Dawn Court

The Bloody Rose, the Auroral Court, the Court of Salvations
''“You can't fix me, I’m well beyond gone.” She says as she stalks towards her quarry. Staggering back slowly he chokes out. “But I can fix you, you just need to give me time. All I need is time.” Breaking a thorn off a nearby hedge plant she smirks. “What can you possibly do for me that I cannot do for myself?” He looks around and steels himself. “I’ll do the one thing you cannot.” She pauses, unsure, shocked. “You're just buying time.” “No. Im making a deal, a promise that I will fix you.” She hisses out. “Then speak quickly.” “One years time. I’ll meet you here either as your quarry or with your freedom.” A long pause again before she speaks.”Then go, I’ll see you here in a year.”''

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”

― William Faulkner

Hope
While the plight of the Lost may seem an endless night of danger, separation and pain, the Court of Dawn believes that, like any night, eventually the torment the Lost endure will end. It is this potential, this hope and the willingness to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure it comes about that forms the core of the Court of Salvations.

Just as there are limitless ways for Lost to follow the tenets of Wrath, Sorrow, Fear or Desire, not all Dawn Courtiers view Hope in the same fashion. Some focus heavily on the idea of the coming dawn, with every action focused entirely on the idea that better times are just around the corner. These individuals rarely become long-term members of the Court, however, as they often eschew the hard work and sacrifice that the majority of the Court recognizes is vital to actually bringing that dream to fruition.

Much of the Court, however, believes in a combination of hard work, careful planning and painstakingly exact sacrifice to bring about change. Officially, the Court's credo is that it works for change "for the greater good," and certainly for many situations that is true. Like any other people, however, self-interest sometimes creeps in. Any individual member's interpretations of what is "for the greater good" are of course colored by his own interests, viewpoints and philosophies.

Sacrifice
Others focus on the theme of sacrifice. They believe it is their personal mission, their raison d'etre, to surrender themselves in one fashion or another for the greater good. They often have escaped from their durance under improbable or seemingly miraculous circumstances, and hold that their escape was an act of destiny to allow them to survive until such time as they might give their all to help the rest of Lost society. While this faction tends to refer to themselves as Saints, they are often called Martyrs or worse, Victims, by those outside the Court. However they are viewed, Saints have been responsible for turning the tide in many crucial situations in Lost history, carrying out suicidal missions to protect endangered freeholds, or gathering vital items or information to improve other changelings' chances of survival, safety and prosperity. Many have paid harsh prices for their bravery -- bearing the name of traitor from those who do not understand their work, being taken back across the Thorns or giving their life for those who cannot or will not comprehend the level of self-sacrifice that sometimes is required to instigate great change.

Give and Take
Mantle Effects:

The Mantle of a Dawn Courtier represents both the wisdom to see where and when change should be made and the strength and self-determination to act, regardless of the cost. Thus Dawn Mantles are sharp and jangling sensory experiences, carrying with them the feeling of alertness and potential action. This may manifest as the smell of ozone in the air, the crisp crackle of electricity or the feeling of impending change that is found when one season or time of day is about to give way to another. Dawn Mantles can sound like the sharp crack of breaking glass, eggshells or bones, or the disturbing yet vibrant echo of a newborn's cries. They always carry with them the aura of impending transition, but not of capricious whim or senseless destruction.

The Mantles of many Courts clash when those of differing Courts are near to one another. A strongly Mantled Winter Courtier's icy breeze may push away at a weaker Spring Courtier's gentle gusts, or drop the temperature around a Summer Courtier's wrathful flames. Dawn's Mantles tend to warp those of other Courts when nearby. A Spring Courtier who is normally accompanied by a Mantle of classical music may find her tune changed to something more modern or upbeat, or a member of the Leaden Mirror find that his brightly-colored oak leaves have changed to maple or ash. These changes are always temporary, only existing when the Dawn Courtier is within close proximity of another courtier's Mantle.

Dawn Courtiers

A Fairest Martyr may create beautiful sonnets that inspire revolution and prosperity. A Wizened may build a shelter for the weak and downtrodden so they can get back on their feet in time. An Ogre may prowl the streets combatting injustices that the powerful cast upon the meek. All courtiers function with their own minds, but their hearts will forever beat as one.

Mantle: Dawn
Emotion: Hope

Regain a point of glamour when your actions inspire others to change the foreseen outcome..


 * 1) Gain bonus dice equal to your mantle on mundane persuasion rolls to inspire change in a person
 * 2) Once per Scene, spend a glamour to gain a bonus equal to your mantle dots to any one mundane roll in which the changeling is focused on.
 * 3) Spend a point of Willpower to gain the Inspiring merit even if you lack the prerequisites, if you already have the merit gain a +3 to the roll. This effect ends at the end of the scene.
 * 4) Whenever you attempt a mundane social roll against another changeling, you may spend 1 glamour to take the check again. This second check must be used even if the first was better.
 * 5) Gain an automatic success on all checks to instill hope in a hopeless person.

See the Inner Light
Changelings are still human on some level and so they lie, cheat, and hide their true motivations. Yet if the Dawn Courtier is ever to help them in their goals, they must have a true understanding of others motives.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Mantle (Dawn) vs target’s Composure + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Success: The changeling learns an aspiration most closely aligned with the character’s current actions

Exceptional Success: The changeling learns a random second aspiration.

Failure: The target’s aspirations are unknown

Dramatic Failure: The changeling learns an incorrect aspiration.

Loophole: Within the past hour, the target has made a promise to the changeling which the changeling has not sealed.

Judge the Strands (Common)
No man is an island. When decisive action must be taken, knowing the relationship between those involved can help to minimize potential unexpected backsplash from said action. Being able to sense where one's allies or enemies exist is even more helpful. A changeling with this clause can perceive and interpret the relationships of those around him, as represented by a web of ethereal threads perceivable only to him.

Cost: 2 Glamour

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Investigation + Mantle - subject's Composure + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Success: The character perceives the connections between the target and those presently around him as translucent threads that run between them. This effect lasts only for a single turn, and the amount of information gleaned is equal to the number of successes achieved. The relationship threads brought to light by the use of Read the Web represent the connection between two individuals in a visible fashion. Read the Web gives the character using it the ability to see and understand the relationship threads connecting his target with others present at that time. The changeling can choose to gain one piece of information about a thread between his target and any other person present. The first success is enough to tell if there is a relationship thread present between the target and one other individual present. If more successes are achieved, the changeling can either note the existence of threads between the target and other individuals, or garner more details on the first thread noted (assuming that a thread exists.) Relationship threads grow in dimension over time, so the bonds between two individuals who have just met might be as narrow as a spider's web, while those between Lost who shared decades' worth of a durance together might appear as a thick rope. One trait the changeling can look for is the thickness of the thread, from which he can garner a general idea of whether the target has known the other individual for a long time or is a recent acquaintance. As with all information garnered using this clause, the data is general. A lifelong acquaintance will obviously be thicker than newly-met individuals, but exact months, or even years of time are impossible to tell. Other traits that can be learned from a relationship thread are the intensity and general emotion felt by the target for the person on the other end of the thread. Different relationship types are represented visually through different colors. Romantic love glows a bright and healthy pink, with lust and passion tinting the connections into the burgundy range. Anger or hatred flares a jarring orange, while loathing or distaste falls into the icy blue-white range. Bland or casual acquaintanceships are represented by threads that are likewise bland and dull in color, whereas intense emotions (positive or negative) appear vibrant or even luminescent. Oathbound individuals' ties to another person are woven through with tiny red decorative threads, with the ornamental threads being thicker to reflect weightier oaths. Note that this clause shows only the general feelings of the target for the person on the other end of the relationship thread, not the other person's feelings for them. While some relationships will be equal in both directions, if a stalker who is obsessed with someone was the target, his thread might show a bright and loving thread for his object of admiration. On the other hand, if the object of his admiration was the target, her thread to him might show apathy or distaste. Examples of information gleaned include but are not limited to: Whether the target has a relationship tie with the other individual, the general length of acquaintance, the intensity of the target's feelings for or about the other individual, the dominant emotion the target is feeling for or about the other individual at the moment, whether the target shares an oath with the other individual and how significant that oath is.

Exceptional Success: As per a success, however the number of pieces of information gleaned is twice the number of successes.

Failure: The changeling is unable to perceive any relationship ties between the target and others.

Dramatic Failure: The character misreads the relationship threads between the target and other individuals. This could manifest as if no web existed, or in a wholly inaccurate set of readings.

Loophole: The changeling shares a pledge with the target.

Fool’s Luck
The Dawn Court does not promise success, but it does promise the possibility of success. When The Courtier sees others failing, they can extend the potential for success to them for a price.

Cost: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Composure + Occult + Mantle vs Resolve + Wyrd

Action: Reflexive

Success: Before determining the effects of success or failure, the changeling activates the Contract. The target of the contract must reroll with a bonus or penalty equal to the Dawn Courtier’s Wyrd. This can only affect someone once per scene.

Exceptional Success: The target can be targeted a second time in the same scene

Failure: The original pull stands

Dramatic Failure: The Wyrd responds against you, twisting luck to harm the changeling. Take your Wyrd in bashing damage. Armor can soak this, but it always inflicts at least 1 bashing

Loophole: The changeling purposefully shatters a mirror.

Tenacity of Hope
Sometimes what people truly need is a chance to change. Both those that have fallen low and those that have had great luck can sometimes benefit from being brought back to their base form.

Cost: 2 Glamour, 1 Willpower or 3 Glamour, 2 Willpower

Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult + Mantle vs Resolve + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Success: Nullify the effects of all active conditions on another character for the scene. This has no effect on the following conditions; Dream Assailant, Dream Infiltrator, Dream Intruder, Embarrassing Secret, Hunted, Oathbreaker, Obliged. In order to nullify Persistent Conditions and additional glamour and Willpower must be spent.

Exceptional Success: Remove the conditions instead.

Failure: The contract remains unaffected

Dramatic Failure: The contract breaks and some of the magic backlashes. You suffer one condition of the Storytellers choice for 24 hours.

Loophole: The changeling has sworn an oath of hospitality to the target.

Hope Springs Eternal
The Court of Hope will not see another give into despair. Blessing their target in some way, the Dawn Courtier sacrifices a bit of themselves to bolster another.

Cost: 2 Glamour, 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Success: The target immediately regains 1 Willpower, which can go above their maximum. Willpower is reset when the sun next rises. Further, the Dawn Courtier can instill a second hidden willpower. They choose either active or passive will. If Active is chosen, the next roll the target makes, this scene, gains extra dice as if they have spent a willpower. If passive is chosen, the next time they are targeted with something requiring a resistance trait this scene, it is bolstered as if they have spent willpower.

Exceptional Success: As above but the hidden willpower lasts 24 hours.

Loophole: The target has no points of willpower remaining.

Lend Me Your Ears
Hope is a fragile thing, but when the flame of change burns in the hearts of many the power can only grow. The changeling gives a speech or performance, such as a song or play, which profoundly affects the minds of listeners within 50 yards of the changeling. Although the changeling can augment her voice with a microphone, videos or recordings do not contain the fae magic present in the actual in-person performance. Once the character succeeds in preparing the audience, she can begin weaving a speech or other performance that warps their memories and supercharges their emotions.

Cost: 3 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Mantle vs. the subject's Composure + Wyrd

Action: Extended and Contested (five successes; each roll represents one minute). If the changeling has not achieved the needed number of successes in a number of rolls equal to her Presence + Expression, the audience loses interest. One contested roll may be made reflexively for a crowd based on the highest Composure present. Supernatural targets may make their own resistance rolls.

Success: The character tells, sings or demonstrates an emotionally charged story. Listeners fall into a light dreamlike trance. The events of this story affect them deeply, and they remember the events being described either as having happened to them or as something they personally witnessed or heard from a trusted friend. The audience reacts to the described events as if to vivid reality, but will not likely take any action they would not normally perform under strong provocation. The changeling cannot control how the audience reacts to their new memories. The effects of this performance last until the sun next rises. A crowd verging on riot told a story about how the events angering them have a reasonable explanation will likely calm down and disperse. Similarly, the members of a peaceful community meeting could be moved to mob violence if told that a neighbor is secretly a serial killer plotting to kidnap and kill their children.

If the people listening are attacked while the performance is still ongoing, the effect ends.

Exceptional Success: The performance so completely touches the audience's hearts that they follow any simple and not obviously foolish or suicidal suggestion that the changeling makes about how to react to the story.

Failure: The performance is uninspired and has no effect on listeners.

Dramatic Failure: The audience turns hostile. Those who are so inclined may turn to violence.

Loophole: The changeling is attempting to convince the audience of something that she believes to be factually correct.