Sorceries

Silent Words of Dreams and Nightmares

Cost: 10 motes

Performing a 10 minutes ritual requiring both a mirror and some smoke, the caster can send a dream to a single target anywhere in the world. If the caster has never seen the target, then, during this ritual, the caster must burn a tiny fragment of clothing, a lock of hair or some other item belonging to the target. If the target is not currently asleep, the dream will occur when the target next sleeps. All dreams produced by this spell are excepionally vivid and memorable. Even targets who do not normally remember their dreams will clearly recall this dream.

The caster can precisly determine the nature of the dream. Everything from messages to hopeful prophecies or terrible nightmares can be created using this spell. While such dreams cannot be used to control a target's action, a dream that a coming battle will result in the target being captured, humiliated and then brutally tortured to death would give even the most confident general serious pause. Similarly a king who receives a glorious prophecy that agreeing to a treaty will result in a great wealth and power is more likely to agree to this treaty.

In mechanical terms, the sorcerer's player makes a Manipulation+Occult roll when the Exalt casts this spell. For every success, the target's player must succeed at an appropriate Virtue roll to proceed with a course of action the dream advises against or to do otherwise when the dream advises a particular course. This bonus or penalty lasts until the target next sleeps and applies to all rolls relating to the subject of the dream. Extremely broad and general dreams have no effect. The dreamer could be made to fear combat with the caster, or even with an enemy army, but not all combat.

The caster can also send exceptionally terrifying nightmares. Such nightmares require the target's player to make an opposed willpower roll against the caster's Manipulation+Occult. If the sorcerer wins, the target loses one point of temporary willpower. If his player rolls no successes, the target loses two points of temporary willpower. All willpower points lost in this manner are recovered when the target next sleeps, unless the target receives another nightmare. If another nightmare is sent the next night, the target does not recover any lost willpower, and his player must roll again to avoid having the character lose still more willpower. A character who loses all temporary willpower gain permanent derangements if the caster continues to send him nightmares. If the sorcerer botches, he may himself suffer these nightmares for the night, or he may attract the attention of beings drawn to nightmares (fair folk, evil spirits, demons and the like).

Sending a target nightmares every night for a week reduces all but the strongest-willed individuals into fearful wretches. All dreams sent using this spell seem to be ordinary dreams unless the target's player makes a successful Perception+Occult roll at difficulty 3. A target whose player succeeds at this roll realizes that these dreams are created by magic and may be able to take appropriate countermeasures.

Many talismans effective against nightmares protect against all uses of this spell, and many mortals are well aware that magical creatures can affect their dreams. If afflicted with repeated nightmares or ill omens, most will attempt to protect themselves from whatever supernatural influence is affecting them. Also, this spell is largely ineffective against Exalted, mortal sorcerers or other occult creatures who regard their dreams as just another magical battlefield.