See the Silver Ladder book for all the fluff.
Doctrine
Parentage: Thyrsus, Silver Ladder, or Seers of the Throne
Prerequisites: Fate 2, Persuasion 2, and 2 dots between Occult, Politics, and Empathy
Initiation: Successfully resolve a dispute between the flesh and the fallen, which your Mentor sets for you. Due to the respect that Elders have for the balance, they will usually not foment such conflict. Usually.
Once this has been performed, work with your Mentor to work your soul in the image of the result you have achieved.
Magic:
Ruling: Fate
Yantras: Succeed on a Persuasion roll relevant to the spell (+2), display appropriate etiquette for the situation (+1), working with a Spirit to identify its concerns, needs or interests (+2), ‘getting into the mindset’ of a Spirit (+1, +2 if this imposes a negative Condition)
Oblations: Communing with and getting to know the local spirits, constructing or studying structures intended to serve as passages between boundaries, creating an object eventually intended to serve as a spirit fetish, meditating upon the dichotomy of flesh and spirit, presiding over a non-magical ceremony intended to honor or appease the spirits, seeking out a Verge, studying the site of a naturally-occurring spirit locus.
Attainments:
First Attainment Oath of Synthesis
Pre-Requisite: Initiation
The Keepers of the Covenant bind their destiny to that of the Shadow, and as a result learn how to read the flows of essence and resonance better than any other. With but a look and a thought, the Elder can comprehend more than just the nature of any Spirit before them, but how that nature interacts with the Shadow, and the Fallen as a whole. This knowledge can also be used on humans, however being complicated messes of free will and self-denial, this Attainment is frequently less useful.
As an Instant Action, the Elder can sense the part that a Spirit within sensory range plays within the Shadow, or how a non-ephemeral subject has bound themselves to the Shadow. This grants the following information: the Spirit’s choir (if it has one), its current intention, whether it has been bound to any mystically enforced contract/agreement/compact/etc, as well as a number of connections it has to material phenomena equal to the amount the Mage’s dots in the Fate Arcanum exceeds its Rank. This last category will first list the strongest, and most ancient Sympathetic Connections the spirit has, which will usually include what it was formed from, if it is a familiar, a totem, whether it has been bound into service, and other such momentous influences on the Spirit’s existence.
For non-ephemerals, this information is far less extensive, their nature is not so clearly written into their very existence. Instead, the Elder will merely understand their intentions, magical oaths, and several sympathetic connections, limited by Composure instead of Rank.
Interconnections. The spell is structured as an extended Unveiling spell, which is kinda stupid. If done as a ‘ritual’ it will only last a short period as it’s Potency-Primary. So instead, I made it so that you have to re- activate it for each individual Spirit/Person. Which makes more sense, as you can even only find out information about one Spirit per turn. So it’s Instant Casting, and Sensory Range. That’s one Reach in excess, but secondary factors are irrelevant
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 1
Tying their Fate to the Shadow, Elders can never close their eyes to its presence. This Attainment grants the
Elder a persistent version of the Exorcist’s Eye spell, granting them the ability to perceive Spirits in Twilight,
those slumbering within objects, as well as those possessing individuals. They can also sense spirit-related
Manifestation Conditions, as well Reach conduits across the Gauntlet.
Exorcist’s Eye. Important part of the 1e version. Persistent, useful. Just uh, a problem if some Spirit’s screaming at you in the middle of some social situation. You know what you signed up for, when you made the Oath of Synthesis.
Second Attainment: The Ward of Conciliation
Pre-Requisite: Fate 2
The Elders of the Keepers of the Covenant do not merely exercise their own skills to bridge the physical and
the Shadow, they are signatories to ancient pacts pre-dating civilization and (some argue) the Fallen World.
Acting an intermediary in such a manner grants the Elder a certain degree of social grace and goodwill.
As such, in any social interaction where the Elder seek to maintain their persona as an intermediary, they will decrease a number of negative penalties equal to their dots in the Fate Arcanum by the same amount. Furthermore, if the Elder has sufficient time to consider his actions to any degree while in such a social situation, they may invest themselves more fully in the scene to substitute the penalty reduction for a positive dice pool modifier to equivalent rolls. This does however require the Elder to forgo their Defense, as they lower their guard. As such, this is rarely done without reaching a certain degree of initial trust.
Quantum Flux, Reach into ‘Instant Casting’, Advanced Duration, and changing the Primary Factor to Potency. One Reach in excess, however this only functions with regards to social actions, and only lasts for the scene.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 2
While the Keepers tie themselves to ancient compacts which go to the very heart of the Shadow, it is not in
the nature of every Spirit to be willing to accept restrictions, and the opinions and interests of others. As
such, these pacts include protection for their signatories against the mystic actions of aggressive Spirits.
Should a Spirit or any other entity drawing upon the power of the Shadow seek to take offensive mystic
action towards the Mage, including the use of Numina, Influences, Supernal Spirit Magic, Hedge ‘Spirit’
Magic, as well as the powers of Werewolves or the Purified, they must first succeed on a Clash of Wills
against the Mage.
For such purposes, the Mage is counted as having duration on the Attainment equal to his dots in the Spirit Arcanum on the Advanced Duration table. It is important to note that this does not cover the physical offensive use of powers, including attacking with conjured weaponry, biting with Spiritually-potent teeth, however it will prevent the use of directly offensive Numina, such as ‘Blast’.
Ephemeral Shield, Reach into Advanced Duration. It can be difficult for Spirits to use their powers on such a Mage, this is intentional. The contracts binds them much stronger than others drawing upon their powers, as they are formed OF the very power source that is being restricted. E.g. Spirits roll their Rank in a Clash, unless they’re using an Influence, in which case it’s Rank + Influence. So yeah, don’t expect a Rank 2 Spirit to be able to do much other than try and punch an Elder.
Third Attainment: Emissary of the Pact
Pre-Requisite: Fate 3
Keepers of the Covenant seek to bind Spirits and peoples into compacts in order to resolve disputes, working
as intermediaries to ensure the flesh and shadow exist in balance. As such, more advanced Elders learn how
to create the binding agreements through which this situation is maintained.
In a scene-long ritual of practing and agreement, the Keeper may bind one representative of flesh and one representative of Shadow into a mystically enforced agreement. Both parties swear certain obligations to the other, to be maintained for a set duration, the maximum period of which is determined by the Keeper’s dots in the Fate Arcanum on the Advanced Duration table, capped at a year (bar Archmastery). So long as these obligations are maintained, a party not in breach will maintain a boon. This takes the form of a persistent positive modifier of +2 to a specific skill, or a 2-dot mundane merit such a Resources, as Fate rewards them for their adherence to their word (this rises to +3 at Fate 4).
Should any supernatural force seek to compel either party into a contravention of such an agreement, such a power will clash with this Attainment, in which case the Elder gain a bonus to the roll equivalent to the duration of the Attainment. Should any party breach their obligations, either willingly or through coercion, their benefit will immediately turn into a cost. This will usually be a symbolic ‘inversion’ of what their benefit was in relation to. Allies will turn into enemies, fortune will turn into crippling debt, social grace will turn into awkwardness.
Spirits generally do not derive as much benefit from these pacts, initially, and generally rely more on the obligations of mortal signatories to ensure their needs are met, such as through keeping the park they draw essence from clean, ensuring the car they are fettered to is kept in good working order, or ensuring another virgin is drowned in their river every month to maintain spiritual purity.
Sworn Oaths. Reach into Advanced Duration, ‘free’ swearing of multiple parties. Benefits changed from the initial ‘Boon’ system, because that’s awful for providing benefits, but fantastic for imposing costs. This way it’s a little more beneficial.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 3
While Spirits are largely not benefitted by the intricacies of Fate, being less reliant upon the actions of
others, an Elder with sufficient advancement in the Spirit Arcanum learns how to imbue reliance upon such a
Pact with spiritual power. As such, instead of gaining another benefit through their adherence to a Pact, a
Spiritual subject (including any other individual who can derive benefits from Essence, such as Werewolves
and the Purified) will generate an amount of Essence each day equal to the equivalent strength of the boon
(+2, +3 at Fate 4). This Essence has a Resonance which is precisely within the purview of the Spirit, but eeeeeeever so slightly flavored towards order and stability. To better ensure they will continue their
obligations.
Fate 3, kind of weird. Atypical. But balanced.
Fourth Attainment: Eidolon of Union
Pre-Requisite: Fate 4, Spirit 4
Advanced Elders, highly proficient in the Arcana of the Spirit, and Destiny, learn how to tie their very
existence closer to the Shadow, acting themselves as a bridge across the Gauntlet. For every dot by which
the Elder’s Spirit Arcanum exceeds the Gauntlet Strength, that strength is decreased solely for the Elder, by
an amount equal to that difference. Thus, a Spirit 4 Elder in the Wilderness (Gauntlet Strength 2), will be
treated as if he was standing in a Verge. Meanwhile a Spirit 5 Elder in a city suburb (Strength 4) would treat
the Gauntlet as Strength 3. Should this or any other power result in the Gauntlet strength decreasing to 0,
the Elder may step across the Gauntlet as a reflexive action, or exist within both the physical and Shadow
simultaneously (so long as they do not enter a Place that Isn’t). This effect is not possible to use against the
Elder’s interest, such as by using the Reaching Manifestation to use an adverse Influence, Numina or
Manifestation against them.
In addition to this stronger connection to the Shadow, the Elder learns how to innately draw upon the ancient pacts which bind the Shadow in order to cause grand, but subtle alterations to the functioning of the Shadow. As such if they so desire, once per day the Elder will be drawn ever closer to achieving a specific Shadow-related goal. This may include being put into contact with a highly manageable Spirit from a specific Chorus, finding the Bane or a clue as to the Bane of a specific Spirit, or so forth. If this event wouldn’t require any effort on the part of the Elder, it will happen as soon as circumstances allow, however if effort is required then opportunities will present themselves. If it is plainly impossible, then after a day, the Elder will be made aware of that due to his complete lack of progress.
Combination of Strings of Fate and Place of Power. Strings of Fate is Advanced Duration, and “day” effect, in exchange for only being able to affect Shadow-related phenomena/events. Place of Power is Reach into Advanced Duration, and selective Gauntlet manipulation.
Fifth Attainment: Elder’s Judgement
Pre-Requisite: Fate 5
There are many in the world who refuse to accept even the most reasonable, and well presented offer of
mediation. These individual are subjects of extreme displease for Elders, and tales persist of the awful fate
which befalls any who reject a Master of this Legacy.
As an Instant Action, and by spending a point of Mana, the Elder may force a powerful curse on another who has displeased them. Doing this requires the Elder to verbally communicate to the subject the circumstances under which this curse will be lifted, and will only function on individuals or Spirits whose Resolve/Rank is exceeded by the Mage’s dots in the Fate Arcanum. One of the subject’s Aspirations (usually their long-term Aspiration) is replaced by achieving whatever the Mage has charged them with (in the case of Spirits without Aspirations, they are temporarily granted an Aspiration, and may accumulate Beats, do what you will with that). If the subject does not pursue this goal in a meaningful way within 24 hours, a Hex, with Potency equal to the amount by which the Mage’s Fate dots exceed their Rank/Resolve. If used inversely, as a Ban, the individual does not change their Aspiration and suffers an equivalent Hex when attempting to pursue the forbidden action. This Curse is indefinite in duration, unless the imposed task is achieved, or the subject sufficiently repents.
Basically Divine Intervention. Do what they tell you, or you’re fucked.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 5
As the Elder imposes their judgement, they may also call upon the power of the Shadow to enforce this pact.
If used on individual, all Spirits who perceive them will be automatically hostile and will at least attempt to
inconvenience them. If they do so, they gain a Boon with a Potency equal to the amount by which the
Mage’s dots in the Spirit Arcanum exceeds the subject’s Composure. Furthermore, in any actions the subject
attempts to take with the Shadow, they have a Hex imposed on them with a Potency of an equivalent
strength.
If used on a Spirit, the Spirit immediately loses all benefits of their chorus as they are temporarily split from their kin, and all actions they attempt to take which are not directly related to repenting suffer a Hex with Potency equal to the amount by which the Mage’s dots in the Spirit Arcanum exceeds their Rank. Due to the difficulty this will impose on the Spirit’s existence, especially including feeding and protecting themselves while not pursuing this goal, Spirits are usually pretty fast to repent.
Pariah, Spirit-version. Spirits don’t fuck with Masters of the Keepers of the Covenant, when they offer you a way out. And those who deal with the Spirit, and refuse to acknowledge your authority, beware. Carrot’s been offered. Time for the fucking stick.