Darkness

This purview is currently being playtested. We present it here in an unfinished state so that you can see what direction we have been going with the purview, or test it in your own games if you want to.Darkness One

NIGHT EYES ●

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Persistent

The night holds no surprises for Scions walking the path of Darkness, the world loses no detail in the deepest of caves, the darkest of night, or the most gloomy Underworlds. How this functions in specific is up to each Scion. They may only see monochrome in the darkness, they might use something akin to echolocation, or they may see perfectly normal with no change in the slightest. Once per game, a Scion may gain +6 Successes to resist a Boon in this Purview.

PHOBOS ●

Cost: 1 Legend.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Empathy.

Type: Miscellaneous.

The unknown is frightening, anything could be out there. The night is frightening, it is harder to see, and humans are inherently at a disadvantage. With a budding control over Darkness, the fear of others is at their fingertips. Making a Darkness + Empathy roll, resisted reflexively by a Manipulation + Empathy roll, a Scion can learn their target’s greatest fear, and for every three Threshold Successes past that, their second greatest fear, and so on in descending order.

Darkness Two

AFRAID OF THE DARK ●●

Cost: 2 Legend.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Presence.

Type: Miscellaneous.

With a wink, a grin, a snarl, or something else, a Scion can inflict a target with a gnawing sense of dread. Targeting the opponent’s MDV, this Boon removes one point of Willpower from the target if Successful. For every three Successes past the first, the target loses an additional point of Willpower. If the target is reduced to zero Willpower by this Boon, they immediately attempt to flee the Scene in the most direct route possible.

SHADOW MASK ●●

Cost: 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Larceny.

Type: Reflexive.

A Scion with this Boon can wrap themselves in a shadow to disguise themselves, appearing to be in a perpetual shadow. This Boon automatically Succeeds against mortals, and all mundane forms of surveillance, leaving them entirely unidentifiable, even through fingerprints and DNA, all samples ruined beyond potential use. Against Legendary beings, the Boon must be contested through a Perception + Awareness or Investigation roll depending on the situation.

GLOOM ●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Persistent.

The world around a Scion of Darkness is muted, slightly darker, and generally just difficult to perceive anything. While in the same Scene as a Scion with this Boon, anyone without Night Eyes (Darkness 1) suffers a -2 Autosuccess penalty to Perception and Awareness rolls.

Darkness Three

NOCTURNAL ●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Persistent.

Marked by their connection to the dark, be it through truly jet black hair, eyes like oil wells, a black band across their eyes, or anything else, the Scion gains +2 Successes on all Larceny, Stealth, and Presence rolls.

OBTENEBRATION ●●●

Cost: 2 Legend and 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Stealth.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Unseen as they pass, a Scion can activate this Boon to fade from sight, lurking in shadows even in the brightest lit of places. Against mortals, the Scion is entirely invisible to both mortals and any mundane recording equipment, though they will still leave a trace unless they also use Shadowmask (Darkness 2). Against Divine Beings, they may spot the Scion with a Perception + Awareness roll if they gain more Successes than the activation roll of this Boon.

LITTLE TERRORS ●●●

Cost: 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Presence.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Sometimes, somewhere needs to be kept secret, humanity discouraged from treading too close to somewhere a Scion has stashed something, or just to keep people away from their home. An easy way to do this is through the use of this Boon. By activating it, a Scion may chose a specific location such as, “My house,” or “This alleyway” and leave a lingering presence of darkness in the area. Any mortal who approaches the location immediately has all of their primeval instincts scream to them that this is a bad place, and they should be very, very far from here. The shadows are just a bit too deep, spiders, snakes, and the like are seen to be lurking.

This Boon lasts for one day per Success.

Darkness Four

SNUFF ●●●●

Cost: 3 Legend.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Occult or Presence.

Type: Reflexive.

Light is the bane of a fresh Demigod wielding the powers of Darkness. But, with a sly grin, they can snuff out the lights in an area. For five yards per Success on activation, the Scion can automatically cause all light sources to stop illuminating for the remainder of the Scene. Any lights created magically must compare the Successes gathered to create them to the activation role of this Boon. If the Boon gathered more Successes, the light source ceases to illuminate, but is not otherwise damaged. Fire created by the Fire Purview, for example, does not extinguish, but just stops illuminating the area.

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT ●●●●

Cost: 1 Legend.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Holding off the Darkness without the counter productive tool of light, a Scion with this Boon can bless their fellows, they may give another the benefits of Night Eyes (Darkness 1) to help them deal with the shadows of night.

SHADOWSTEP ●●●●

Cost: 3 Legend.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Never where they are expected to be, a Demigod with this Boon is able to activate this Boon to move unseen through a Scene. After they activate this Boon, any time the Scion is not directly observed, they may reflexively, and instantly teleport to another unseen spot in the Scene. During Combat, they may take this action on their Tick, part of their Move action.

Darkness Five

SANDMAN ●●●●●

Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Art.

Type: Miscellaneous.

With a sweet song, the Scion may lead their target to a peaceful sleep. Able to target one being per Darkness Boon they possess, a the Scion can compare the activation role of this Boon to the target’s MDV. If Successful at overcoming their MDV, the target immediately slips off into a deep sleep, either peaceful or plagued with nightmares at the user’s choice. Any damage taken will immediately awaken the targets, but otherwise those who are asleep take a penalty of the Scion’s Darkness Boons in Autosuccesses to awaken by sound.

LOST FOREVER ●●●●●

Cost: 5 Legend and 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Stealth.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Knowing more spectacular natural, and supernatural hiding spots from their experience with the Darkness, a Demigod with this Boon is able to stash away any object, taking twenty minutes per hundred pounds the object weighs. The object is then magically hidden, ushered out of sight to even those with the Mystery Purview. Any attempts to find the object suffer a penalty equal to the Scion’s Darkness Rank, and must overcome the activation roll of this Boon. It does, however, interact differently with Mystery.

Anyone attempting to learn its location through Mystery must gather more Successes on their Mystery role than the Darkness Scion gathered through their activation role in order to ask the question, not suffering the normal penalty due to the this being Mystery’s single function.

Darkness Six

EAT THE SUN ●●●●● ●

Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Occult.

Type: Miscellaneous.

A beast attempting to consume the sun is not exactly an uncommon theme in the myths of ancient humanity. A Demigod is able to continue this trend, consuming the light from a mundane light source permanently, and from a magical light source for one week per Darkness Boon the Scion possesses.

If Successful, the Scion gains one Automatic Success to the next Darkness roll they make per Darkness Rank they possess for the remainder of the Scene.

As a note: A Scion may not, as the name would imply, eat the Sun with this Boon.

EYES IN THE DARKNESS ●●●●● ●

Cost: 3 Legend.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Presence.

Type: Miscellaneous.

Something is there, something is following you. Something sits in your peripheral vision, vanishing when you glance over. Twigs are snapped, doors creak open, strange footprints found in the sand. This is what a Scion curses their target with through this Boon. The Scion can summon forth a nightmare to stalk their target, following them for one day per Success gathered the Scion possesses.

The nightmare, entirely phantasmal, uncatchable, and, in truth, not capable of physically harming its target, forcing its target to roll each of their Virtues once per day until they eventually snap and fall into a Virtue Extremity, or the duration of this Boon runs out.

Darkness Seven

THE VOID STARES BACK ●●●●● ●●

Cost: 5 Legend.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Reflexive.

Becoming a true creature of night and darkness, a Scion who has reached this height of power, just at the pinnacle of an Apotheosis, may master the skills they brought to bear early in their career, finding new and adaptive ways to wield them.

Shadow Mask: The Scion may use Shadow Mask on another being, willingly or unwillingly, potentially a tool of great disruption.

Afraid Of The Dark: The Scion may target a number of beings equal to their Darkness Rank at once for no additional cost.

Little Terrors: Lasts for one Week per Darkness Boon they possess, may target Legendary Beings if they have less MDV than the activation roll.

Shadowstep: If the Scion is attacked in combat, and Successfully defends with Dodge DV, they may instantly Shadowstep away if it has already been activated in the Scene, even if they not out of sight at that moment.

CONSUMING DARKNESS ●●●●● ●●

Cost: 5 Legend.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Reflexive.

Crafting horrible stories has always been a way to caution others against danger, a tribal habit that can be hijacked by this boon. If the God causes a target to flee the scene with Afraid Of The Dark (Darkness 2), they may activate this Boon reflexively to imbue their story with infectious horror. One victim that has left the scene gains the compulsion to tell any others they encounter about what just frightened them. Anyone who hears these frightful tales is also affected by Afraid Of The Dark (Darkness 2) for one hour.

The story must be orally transmitted directly. Radio and other long distance communication methods will not transmit the effects of this boon.

Darkness Eight

APEP’S VICTORY ●●●●● ●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Reflexive.

The Sun is the enemy of many Darkness figures, though they are not always exactly of the same philosophical stance as their Pantheons. But, to show this, when a Scion undergoes Apotheosis, they may take this Boon to make themselves the enemy of the Sun.

As soon as this Boon is taken, the Scion gains a five Dot Anti-Sun Fate, wanting to steal, consume, destroy, or whatever is appropriate to the character and culture they come from. Whenever the Character channels this Fate, they may refill their Willpower pool and a Virtue Channel of their choice as their desperate desire drives them forward.

It should be noted: This Boon may cause political issues for a Scion who takes it, depending on their Pantheon. The Teotl, Bogovi, and Netjer are all likely the ones who will take the most colossal offence with this.

NIGHT BATTLES ●●●●● ●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Politics.

Type: Reflexive.

Why were battles often ceased at night, and night attacks were rare until quite recently? The same reason that working at night before a time of easy illumination was uncommon, it just isn’t safe, or particularly practical.

With this Boon, the God or Goddess may sew similar amounts of confusion and danger that the night wrought in the past. They blanket the Scene in darkness, giving all beings inside a penalty to all rolls that require any degree of sight a penalty of Autosuccesses equal to their Darkness Rank if they do not overcome the activation role of this Boon with a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll.

This darkness summoned forth can be used for other Boons in the Purview that require shadows to function, having an additional degree of function.

Darkness Nine

NIGHTFALL ●●●●● ●●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Command.

Type: Reflexive.

The sun is incredibly inconsiderate to Gods and Goddesses of darkness. For half the day, it just makes their life difficult for no reason. So, to stop the troublesome sun, the Deity can just insist it leave, and call forth night early.

By using this Boon, the God or Goddess causes the sun to rapidly finish its daily path, taking one hour minus one minute per Success to entirely set (if more than 60 Successes are gathered, the sun just winks out of the sky, appearing on the other side of the in a similar instant) spreading the shadowy embrace of night across the land. If it would normally be a Full Moon that night, the Scion may, for no additional cost, change the moon to a New Moon to dampen any hopes of light.

As many Boons affecting the planet on a large scale, this Boon, if used wantonly or in incredibly unfortunate situations, can cause political issues.

WHO YOU ARE IN THE DARK ●●●●● ●●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Larceny.

Type: Reflexive.

Gods, Goddesses, people, and social animals all have their actions altered to some degree when they are aware they are being perceived. When alone, we can act in whatever way we wish, no matter how unacceptable it may be, without fear of reprise. With this Boon, a God or Goddess of Darkness may grant a favor: the recipient of this Boon will be entirely anonymous, unrecognizable, and will not be caught for a single day. For one night, they can do whatever they want, and get away with it.

When this Boon is activated, the being is entwined in shadows, like Shadowmask (Darkness 2), but it affects even the Gods themselves. Any attempt to catch the being touched by this Boon are thwarted by Fate, the being gaining the activation roll of this Boon as Automatic Successes to any attempt to remain unknown, or escape custody if caught. Any attempts to use Mystery to discover who the being was face great difficulty, tripling the Successes of questions needed for an answer (a complete answer would therefore need fifteen Successes to be spent purely on that question) and in order to even ask, the being with Mystery must have achieved a greater number of Successes than the activation roll of this Boon.

The Deity who used this Boon, however, is entirely immune to its effects, and are instantly aware of all actions committed while under its affect. They may, at will, dismiss the effect during the night, or on a later date, and cause all involved to instantly realize who the shrouded being was.

A God or Goddess may never use this Boon on themselves, however.

Darkness Ten

STEAL THE SUN ●●●●● ●●●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: None.

Type: Reflexive.

That damn thing in the sky, causing so many problems. Sure, a God or Goddess of Darkness can dismiss it, but that doesn’t solve the problem, not really. It comes back swinging in another twelve hours, unless they are lucky enough to live by one of the poles of the planet.

But, maybe it they just... took it. A Deity with this Boon can reach up into the sky, and steal the sun from wherever it rests for their culture. A Theoi would leave Apollo or Helios (depending on the Storyteller) feeling incredibly confused as the giant ball of fire just vanished. An Egyptian would snatch the sun from the Solar barge, a terrible idea to say the least (though, in a time of terrible need, they may be able to snatch the sun from the maw, or even the gullet of Apep...), or a Celt could snatch the golden wheel out of the sky.

This instantly causes three effects. Firstly, in their Pantheon’s land, the sun vanishes (though it exists for the rest of the world) instantly, unless it is currently night there, were the only people to notice will likely be the Sun Deities. Secondly, for one mile in every direction per Darkness Boon the Scion possesses, the Sun ceases to exist (though right outside this area of influence, it will sit wherever it naturally should be). Thirdly, the Scion becomes capable of snuffing out other Legendary Being’s attempts to use Sun Boons.

This is done in the following way. Every time anyone in the area attempts to use a Sun Boon, the Scion who has stolen the sun may reflexively roll their Darkness + Legend and attempt to overcome the activation role of the Sun Boon (Boons with no roll need a Sun + Legend role to function in this environment). If the being using this Boon is successful, the Boon fails to function, though the other being loses the resources spent. Additionally, the Scion who has stolen the sun gains two Autosuccesses to any Darkness roll as their grip on the sun tightens in the face of adversity, including rolls to counteract Sun Boons, capping out at +32.

This Boon will last for the day, and the more cumbersome suns of the Pantheons shrink down to fit into the hand of the Darkness Scion.

As said many times before in this Purview: This will cause political issues. But, who cares? You just stole the sun.

FEAR ITSELF ●●●●● ●●●●●

Cost: None.

Dice Pool: Darkness + Presence.

Type: Reflexive.

The Deity of Darkness has mastered a number of ways of spreading terror, and taking it to their advantage, but as of yet, they haven’t been able to directly control the source. With this Boon, however, this changes. They may label a location, object, a being, or a type of location, object, or being as being a source of unrefined dread for all who look upon them. When a Scion choses to activate this Boon, they first decide what location, person, object, or type of either (such as all Niagara falls, or all waterfalls) they wish to affect with this Boon.

After their target is determined, the Scion consults the activation role to the range chart below.