Dusk Court

The Glacial Axe, the Umbral Court, the Court of Dooms
''It was night when the man arrived. The snow was coming down furiously as he fought the wind. In the darkness, he saw a bonfire burning. He knew such a fire meant his quarry had to be near. The Huntsmen carefully moved towards the flames while examining the sleeping figures by the fire.''

''Before he could do anything, she stepped out of the blizzard and put a knife through his stomach. “Listen here you little shit, I ain’t done with this dance yet. You tell ol Jack O’ Shadows I’m still damn well ready to dance till one of us blinks.”''

“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”

― Kalu Ndukwe Kalu

Fatalism
Perseverance. Acceptance. Striving in the face of overwhelming odds, not to cheat one's Fate, but to accomplish something despite it. These ideas embody Dusk Court. Inherent in the Dusk philosophy is not only the idea that things can only get worse, but also that with the acceptance of that inevitable Fate, one is given the opportunity (within that framework of inevitable destruction) to truly create one's own destiny. If, as Dusk believes, everything will become nothing but dust in the end, why hamper oneself with niceties or limitations? Instead, this is the opportunity to truly shine in the coming night to do, say, and be all that one can, because the end is inevitable. If one cannot hope to survive a situation, why not make the most of it? What have you got to lose?

This viewpoint manifests in a myriad of ways, although there are two major divergent philosophies or factions within the Dusk Court. While neither are formal groups, they represent the two extremes within the Dusk philosophy. Most Glacial Courtiers do not completely embody either extreme, although many lean more heavily towards one side or the other. Balance and moderation are not traits most associate with the Dusk Court.

The first philosophy favors glory and attempts to manifest greatness. Known casually as "Gallants," those who lean this direction tend to picture themselves as the true heroes of the coming apocalypse: Glorious warriors, masterpiece artisans, noble statesmen, passionate lovers. If in the end we all must die, say the Gallants, why not take every risk or challenge and strive to outdo what others think is possible. A martially-minded Gallant may find inspiration in the persona of Leonidas of Sparta or Jim Bowie, fighting or leading others into situations that most Lost would consider suicidal. While many Dusk courtiers die in this manner, their tales are told for decades or centuries at Contentions, a sort of immortality that the Court believes is worth far more than a long life lived in cowardice. Other Gallants might exert themselves in other areas, risking everything to accomplish a task others might think impossible: scaling a never-before-conquered mountain peak, creating peace between two long-warring peoples, or leading a social movement which common sense declares will never succeed.

Desperation
Desperation, however, does not breed heroism in all Lost -- not even among the Dusk. For some, the freedom that accompanies knowing one's Fate is sealed is not inspiration for great or selfless acts, but instead for completely amoral behavior of the most selfish design. These Dusk Courtiers are frequently referred to as "Unfettered," although those who have run afoul of their schemes may well have less kind titles for them. They lean towards the view that, if everything is destined to destruction, then the niceties of social mores, traditions and laws are really pointless and designed only to postpone the inevitable. They tend to see those who are bound by such constraints as either sheep, slowly but surely being led towards their slaughter, or as pawns, tools and resources to be used by those forward-thinking enough to tap into them.

Give and Take
Mantle Effects

The Mantle of a Dusk courtier represents the strength and self-determination he achieves from accepting that the cards are stacked against him and still rising forward to meet that Fate. Where other Mantles may manifest in a variety of ever-stronger manifestations of the symbols of their Court, Dusk simply goes on, unaffected by its surroundings. Other Court Mantles may war for dominance when those of differing Courts are in proximity to one another, Winter's chill wind pushing at Summer's flames or Autumn's fading touch taking the bloom from Spring's blossoms. Dusk Mantle simply blanks out that of other courts, temporarily stifling music, stilling wind, or erasing visual effects of any other Court's Mantle of equal or lesser dots within a close proximity of the Dusk Courtier. Thus a Spring Courtier with Mantle 3 standing next to a Dusk Courtier of Mantle 3 or higher might be disturbed to discover that her ever-present birdsong dwindles away to an awkward silence, and the flower petals that normally play in her Mantle's warm spring breeze fade away as long as she remains within close proximity.

Dusk Courtiers

The Beast Stalks through the hurricane, unaffected by the howling wind. The Darkling with no hope or pity in his eyes strikes and then vanishes before he strikes again. The lowly Wizened strides through the blizzard along with the Winter scouts, carrying a softly keening blade. Tonight she will possibly die so that her freehold will not. They will not go gentle into this night.

Mantle: Dusk
Emotion: Fatalism

Regain a point of glamour when your actions inspire others to carry on despite the outcome.


 * 1) Dusk always had the inner strength to carry on, knowing that their end was going to be an explosive one. Gain a +4 Bonus on checks, instead of +3, whenever you spend a Willpower.
 * 2) The Dusk Soldier can march through anything, even the ire of the Elements. Reduce all penalties associated with environmental tilts by 1 per Dusk Mantle. This has no effect one Environmental tilts caused by Contracts.
 * 3) A Dusk courtier is always bolstered in his ability to endure hardship. Spend a point of Willpower to gain the Iron Stamina Merit for a chapter.
 * 4) The Power of Dusk makes it harder for you to be swayed. After any mundane social roll is done against you, you may spend 1 glamour to redo the check again. You must accept the second value.
 * 5) The unconscious mind is a curious thing, but the Court of Doom can act through it. Once per scene, if you are knocked unconscious from Bashing or Lethal damage, you can make one more action before actually going unconscious. If your right most health box is filled with aggravated damage, you get one action before dying.

Babel's Curse
Communication is based on a carefully crafted set of common understanding, symbolism and meaning. An utter breakdown of one's ability to give and share information is a devastating blow.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Expression + Mantle (Dusk) - (Resolve + Power Stat)

Action: Instant

Success: The targeted individual is unable to communicate in any manner for a number of turns equal to the changeling's successes. This includes verbal, written, physical or supernatural means. It is not simply a matter of losing one's voice or forgetting how to write; the shared basis for communicating ideas breaks down for the target, leaving them able to speak words, write letters or use gestures, but not in such a way that they have any meaning for those around them. The most fundamental of communications: A shout of alarm, a cry of pain or a joyful laugh can be communicated. Anything more complex is scrambled until its meaning is lost entirely.

Exceptional Success: As with an ordinary success, however, for the duration of the Contract the targeted individual can also not understand any written, verbal, physical or supernatural communication more complex than the fundamentals expressed above, effectively shutting off communication entirely as long as the Contract is in effect.

Failure: The Contract has no effect.

Dramatic Failure: The Contract backfires, and the changeling suffers from the effects of Babel's Curse for the next 24 hours.

Loophole: The changeling writes the target's name or commonly-used nickname on a piece of paper and tears it into tiny pieces.

Sense The Inevitable Doom
The changeling invoking this clause is able to sense disaster headed his direction. His sheer certainty that something bad will without a doubt befall him becomes not paranoia, but a supernatural sensitivity to the many dooms lying in wait.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Mantle (Dusk)

Action: Instant

Success: The character's acceptance that bad things will happen to him gives him the ability to react to them faster when they do. After successfully activating this Contract, the changeling receives the benefit of the Danger Sense Merit for the scene. If he already possesses the Danger Sense Merit, the normal +2 modifier becomes +4 for the duration of the Contract. As well, when entering into an inherently dangerous situation with the Contract activated (even one which does not involve an impending ambush) the Lost experiences an uneasy feeling. The Contract gives no indication of the nature or source of the danger, but it does grow somewhat stronger should the Lost continue towards a dangerous Fate. This power is not specific enough to determine which wire is connected to a bomb and which is not, for example, but might be used to warn a changeling that opening or passing through a certain door is more dangerous than remaining in the room or going back the way he came.

Exceptional Success: As per a success, but the effects last for a 24-hour period.

Failure: The changeling's senses are unaltered.

Dramatic Failure: The changeling's fatalism reaches paranoid levels, effectively undermining his ability to sense potential true danger. For the next 24 hours, all Perception rolls he makes suffer from a –2 penalty. This penalty is cumulative, if he suffers multiple instances of dramatic failure while making attempts to activate this Contract.

Loophole: The changeling has consumed at least a serving of caffeinated beverage within the last hour.

Once more, Unto the Breach
The Glacial Court knows there is but one end, but they also refused to surrender to it. They will endure for as long as they must to achieve their objectives. Sometimes those objectives involve others and so they can rally people to march with them. They tell a story of a bleak situation and how they met that fate to the others, inspiring them to go on.

Cost: 1 Glamour, 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Mantle

Action: Extended (5 Successes per target; each roll represents one minute)

Success: Every target gains 1 reroll they can use anytime during the current chapter. A character can only be affected by this contract once a chapter.

Exceptional Success: Standard exceptional successes for extended actions

Failure: Nothing happens

Dramatic Failure: Your confidence in yourself and story begins to waiver as they get lost in their story and the inevitability of death. Gain the Distracted condition for the next hour.

Loophole: The story is one about the changeling which has yet to be told.

Unmaker's Destructive Gaze
The character stares hard for a moment at a vehicle, weapon or device, causing the object to cease working until the user unjams or restarts it.

Cost: 2 Glamour

Dice Pool: Presence + Crafts + Mantle

Action: Instant

Success: When the changeling stares directly at a vehicle, weapon or other device within 20 yards, she causes it to briefly cease working. A car might stall, a gun jam or a computer crash. The user must spend a full turn making a normal repair roll (typically Intelligence + Crafts) with the object to restart, unjam or otherwise get it working again. The number of successes on the changeling's roll acts as a penalty to the user's roll. On a failure, he has not succeeded in unjamming the device but may attempt again on the next turn at the same penalty. No specialized skills, tools or spare parts are needed to restart the device. This Contract works equally well on items that have no moving parts, such as knives, which experience minor, easily repairable damage, for example, having their blade to slip from their handle that renders the item useless until repaired.

Exceptional Success: The changeling's glance causes the vehicle, weapon or other device to need minor repairs or adjustments before it can be used again. These repairs require 10 successes on an extended action, with one roll being attempted once every minute. Repair rolls suffer the changeling's successes as a penalty.

Failure: The Contract fails, and the device is unharmed.

Dramatic Failure: The fickle Contract temporarily improves the device. For a number of turns equal to the changeling's Wyrd, all attempts to use the device gain a +1 die bonus.

Loophole: The changeling has an opportunity to touch and examine the object for at least a minute.

Even in Death They Strive
The dead are among us, unseen and unheard by the living. This clause allows the changeling to see, hear and speak to any ghosts in her area (same room, or conversational distance outside) in Twilight for a scene. If they can bargain with them, the ghost can also be called to Materialize.

Cost: 1 Glamour or 2 Glamour and 1 willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Academics + Mantle

Action: Instant

Success: The changeling sees, hears and can speak to ghosts in the area as if they were living. If they wish, they can spend an additional glamour and a willpower to summon the ghost on this side of twilight. The Ghost is built by the Storytellers using the Geist: the Sin-Eaters Core book at rank 2. The ghost materializes fully for the scene. The ghost can be interacted with as if it were alive, from conversation to lovemaking to violence.

Exceptional Success:The summoned ghost is amicable.

Failure: The changeling cannot see or speak to the ghosts.

Dramatic Failure: The clause fails, but the changeling thinks she is talking to a ghost and holds a conversation with empty air.

Loophole: The ghost is someone the changeling knew in life.

Opening The Black Gate
There is a barrier between the living and the dead, which can only be crossed at great risk. This clause creates a doorway between the mortal world and the Underworld. This passage cannot be created in the Hedge, or Arcadia; attempts to do so are quite likely to draw the attention of the Gentry.

Cost: 2 Glamour, 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Stamina + Occult + Mantle

Action: Extended (five successes; each roll represents one turn)

Success: A passage, the size of a normal door, is created between the land of the dead and the world of the living for one night. When the sun first breaks the horizon in the mortal world, the door shuts forever, and those on the wrong side of it will be trapped unless they find, or make, another exit.

Exceptional Success: The passage lasts for a lunar month. The dead and living can cross over in this location for as long as the location remains intact. If a changeling has used the Loophole to invoke this clause, she has to maintain the laws of hospitality only for that first night. The changeling has no mystical control over who uses this door; she can only control access in the usual fashion, by guarding it, locking it, bricking it up, etc.

Failure: No passage is created.

Dramatic Failure: The passage is one-way. Those who take it will be trapped on the wrong side. The living can only pass to the Underworld -- but not back -- and the dead can only enter the mortal world, not return.

Loophole: The clause is invoked at midnight in a mausoleum, and the changeling invokes the laws of hospitality while the clause is in effect.