Smoke Mirror Way

The Shroud is a reflection of mankind's fears and desires. To kill it, we must learn to become smoke on a black mirror. - The Empty Mind by Padish Kinla

The Smoke Mirror Way is a Willpower based Mystic Class Ability which can be used to augment or replace the Nullification ability. It's the most defensive of the Mystery of Fire ways.

Islands of Stability

Adherents of the Smoke Mirror believe the only way to truly live with intention is by resisting the powerful arcane forces that pervade reality. By developing the attribute of Nullification, adherents of this way create islands of deliberation and stability.

Keepers of Relics

Before the Fall, the monasteries of the Smoke Mirror way were dedicated to sequestering dangerous creatures and artifacts from the ages past. Adherents training to be Mystics would meditate within the sanity-warping influences and dark influences of these objects. As the civilizations of Man grew more numerous and powerful, The Smoke Mirror Mystics were forced to conceal themselves deep within the labyrinths of the Archaea and amongst ancient surface ruins, both to prevent such objects from pervading the surrounding lands and people but also to avoid the ambitions of warlords and villains drawn to the ancient and powerful artifacts in their possession.

The Great Undoing

After The Fall Interregnum, many of the objects once concealed by the Smoke Mirror Way became incredibly powerful conduits of arcane energy and beacons of madness. Many of the Way's outposts fell to corruption, roaming monsters, or insidious infiltrations by cultists of the dream lords. Despite this setback, some still walk the Smoke Mirror path, maintaining tombs, ancient monasteries, and other secret places and sealing away vile arcane influences found there. Some, angered by the widespread destruction of their cousins, struck the path of the Cleansing Flame Way.

Mechanics

Smoke Mirror Way adherents may use fog or smoke to augment any action which requires Mystery of Fire. While doing so, they use Arcane Harvest rules. As per those rules, the fog or smoke doesn't dissipate when doing this, but it depletes for the purpose of Arcane Harvest until the Mystic has a chance to meditate.

Meditation

Adherents of the Smoke Mirror Way must meditate in front of a smooth polished surface suspended above or within smoke or fog. Ceremonial objects reflect regional preferences and may range from cauldrons, crystal balls, mirrors, polished stones, or to the surfaces of lakes and ponds. While meditating, Smoke Mirror Way Mystics automatically cast one or more spells that exist for the duration of meditation with spell power equal to their points in certain Rites.

Special Technique

Smoke Mirror Trap. Adherents of the Smoke Mirror Way are capable of Banishing dangerous creatures, and artifacts to the realm of Syim-Mun, a boundless and distant black void outside of reality where time does not exist. This ritual requires a full day to perform, meaning that the creature or item must be otherwise incapacitated for that period of time.

Rites

Choking Embers Rite

You may use Choking Embers Right and any stored elemental energy to your attempts to disbelieve spells or dampen sources of arcane energy as though casting a Nullify spell. Any time you do, you may instantly use any excess wager to create an Obscuring Nullify Cloud spell at the point of nullification. You also cast Nullify at a radius around yourself equal to your level in Choking Embers Right whenever you meditate. This costs nothing and lasts for the duration of meditation. The Nullification effect will work against the most powerful arcane emanation in that radius.

Shielding Smoke Rite

Whever you rest and near smoke or fog, you may add Shielding Smoke Rite to defend yourself from elemental sources of damage caused by weather, environment, or terrain hazards. You cast this automatically while you meditate. This costs nothing and lasts fur the duration of meditation. The meditative effect will last for

Mirror Flame Rite

You may use smoke or fog hazards as well as any and stored elemental energy to reflect a spell back on the spellcaster and augment it with elemental damage. The points wagered may not exceed the spellpower of the spellcaster.

Type

• Mystic Class Ability

The Five Mysteries

• Mystery of Wind (Perception)
• Mystery of Fire (Willpower)
• Mystery of Stone (Intellect)
• Mystery of Void (Presence)
• Mystery of Water (Cunning)

Fire Mystery Ways

• Cleansing Flame (Invocation)
• Golden Candle (Resolve)
• Smoke Mirror Way (Nullification)

Smoke Mirror Rites

• Choking Embers Rite
• Shielding Smoke Rite
• Mirror Flame Rite

Ability

This an Ability. Abilities can be used without paying any Uncertainty penalty. They represent a creature's skill and experience with a particular task and are the most powerful wager that can be made. You can wager an Ability all on its own or you can augment them with their associated Skill and Attribute.



Example: If you wager 5 Stamina, you may also wager up to 5 Conditioning and 5 Endurance without any uncertainty.