See Legacies – The Sublime for all the fluff.
Doctrine
Parent Path: Mastigos, Silver Ladder or Seers of the Throne
Prerequisites: Mind 2, Empathy 2 and 2 dots between Academics, Occult and Subterfuge
Initiation: Travel to one’s own Oneiros, and display your dominance over your Vice.
Magic:
Ruling: Mind
Yantras: Succeed on an Empathy roll relevant to the spell (+2), recite the Keys of Solomon (+1), convince your subject of your “sovereignty” (+2), master your own mind (+1, +2 if this removes a positive Condition).
Oblations: Perform the Rite of Castigation, meditate upon past moments of weakness, engage in psychological therapy, scribe the Key of Solomon into a durable medium.
Attainments:
First Attainment Mental Insight
Pre-Requisite: Initiation
The Key-Bearers have a keen understanding of their own Demons, and with a touch can recognize the Demons that exist within others, both similar and divergent to their own as well. As an Instant Action, the mage can touch a subject and determine their Vice, and their dots in Mental and Social Attributes.
This Attainment emulates Know Nature, however I have decided that it should not include the subject’s Virtue as such a thing is out of keeping with the Key-Bearer’s philosophy, and interest in Demons.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 1
Key-Bearers who understand the nature of Demons are often well versed in the influence Spirits can have
upon the world. As an Instant Action, the mage can detect the presence of Spirits, both manifested and in
twilight and including those which have claimed or possessed an individual. If a Spirit is attempting to hide
itself from this detection, this will provoke a Clash of Wills.
This Attainment emulates Exorcist’s Eye, with the removal of the Reaching Manifestation option, and that isn’t really the Key-Bearer’s entire deal.
Second Attainment: Goetic Projection
Pre-Requisite: Mind 2, Empathy 3 or Expression 2
Key-Bearers are well known practitioners of Goetia, but they are also capable of controlling their Demons,
and projecting their whispers into the minds of others. By talking with an individual for a scene, the mage
can attempt to project his Demon into their mind, influencing their emotional state with the mage’s Vice. If
the mage’s Mind dots exceed the target’s Composure, then the Mage may open or close Doors equal to the
difference with regards to either the mage or any other individual as is appropriate. Key-Bearers frequently
use this attainment to manipulate the weak minded into serving their own needs.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 2
An individual in the throes of emotion is a swirling pool of potential, his Demons writhing around within him
and attempting to push their way to the surface of his mind. As an Instant Action, the Key-Bearer may
attempt to force an individual’s most prominent Demon into activity, forcing the subject into immediate
action in accordance with his current emotional state. This Attainment functions on any individual within
Sensory Range, however the subject’s Composure (and the Rank of the potential Spirit that the Mage is
attempting to Compel) must be exceeded by the mage’s dots in Spirit.
Third Attainment: Goetic Bulwark
Pre-Requisite: Mind 3, Empathy 3, Expression 3
The Key-Bearer’s control over his Demon has increased to such a level that he may establish a Bulwark in his
mind, from where he might find a position of advantage that he can defend against his weaknesses and
flaws. This Bulwark takes a scene’s worth of meditation and focus to establish, and lasts for a period equal to
the mage’s dots in Mind on the Prolonged Duration table. Whenever the mage’s mind is influenced by
mystical factors from beyond her control, be they the actions of another mage, Goetia, or creatures from
stranger shores, this influence provokes a Clash of Wills. In most cases this will be a simple matter, however
where the influence comes from the mage’s own mind, such in the manner of his Vice, or a persistent
Mental Condition, the ST and player should come to an agreement about the strength of the Goetia which
represents this influence. Should the Mage triumph in their Clash of Wills against such an entity, they receive
the benefits of having fulfilled that Vice, or gain a Beat from that condition. However should the Mage fail,
their struggle compels them to act out that Vice, or act in the manner consistent with that Condition’s beat,
however they immediately lose a Willpower point (rendering the Vice gain pointless, and suffering a penalty
for the Condition’s Beat).
This is basically a combination of Mental Shield, and the 1e spell Goetic Struggle. The former aspect is very simple to understand, however it is the latter which should be explained. When this Bulwark is established, the Mage gains an additional way to fulfil their Vice and contribute to Mental Condition, by succeeding in a Clash of wills against their Mental Demons. The ST should hopefully design mental Demons for the mage to continually deal with, not an overly effort-intensive thing to do, given that this will likely merely involve their Vice and perhaps a persistent Condition or so.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 3
With such mastery over their own mind, the Key-Bearer may turn their attention to the Demons which
plague the physical world, and demand service from them. With an Instant Action, the mage may attempt to
touch and compel obedience from a Spirit he can perceive. If the Mage’s dots in Spirit exceed the Spirit’s
Rank, then the Spirit must perform services for the Mage equal to the discrepancy within the next day (rising
to the next Week at Spirit 4). Any action compelled of the Spirit which would go against its self-interest (such
as abandoning a Host or Fetter, or assailing a much more powerful Spirit) will provoke a Clash of Wills.
This is Command Spirit, with reach in Instant Casting and Prolonged Duration. Pretty funny how you can just up and command a Spirit to serve you with a touch.
Fourth Attainment: The Binding Seal
Pre-Requisite: Mind 4, Spirit 4, Empathy 4, Expression 4
The Key-Bearer has at this stage reached such a level of power over his Demons that he may excise them
from himself and bind them in physical form. Drawing upon the power of the Keys in a Place of Power, the
mage may summon forth a Demon from his Oneiros and bind it in the form of a Fetish, removing its control
over him and bestowing upon him a measure of its power.
This Attainment takes a scene of ritual activity and a point of Mana to activate, excising a Goetia from the Mage’s own mind, and entrapping it within a fetish. Bar Archmastery, this Attainment only functions upon the lesser Demons of the Mage’s mind, those of Rank 1-2. The fetish that is formed will contain either 1 or 2 dots (for Rank 2 and 1 respectively) of either the Goetia’s Influences, or their Numina, and will last for a Month (rising to a year when the mage’s Mind or Spirit reaches 5). If the Goetia is summoned using a Place of Power that requires Mana to activate, only a single point is required.
The Fetish must still be powered by Essence however, however given the Key-Bearer’s proficiency in both matters of both Mind and Spirit, harvesting this Essence should be no great task.
Craft Fetish requiring Conjunctive Mind 4 for it to function on Goetia. Fairly simple, Potency 3, Duration Primary.
Fifth Attainment: The Devil’s Chain
Pre-Requisite: Mind 5, Empathy 5, Expression 5
The ultimate power of the Key-Bearer is not to struggle with his own Demons and bend them to his will, but
to forge new ones whose very nature of subservient to their true master. With a scene’s worth of ritualistic
actions, the Key-Bearer may forge a new key for himself, creating a new Rank 1 Goetia, which immediately
takes existence in Twilight. These Demons are immediately subservient to their creator, and will serve him
loyally. These Goetia exist for a single year, unless the mage preforms the ritual again to maintain their
existence.
Psychic Genesis, awesome. Reach for Advanced Duration.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 5
True Mastery takes its form as a chain, one forged not of metal but of thoughts and true will. As an Instant
Action, the Key-Bearer may bind a Spirit, or Goetia he is touching to the Fallen World, granting Manifestation
Conditions equal to 3 minus its Rank. Many Key-Bearers use this to grant their newly created Demons
physical manifestation that they might better serve them.
Bind Spirit, with Reach for Instant Casting, and Advanced Duration.