Post by Phsycodelic on Jan 30, 2017 20:46:52 GMT
Wanga: Blinding Chango ( Path Of The Dry Nile )
Followers Of Set
Followers Of Set
Except for the path known as The Flow Of Ashé, Wanga paths require the expenditure of blood for activation. In addition, any time Wanga is invoked, be it a path or ritual, the wangateur must call upon the spirit appropriate to the intended effect. For instance, a wangateur invoking Lure of Flames might call on Chango, Alternatively, were she attempting to call upon the Path of Weather Control, she might invoke Agarou Tonerre, aloa of thunder.
In addition, Wanga possesses its own unique wet of tools, components and ritualistic items that must often be present for the magic to work. Not every ritual involves all of these tools, but the vast majority of them require at least a few. Listed below are the more common of Wanga's tools, once again, a bit of research on the players' part will turn up a wealth of additional material.
Asson: Used primarily in voudoun. This is a rattle wielded by the houngan or mambo, and is considered a magical and sacred object. It is normally constructed out of a gourd to which has been affixed a wooden handle, and is often decorated with such esoteric items as snake bones and bits of coral.
Ekwele: From the Santerfa faith, this is a thin chain measuring about 50 inches in length, and broken at regular intervals by one-and-a-half inch disks made from a tortoise shell. It is used in the practice of Ifa, a form of divination.
Ese: Also from Santerfa, the Ese are poetic verses used in the interpretation of Ifa. Babalawos often have hundreds of these committed to memory.
Farine: This flour used to trace the veves utilized in voudoun rituals.
Gris-gris: A gris-gris is a charm, talisman or any other small magic item. Many of the faiths refer to such charms as wangas; gris-gris is the voudoun equivalent.
Hounfour: A temple or structure used for ceremonies to the god of voudoun.
Kisengue: A human shinbone wrapped in black rags, this is a common component of Palo Mayombe ceremonies.
Ngana: A large iron cauldron filled with graveyard earth, bones, and sticks and other disturbing ingredients. It is one of the most important components of Palo Mayombe. (This term also refers to a priest or shaman of certain African religions, though it is never used in that context here.)
Peristyle: An open courtyard in which voudoun ceremonies are held. There is often, but not always, a hounfour located on the property.
Poteau Mitan: The pole that stands at the center of peristyle or hounfour. It is often carved or decorated, and represents the center of the universe and its connection with the spirit world. All dancing during the ceremony revolves around the poteau mitan.
Veve: Common to many of the Afro-Caribean faiths but most prevalent in voudoun, this is a symbolic design representing one of the Ioa (or other spirit). Veves are used as the focus of rituals, and serve as a temporary altar when a more permanent construct is unavailable. Although they can be found written or inscribed on all manner of surfaces, they are most commonly constructed by pouring flour on the ground during rituals.
When the son of Osiris killed Set, the snake god vowed that he would take his revenge by working to destroy every thing that his brother had held dear in life. Like the god they from which they take inspiration, practitioners of this path swear to destroy everything that makes a society work. Some accept this task as the price of the power Set grants them. Others revel in it, as they seek their own revenge against an uncaring universe. The Path of the Dry Nile serves as their greatest weapon in this crusade.
Unless otherwise stated, each power requires the Setite to place a faience (blue-glazed earthenware) amulet in the personal effects or dwelling of a target individual. The magic lasts until the individual destroys or otherwise gets rid of the amulet. However, it may do permanent harm while active. A husband who leaves his wife under the influence of Love Dies, for example, won't necessarily be able to win her forgiveness after he discards the amulet and comes to his senses.
Setite Sorcery botches, regardless of school, cause the sorcerer to acquire an intense photophobia. When exposed to extremely bright lights, the sorcerer must roll for Rötschreck against a difficulty of (4 + the sorcerer's Path rating). Setite lector-priests do not suffer this effect. [Rites Of The Blood - Page 132]
Social Responsibilities
Kindred or kine, you cannot just wake up one morning (or evening) and decide, "Today, I will become a houngan (or tata)." As with any position of authority in any other religion, it takes years of learning and initiation to become a priest of voudoun, Santeria. Palo Mayombe or any of the Wanga-practicing faiths. Many are the steps between a simple practitioner and a recognized master of mysteries.
It is relatively uncommon for a Kindred follower of an Afro-Caribbean religion to learn the secrets of Wanga without being initiated as a priest of the religion. Remember, Wanga is much a religious system as a form of Thaumaturgy, and like any religious secret, it is rarely taught to those who have not gone through the proper steps and initiations.
What does this mean for your Kindred wangateur? For stargers, it can mean years - often as much as a decade or two - to reach this level of initiation.
Houngans and mambos, santeros and santeras, babalawos, tatas and yayas - they're all religious leaders, which means they have certain social obligations demanded of them by their community and by their own beliefs. In communities where these religions are the norm, the local priest is expected to lead ceremonies on a regular - sometimes weekly if not daily - basis. Many in his community seek his aid, his advice, even his powers of divination. He is expected to his magics to help those around him, to protect them from evil spirits and the influence of malice, or evil spells.
This can cause real problems for those of the vampiric persuasion. Leaving aside the fact that most such events, petitions and requests come during the hours of daylight, bear in mind that such a character is constantly standing on the very edge of the Masquerade. Even if you've managed to explain away your nocturnal leanings, what happens if you frenzy in the midst of a ceremony? Many such ceremonies involve the spilling of blood (albeit animal blood). Between the scent of vitae, the pounding drums, the pulsating pass of humanity dancing their ritual dances - the situation is absolutely ripe with disastrous potential.
There are cultures in which the use of magic isn't inherently a Masquerade breach, where magic is almost common - but most Western princes aren't going to see it like that. You can argue all you want that it wasn't really breaking the Masquerade to use Thaumaturgy in front of witnesses because they were expecting you to do magic, but the local sheriff or archon is still likely to stake first and decide later if she should bother asking questions.
At the same time, such a position of authority offers its own advantages. Herd, Allies, Contacts, even a few dots of Fame or Influence, are all easily justifiable - if not mandatory - for such an exalted post. Your position as a religious leader places all sorts of demands on you, but it opens up an equally large host of opportunities. Don't hesitate to make the most of them.
Some few wangateurs do not bear these responsibilities. Perhaps they have left such concerns behind them after years of practice, or perhaps they serve the spirits in some other capacity. The Storyteller should not feel obliged to include these social aspects if they're going to negatively impact the story.
Ritual Practice
Wanga is often a group activity. Although most of its rituals can be performed alone, they prove easier and more effective when cast as part of a ceremony involving numerous participants. Only the primary caster need follow the steps of the ritual itself; all others are involved primarily in the drumming, singing and dancing common to these religious. These other participants need not be wangateurs, or even Kindred, but they must be true believers in an Afro-Caribbean faith, they must be willing participants (no Dominated dancers, though thralls subjected to blood bonds are common among certain less-savory wangateurs), and they must know the true purpose of the ritual. If the number of participants is at least twice the level of the ritual, the difficulty of the Intelligence + Occult roll is reduced by 1.
Not the downside to this: Rituals invoked this way take substantially longer to cast. Although the standard casting time for a ritual is five minutes per level, the casting time for Wanga rituals that are cloaked in these ceremonies is half an hour per level. Of course, nothing forces the wangateur to make use of other participants if she's in a hurry.
[ 1 ] Beauty Fades ( XXX - Page X )
The Setite causes a work of art, such as a painting, sculpture, novel, film or live performance, to be perceived by its audience as repellent, ugly, badly executed and cruelly nihilistic. Using the power on a work of art that already displays one or more of these qualities is redundant.
System: The Setite rolls Wits + Manipulation (difficulty 3-9, at Storyteller's discretion: a sitcom episode rates a 3; the Mona Lisa, a 9.) The Setite must be in the presence of the work when he uses the power. If multiple copies of a work exist, only the one(s) in her presence is affected. For example, characters watching a television broadcast with her see it as repulsive, while viewers in other households perceive it to be nothing out of the ordinary. The effect lasts for the length of time required to experience the work, or for one scene, whichever is greater. This power doesn't require the amulet this path normally requires.
[ 2 ] Trust Withers ( XXX - Page X )
The victim begins to suspect that a specified, trusted ally or associate intends to betray him. The victim's delusion escalates from mild unease to wild-eyed paranoia.
System: The Setite's player rolls Wits + Manipulation against the target's Willpower and spends a blood point. The full process takes nine weeks minus one week per success scored. The subject may resist on a successful Willpower roll if he suspects that something outside may be influencing him (Storytellers, use your best judgment) by accumulating more successes than weeks have passed in the character's decline.
[ 3 ] Love Dies ( XXX - Page X )
The Setite suppresses all feelings of love felt by the victim toward a specified secondary target. The first victim feels nothing but emptiness and confusion when he sees or thinks about the second. Love Dies counters romantic, platonic and familial love.
System: The Setite must be in the presence of her subject to initiate this power. The player rolls Wits + Manipulation against the target's Willpower and spends two blood points. Thereafter, the subject's emotional attachment - which must have been love in origin - withers over the course of the next few nights. This power does not affect blood bonds. Love Dies ends after a number of months equal to the Setite's Willpower at the time it is used.
[ 4 ] Hope Dissolves ( XXX - Page X )
The Setite's victim subject can't shake the absolute conviction that a specified goal he meant to accomplish can under no circumstances be achieved. He rapidly grows disheartened and indolent.
System: The Setite must be in the presence of the subject at the time he invokes this power. The player rolls Wits + Manipulation against the target's Willpower and spends three blood points. If the roll is successful, the subject sinks into a deep depression over the course of one day or night, and becomes distinctly morose. While in this state, a character may only have a number of dice equal to her Self-Control Virtue available for dice pools. If she wishes to use her full dice pool, she must spend a Willpower point to undertake that action. Although this power is unlikely to drive a character to suicidal depression, a character already predisposed toward that end may find the urge more compelling.
The duration of this power varies by the number of successes the Setite acquired. It may be cured through therapy, drugs, etc., before this time period, however, should the victim seek help.
| Successes | Duration |
| 1 | One night. |
| 2 | One week. |
| 3 | One month. |
| 4 | One year. |
| 5 | Permanent. |
[ 5 ] Thrones Crumble ( XXX - Page X )
The Setite selects an individual and causes him to reexamine his loyalty to an authority figure. No matter why the target followed his leader — admiration, ideological fervor, fear, greed or simple ambivalence - he now bitterly rejects his allegiance. Whether the victim actively works against the former object of his loyalty, or simply drops out of the picture, remains his choice.
System: The Setite must see his subject to initiate this power. The player rolls Wits + Manipulation (difficulty of the target's Willpower) and spends three blood points. If the roll is successful, the character acquires an active antipathy for some leadership figure who affects his life - a manager, a vicar, a king, a president, his father - and reacts in order with his Nature against that figure. This will not always result in physical conflict; a Conformist may well "play along" grudgingly with the authority figure, but he might seek the company of others who oppose the leader, whereas a Rogue may make a grand show of rebellion against the leader.
