Rotes:
 Craft talisman int+craft 2+1 3 Würfel 9 again
 Meditieren     wits+com  3+5 8 würfel 9 again
 
 Merits: 
 postcognition Sifu mentor 5
    Time,Prime,LU,Praying Mantis,Oathbound
 Exemplar mentor 5
    Life,Mind,Bastion,Scriptorium,Space
 Status:
   Taoisten  1
   Admantine 1
 Astral adept
 High Speech
 Magical Tradition: Taoist
 Medative Mind
 Bastion 2 (Astral Sanctum)
 Scriptorium 4
  Time , deapth 3
 Scriptorium 4
  Life , deapth 3
 Scriptorium 4
  Mind , deapth 3
 
 Sprachen:
 Chinesich muttersprache
 Latein 2 (academics)
 Multilingual
   Alt Ägyptisch, Altgriechisch
 
 
 Arcana:
 Time  3
 Fate  1
 Life  3
 Mind  3
 Prime 1
 
 Morality: 7
 Derangements: 
 
 Health (8): 
 Willpower (8):
 
 Power Stat: Gnossis 3 
 Power Pool (12/3):
 
  Ini Mod:   8      Size: 5      Speed: 10    
  Defense:  3      Armor: 
===Spezials===

Prepared Spells
(Time •• + conjunctional Arcanum)
Cost: 1 point of Mana
(spent when the spell is activated)
Some mages choose to prepare a number of spells
in advance. The mage performs the casting normally
(including spending any required Mana), but
when the spell is complete (in the case of extended
actions, when enough successes have been
accumulated to meet the target number) the caster
suspends the spell and sets a trigger to activate it later.
The caster must perform this trigger. It’s usually a magic
word or a particular gesture, accompanied by the mage’s
intent to activate the spell (so accidental uses of the
trigger phrase or gesture don’t set the spell off).
Activating a prepared spell is an instant action; the mage
can do it almost any time. Since all the ritual of casting
the spell is already accomplished, mages can use
prepared spells subtly, without drawing undue
attention from Sleepers. (It’s easier to hide a quick gesture
or a whispered word of power than it is a magic staff
or a pentagram surrounded by burning candles.) The
Storyteller decides if the prepared spell is Improbable
to Sleepers depending on the circumstances of its use. If he
deems it to be sufficiently subtle, Sleeper witnesses
might not impose dice modifiers on the Paradox roll.
Any Paradox roll is made when the spell is triggered,
not when it is prepared. The amount of time the
spell can be held depends on how many factors are
incorporated into it. Instant-Action
 Casting Hold spell for up to…             Dice Penalty
 10 minutes                                None 
 30 minutes                                –2
 One hour or scene                         –4
 24 hours                                  –6
 Two days*                                 –8
 * Add an additional two-die penalty per extra two days.

Extended-Action Casting
 Hold spell for up to…            Target Number
 10 minutes                       —
 30 minutes                       +1 successes
 One hour or scene                +2 successes
 24 hours                         +3 successes
 Two days*                        +4 successes
 * Add an additional success per extra two days.

Activating a prepared spell requires the mage’s player
to spend a point of Mana, which is a surge of focused
energy that sets the prepared spell into motion. If
the mage doesn’t or can’t dedicate Mana to activate
the spell, nothing happens, although the spell remains
prepared. If the holding time expires without the spell
being activated, it dissipates and is lost.
The target of the spell is chosen when the spell is
activated. If the spell allows its target a resisted defense
(i.e., the target’s Resistance Attribute is subtracted from
the spellcasting dice pool), the effect must instead be
cast as an aimed spell (see “Aimed Spells,” p. 116).
Contested spells function normally.
A mage can hold a number of prepared spells
simultaneously equal to his Gnosis. He cannot cast them
all at once, however. He can activate only one per turn.
A prepared spell, even one that has not yet been 
triggered, is considered an active spell when counted
toward the total number of spells a mage can have
active simultaneously or cast upon himself (based on Gnosis; see p. 75).
-----
A mage with Time 3 does not need to add
one dot to a spell to be able to use the advanced
prolongation factors. So strong is his command
of time that he can manipulate Duration factors
without requiring increased knowledge of the
other Arcana. He must still, however, account
for any penalties (for instant castings) or additional
successes (for extended castings) levied
for increasing the Duration beyond that provided
with a basic success.
===Spells===
====Mind====
 Augment the Mind (Mind •••)
 The mage can raise one of his Mental or Social Attributes.
 Practice: Perfecting
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: 1 Mana
 A single Mental or Social Attributemay be raised by one dot per
 success, up to a maximum of the caster’s Mind Arcanum dots.
 For example, if a mage has Intelligence 3 and Mind 3 and three
 successes are achieved on this spell to boost his Intelligence, that
 trait becomes six dots for the spell’s Duration. If four successes
 were rolled, he could still only boost Intelligence by three dots,
 since he has only Mind 3. Raising Resolve and/or Composure
 also raises Willpower dots, but these extra dots do not provide
 Willpower points. The boost raises a target’s Willpower capacity
 but not her actual supply of points. In addition, the target’s
 Willpower cannot exceed 10 dots, no matter how high his
 Resolve and/or Composure is boosted with this spell.
 Example: Arethusa uses Augment the Mind to boost her Resolve.
 She gets two successes on the casting, adding two dots to her
 Resolve. This also adds two dots to her Willpower. She does not,
 however, gain two extra Willpower points. Note that the same
 spell cast to boost a different Mental or Social Attribute does not
 combine with the first spell — only the highest Potency spell
 takes effect. For example, if a mage boosts his Intelligence by
 two dots and then casts a spell boosting his Wits by one dot, only
 the first spell applies, since it has the higher Potency. (With the
 Mind 4 “Supreme Augmentation” spell, the mage can allocate
 successes among different Mental and Social Attributes.)
 Guardians of the Veil Rote: Illuminating the Inner
 Temple
 Dice Pool: Resolve + Academics + Mind
 Guardians are called upon to be brilliant, forceful and persuasive.
 Such acumen in all fields is not often found within a single
 individual. Indeed, Guardians must occasionally be far more
 brilliant, forceful or persuasive than any normal human being
 could possibly be. This rote enables such willworkers to become
 veritable Einsteins, rivaling the genius of even the most renowned
 intellect 


 Multi-Tasking (Mind •••)
 The mage performs complex multitasking.
 Practice: Weaving
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 The mage can perform three mental extended actions or two
 mental instant actions simultaneously. Note, however, that none
 of these can be spellcasting, which is more than just an exercise
 of consciousness. See also the Mind 1 “One Mind, Two
 Thoughts” spell, p. 206.
 Silver Ladder Rote: One Mouth, Many Voices
 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Academics + Mind
 Asserting control over one’s own consciousness is one of the
 many steps on the path to true mastery over one’s environment.
 Mages of the Silver Ladder use this rote to encompass numerous
 trains of thought at once, outthinking less gifted individuals and
 holding their own against many quick-thinking rivals. Guardians
 of the Veil also favor this rote, as it allows them to better analyze
 difficult situations before they turn to disasters, or to salvage
 disasters.

 Psychic Assault (Mind •••)
 The mage can perform a crude psychic assault, causing psychic
 trauma that translates into damage on a victim’s body as neurons
 misfire and muscles spasm damagingly.
 Practice: Fraying
 Action: Instant; subtract target’s Resolve
 Duration: Lasting
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 Successes inflict bashing damage on a one-for-one basis. This
 spell also affects vampires, even though their brains might not
 function in the same manner as living creatures’; their minds are
 still susceptible to the Mind Arcanum.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Psyche’s Dart
 Dice Pool: Resolve + Intimidation + Mind – Resolve
 There are those who think the Adamantine Arrow is nothing more
 than a gang of thugs who brandish vulgar magic in the name of
 peace. Most mages of that order are content to allow detractors
 such illusions, keeping their silence about rotes such as this one.
 Often dismissed as a seizure or other neurological ailment, this
 magic constitutes a potent weapon in the Arrow arsenal. In fact, it
 is so effective and discrete that it is used, in one form or another,
 by most mages sufficiently skilled in the Mind Arcanum.

 Seal Oneiros (Mind •••)
 When “Mental Shield” isn’t enough insurance, a mage makes his
 Oneiros off-limits to astral travelers by blocking it with this spell.
 Practice:Weaving
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: 1 Mana (optional)
 Spells that allow other mages access to the character’s Oneiros
 must exceed the Potency of this spell. The spells also contend
 with “Mental Shield” if both spells are active. Spending one
 Mana with the spell’s activation extends the Duration to a full
 day.
 Silver Ladder Rote: Mental Barricade
 Dice Pool: Resolve + Academics + Mind
 Silver Ladder mages consider their minds places of great
 importance and incredible secrecy. They use this spell to ensure
 that no enemy mages come anywhere near their minds.

 Preserve Astral Space (Mind •••)
 The astral is a dangerous and interesting place, but one that
 shifts rapidly. When a mage needs respite from the dangers or
 needs extra time to explore a dream space, this spell delays her
 departure.
 Practice:Weaving
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 This spell affects an area one-yard in radius, protecting
 everything within that radius from changing at the whim of Astral
 Space. This creates unexpected interactions when all but a small
 portion of a set piece whisks away or has changed when the astral
 traveler returns; Awakened psychologists prize this spell for its
 ability to juxtapose different facets of an Oneiros for interaction
 and comparison. While similar to “Preserve Astral Object,” this
 spell is not mobile — an object taken out of the affected area is
 subject to the realm’s normal laws. If an object’s connected set
 piece has already disappeared, it disappears (or changes shape)
 immediately upon removal.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Bastion
 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Survival + Mind
 No Adamantine Arrow enjoys being behind enemy lines, and
 traveling through Astral Space that can change shape without
 warning and leave a mage surrounded by hostile creatures with
 no way out is as far behind enemy lines as one can get. This rote
 produces a base of operations, a place the mage can be sure won’t
 abandon him. Mysterium mages have a similar rote (Intelligence
 + Academics + Mind) they use to create repositories of
 knowledge within their own Oneiroi, keeping the repositories
 safe from external examination and from being washed away by
 dream tides.

====Time====

 Acceleration (Time •••)
 The mage accelerates his personal temporal motion, enabling her
 to move and act quicker than is normally possible.
 Practice: Perfecting
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Vulgar
 Cost: None during casting, 1 Mana per turn after casting
 This spell boosts the mage’s ability to avoid attacks, her Initiative
 and Speed. Although the spell’s Duration lasts for one hour, the
 mage gains its benefits only in those turns in which she spends
 one Mana reflexively, and the benefits last for that turn. (Once the
 Duration has expired, Mana can no longer be spent to gain the
 benefits.) The benefits are as follows: • For each Time dot the
 mage possesses, one die is subtracted from any and all attackers’
 dice pools (including ranged attacks), as the mage moves much
 more quickly than normal and is harder to hit. This penalty to
 attackers’ pools applies in addition to any armor the mage may
 have, as well as to Defense (though note, like armor,
 Acceleration’s benefits do not diminish based on how many
 attacks the character faces). For example, if the mage has Time 4,
 four dice are subtracted from any assailants’ dice pools. • Adds
 one to the mage’s Initiative per dot of Time. This allows her to
 move up the initiative roster for that turn by one point for each
 bonus. In the following turn, she drops back down to her original
 position in the roster. • Finally, each dot of Time allows the
 caster’s Speed to be added again to his total Speed rating. Thus,
 Time 3 enables a mage with Speed 9 to move at Speed 36 (9 + 9
 + 9 = 27 + base Speed of 9 = 36). With Time 4, the mage can cast
 this spell on others.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Swift as Death
 Dice Pool: Stamina + Athletics + Time
 Mages of the Adamantine Arrow must be ready for battle at all
 times. As history has proven, speed is one the most crucial
 advantages in combat. With this rote, the willworker can close on
 an enemy with preternatural speed and avoid attacks with ease.
 Naturally, this utilitarian rote sees use by members of every order. 

 Temporal Shift (Time •••)
 The mage protects others. This works like the Time 2 “Temporal
 Dodge” spell, p. 261, except that the mage can now cast it upon
 others.
 Time ••• Disciple of Time 145/228
 Practice: Shielding
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: 1 Mana (optional)
 The target gains one point of armor per dot the caster possesses in
 the Time Arcanum. The effect lasts for one hour, but the Duration
 can be made to last for a day by spending one Mana.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Bending the River’s Flow
 Dice Pool: Manipulation + Investigation + Time
 Often cast in preparation for battle, this rote enables a mage to
 defend a charge, dispersing the force of incoming attacks along
 the unseen axes of Time.

 Time Out of Mind (Time ••• + Mind ••)
 The mage can enter a “timeless” state of mind wherein lengthy
 contemplation is possible in virtually no time at all. Practice:
 Weaving
 Action: Extended
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 This spell is similar to Temporal Pocket (see Mage: The
 Awakening, p. 265) except the spell only affects the mage’s
 mental state: the mage is able to think for an extended period of
 time “in between” moments. Successes are assigned to the spell’s
 Duration, affecting the subjective time the mage has in which to
 think. So, at a basic level, the mage can consider for up to an hour
 while no time at all appears to pass for everyone else. Additional
 successes increase this time as usual for a prolonged spell. The 
 caster under this spell is “inside” his or her own mind and has no
 resources other than what the mage can think or imagine. Still,
 the mage may be able to undertake and complete extended mental
 actions, appearing to accomplish them in just a moment’s time.
 This does not include extended spellcasting, as that is not a purely
 mental action.
 Free Council Rote: Seven Thoughts in a Moment
 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Science + Time
 When a mage needs a “moment to consider,” this techné is just
 the thing, since it usually grants more than enough time to puzzle
 out a particular situation, giving Free Councilors a reputation for
 the ability to think of their feet.

 Postcognition (Time ••)
 The mage can experience postcognition. She can review the past
 of her current location or any moment in her own past, or that of
 an object, with flawless clarity. To focus this sense on something
 or someplace other than the mage’s current physical location, the
 mage must also use Space 2. Without the use of Space 2, she can
 do this only for an exact spot in which she was or is. She can look
 only at what was going on while she was physically present in
 such a location. Generally speaking, the past is much easier to
 read than the future (since the past’s variables are already locked
 into place ) , giving a more-or-less objective view of how things
 unfolded at a given time, in a given place.
 Practice: Unveiling
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Concentration
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 The mage declares the time and place that she wishes to view, and
 casting dice pool is modified by temporal sympathy (see p. 259).
 Each success allows the mage to view up to one turn of time in
 that place, beginning at the moment declared during casting (such
 as “Midnight on New Years Day, 1999, at Times Square”). She
 views events in real time (it takes one turn of current time to
 review one turn of past time) as if through a camera placed
 amidst the scene, but she can fast forward and replay any part
 within the viewing period. With Time 3, the mage can view one
 minute of time per success, and 10 minutes per success with Time
 4. The Duration of this spell is concentration; as soon as the mage
 ceases to concentrate on viewing the past, the spell expires.
 Mysterium Rote: Gazing Through the Sands
 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Investigation + Time
 With this rote, a mage of the Mysterium can bear witness to
 events that have already transpired, a useful capability for those
 who seek to uncover the lost secrets of the past. Guardians of the
 Veil use this rote for similar purposes, though they usually apply
 whatever knowledge they glean to protecting the occult world
 from the scrutiny of the unenlightened.

 Perfect Timing (Time •)
 This spell allows a mage to accurately assess all of the temporal
 components occurring in her immediate presence, giving her an
 opportunity to act at exactly the proper time to have the maximum
 effect. If she wants to throw a punch, she knows how and where
 to strike with the greatest possible (mundane) precision and force.
 Or if she wants to convince someone of something, she knows the
 most opportune instant in which to speak.
 Practice: Knowing
 Action: Reflexive
 Duration: Special
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: 1 Mana
 Each success grants the mage a single extra die in the next roll
 that has to — or is chosen to — be made. This does not include
 spellcasting rolls. If the next roll is for a spell (perhaps the mage
 needs to quickly cast a countermagic), the character loses the
 benefit.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Strike True
 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Composure + Time
 Mages of the Adamantine Arrow who master this rote find that
 they need strike only once in order to fell their enemies. By
 attuning his perceptions to the perfect instant in time in which to
 act, the willworker attacks with efficiency.

====Life====
 Banish Plague(Life •••)
 The mage can cure sickness or disease in others.
 Practice: Ruling
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Lasting
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: None
 As with the Life 2 “Self-Purging” spell, p. 183. At this level, the
 mage must touch the target. With Life 4, he can cast this spell at
 sensory range.
 Mysterium Rote: Reseal the Tomb
 Dice Pool: Wits + Medicine + Life
 Sickness and disease are just some of the threats encountered by
 Mysterium mages and their compatriots as they work to uncover
 the secrets of the ancients. With this rote, illness can be banished
 from the bodies of friends, or even just innocent strangers. Free
 Council mages also make some use of this magic (Intelligence +
 Medicine + Life) through the application of cutting-edge medical
 techniques and innovative treatments.

 Healing Heart (Life •••)
 The mage can heal the wounds of other humans.
 Practice: Perfecting
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Lasting
 Aspect: Covert
 Cost: 1 Mana
 Each success heals one bashing or lethal Health wound (the
 rightmost wound on the Health chart is healed first). At this level,
 the mage must touch the target. With Life 4, he can cast this spell
 at sensory range. With Life 4, aggravated wounds can be healed,
 although the mage must still touch the target (he can heal
 aggravated wounds at sensory range with Life 5).
 Mysterium Rote: Balm of Flesh
 Dice Pool: Composure + Medicine + Life
 Whether through a potion, poultice or some other means,
 members of the Mysterium use this rote to mend injuries,
 restoring torn flesh and shattered bone. Guardians of the Veil use
 a version of this rote (Resolve + Medicine + Life) to remove
 evidence of injury by paranormal phenomena.

 Honing the Form (Life •••)
 The mage can raise one of his Physical Attributes or that of a base
 or median life form. 
 Practice: Perfecting
  Action: Instant; subtracttarget’sStamina
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Vulgar
 Cost: 1 Mana
 A single Physical Attribute may be raised by one dot per success,
 up to a maximum of caster’s Life Arcanum dots. For example, if
 the mage has Strength 3 and Life 3 and gets three successes on
 this spell to boost his Strength, his Strength becomes 6 dots for
 the spell’s Duration. If four successes were rolled, he could still
 only boost Strength by three dots, since he has only Life 3.
 Naturally, this spell also modifies any derived traits (such as
 Speed, Health or Initiative). Note that the same spell cast to boost
 a different Physical Attribute does not combine with the first spell
 — only the highest Potency spell takes effect. For example, if a
 mage boosts his Strength by two dots and then casts a spell
 boosting his Dexterity by one dot, only the first spell takes effect,
 since it has the higher Potency. (With Life 4, he can allocate
 successes among different Physical Attributes; see “Supreme
 Honing,” p. 190.) When cast upon base or median life forms
 (using the same rules as when casting upon himself), the mage
 must touch the target. With Life 4, he can cast this spell at
 sensory range. If the target resists the spell, subtract its Stamina
 from the spellcasting dice pool.
 Free Council Rote: Actualizing Potential
 Dice Pool: Resolve + Athletics + Life – Stamina
 Free Council mages use this rote to tap into enhanced physical
 capabilities. Prodigious strength, quick reflexes, enhanced
 resilience; all can be manifested by a willworker sufficiently
 skilled in the Life Arcanum. This magic can also be used on
 lesser life forms, bestowing such amazing capabilities upon
 virtually any non-human creature. Given its broad appeal and
 amazing usefulness, this rote is practiced among all orders.

 Transform Self (Life •••)
 The mage can give himself the features of a base or median life
 form. He may affect certain changes in his own body, such as
 developing fungal, plant or animal features in order to thrive in a
 given environment or under a set of circumstances. He could, for
 example, supplement his intake of food in a harsh desert by
 granting himself the ability to absorb nutrients d i r e c t l y from
 the ground, or he could enhance his jaw strength to that of a
 hyena in order to crack bones and get at the marrow within.
 Practice: Weaving
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Vulgar
 Cost: 1 Mana
 The mage can take on one feature of a base or median life form
 per success. Among other things, the mage could manifest gills,
 sharp claws, fangs (turning his normal hand-to-hand damage
 from bashing to lethal and adding one to two dice modifiers to
 attack pools depending on the weapon gained), cat’s eyes
 (lessening by two penalties from all but absolute darkness), or a
 Life ••• Disciple of Life 60/228
 rat’s digestive system (allowing him to safely digest all but the
 foulest food sources). Note that this spell does not grant any
 changes beyond the purely biological. A mage who grows feline
 claws doesn’t know how to fight any better than normal. Nor
 does a mage with a rat’s iron stomach find the stench of carrion
 any more palatable than normal. As mentioned in “Transfer
 Median Features,”above, a roll might be needed to get features
 right if specimens are not available during casting.
 Adamantine Arrow Rote: Harsh Duty
 Dice Pool: Stamina + Athletics + Life
 The work of a mage of the Adamantine Arrow can be harsh and
 unforgiving. This rote enables an Arrow willworker to survive
 under all but the most brutal conditions, killing prey with his bare
 hands, thriving beneath the waves or in the deadliest cold, or
 going for weeks without a drop of water or morsel of food.
 Mysterium mages use similar magic to persevere in the
 sometimes-perilous environments in which they seek their lore.

 Two Faces (Life •••)
 The mage can change his features.
 Practice: Weaving
 Action: Instant
 Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
 Aspect: Vulgar
 Cost: None
 One feature may be altered per success. Each of the following is
 one feature: changing eye color (includes both eyes), skin color,
 hair color, hair length, hair texture. Other superficial
 characteristics can also be altered: fingers or toes may be slightly
 shortened or lengthened, body hair can be made sparse or more
 abundant, skin can be rendered dry or more oily, and height and
 weight can be very slightly altered (perhaps an inch or two, or up
 to 10 pounds, respectively). Perhaps most significantly, facial
 features and other distinguishing marks (like moles or scars) can
 be changed. Changes more extreme than these (such as changing
 fingerprints) require Life 4.
 Guardians of the Veil Rote: Incognito Exchange
 Dice Pool: Wits + Subterfuge + Life
 With this rote, a Guardian can be someone other than himself, a
 useful ability in his line of work. Indeed, such a mage can go
 from a “blond-haired, clean-shaven, green-eyed, early-30s”
 suspect being chased by police to a 40ish man with salt-andpepper
 hair and beard saying, “He went that way.” Silver Ladder
 willworkers sometimes use the same rote when trying to go
 unnoticed.