See Legacies – The Sublime for all the fluff.
Doctrine
Parent Path: Acanthus, Seers of the Throne
Prerequisites: Time 2, Streetwise 2, and 2 dots amongst Athletics, Survival, and Socialize
Initiation: Walk the city until they can perceive the city’s Knot.
Magic:
Ruling: Time
Yantras: Succeeding on a Streetwise roll relevant to the spell (+2), encountering the subject while walking an attuned city (+1), seeking out the subject of the spell within an attuned city (+2), following Ariadne’s thread with the subject (+1, +2 if this creates and adverse Condition).
Oblations: Walk the City in search of something new, explore subway tunnels, watch the sunrise/sunset from a high vantage point, visit city tourist attractions, attending an exclusive “listed” party, participating in a homeless support group, sleeping in a public location.
Attainments:
First Attainment: Attunement
Pre-Requisite: Initiation
After a scene’s worth of meditation and attunement, the Metropolitan may attune themselves to a city, rendering themselves capable of perceiving Ariadne’s Thread. In doing so, they manipulate the subtle timing of events smoothing their ability to operate in the city. Elevators and taxis always arrive as they need them, they will rarely (if ever) see a red light, and arrive just in time for meetings.
Optional Arcanum: Fate 1
Through their attunement, Ariadne’s thread attempts to ensure the Metropolitan’s life is smoothed of minor
inconveniences. Each day, so long as the Mage continues their walks, the mage encounters several instances
of minor good fortune equal to their Fate dots.
Second Attainment: Historic Meditation
Pre-Requisite: Time 2
Walking through the city following Ariadne’s thread, the mage may spend a scene travelling to get a feel of
the city’s history. This Attainment emulates the Postcognition spell providing information about events
which have previously unfolded within the city’s boundaries in the form of visions. Potency is equal to dots
in Time, and is Withstood by the temporal sympathy of the events that you seek knowledge of.
Optional Arcanum: Fate 2
As the Mage walks Ariadne’s thread, Fate wards them against hazards caused by a lack of information. In any unfamiliar social situations the Metropolitan finds themselves in, increase their impression level by one, and
where they have not had sufficient time to plan for a situation, the Mage does not suffer untrained penalties
to skill rolls.
Third Attainment: Discovery Meditation
Pre-Requisite: Time 3
Focusing their mind upon something they seek, the Mage can call upon Ariadne’s thread to lead them to
where what they seek is. This attainment only functions so long as what they seek is still within the city, and
has not entered the Shadow, the Underworld or various other dimensions, however it will function should it
have merely entered Twilight. The path Ariadne’s Thread takes will not be the shortest, most direct, or even
the safest route, nor will it ensure you are capable of bypassing obstacles on your path, however if you can
follow it, it will lead you to what you desire.
Optional Arcanum: Fate 3
Walking the path dictated by Ariadne’s Thread, when the Mage encounters an obstacle to their path, their
understanding of Fate enhances a tool on their person which could conceivably resolve this issue into a tool
of destiny, increasing its equipment bonus by their dots in Fate for the purpose of resolving that obstacle.
Fourth Attainment: Geomantic Meditation
Pre-Requisite: Time 4
Fixing a question in her mind, and starting to walk the streets of her city, the Metropolitan can seek out an
answer written in the city itself, if one exists. By following Ariadne’s thread for a scene, the mage can ask
specific questions about things that may come to pass, depending on choices or outside chance, asking one
question per dot in Time. Answers come in the form of symbols reflected in the city itself, which while
perhaps devoid of meaning to the Mage’s companions, make perfect sense to the Metropolitan. It is possible
however that the city itself might not know the answer to some lofty questions of Gods, alternate realities,
realms of the Fae and the like, and in such situation the thread may simply lead the Mage in circles, or
nowhere at all.
Optional Arcanum: Space 4
The Metropolitan can also draw upon the sympathetic links of the city to draw her to a location best suited
for a purpose related to a question asked in her meditative walk. Such as areas with specific resonance,
defensible locations for sanctums, or sealed off tunnels unknown to any other living person.
Fifth Attainment: Temporal Meditation
Pre-Requisite: Time 5
Following Ariadne’s thread with no goal in mind, the Mage is capable of drawing upon the thread to grant
them the time they so desperately need. By spending a scene walking the city, the Mage seems to become
entwined with Ariadne’s thread, and the world around them slows until it stops, entering a pocket of time
where they may reside until they decide to stop it. While in this state, the Metropolitan ages normally, and
personal Conditions are maintained, however they can move freely, examine the world, take mental actions,
heal, touch things, and even cast spells with herself as the subject. Any attempt to affect any other thing
immediately ends the spell once the action has been completed. A Metropolitan can stay in this state of
existence for up to a year, if they so desire, however they would need to bring sufficient supplies with them,
or be knowledgeable in other Arcana sufficient to survive, and not go mad from the isolation.
Optional Arcanum: Fate 5
Walking the path of Ariadne’s thread, the Metropolitan can pull upon it to ensure that what they desire comes to pass. After a scene’s worth of walking the city following Ariadne’s thread, for the next week the
Mage gains “Intercessions” equal to their dots in Fate. They may spend a single Intercession reflexively to:
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- Increase the number of successes on a roll by one after the dice are rolled
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- Decrease the number of successes on a roll by one after the dice are rolled, if this decreases it to less
than zero dice, a dramatic failure results
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- Cause a reasonably likely event to happen immediately and conveniently for the mage, such as an
individual suffering a heart attack, a card hitting a pedestrian on the sidewalk, or a tourist invasively asking a pursuer for directions.