See Legacies – The Ancient for all the fluff.
Doctrine
Parent Path: Mastigos, Mysterium or Seers of the Throne
Prerequisites: Fate 2, 2 dots in Investigation and 2 dots amongst Academics, Occult and Streetwise
Initiation: Utilize an incredible obscure and seemingly meaningless “clue” provided to you by your Mentor to uncover an important Secret or Mystery.
Magic:
Ruling: Fate
Yantras: Succeed on an Investigation test relevant to the spell (+2), spend significant Time scrutinizing the subject’s connection to the infinite web of Fate (+2), seek the Answer to a Question you do not fully understand (+1), immerse yourself without a reference point in the tangle of fate (+1, +2 if this causes a negative Condition).
Oblations: Solving a puzzle without the use of Magic, translating written work, transcribing a speech, facilitating communications.
Attainments:
First Attainment: Hidden Meaning
Pre-Requisite: Initiation
The blessing of the Sphinx permits a Mage to find and decipher wisdom hidden in the mundane, as well as to craft such enigmas themselves. With an Instant Action, the gage can study any pattern, such as cracks in the ceiling, or the flight of a flock of birds for a hidden meaning, or study objects and individuals within visual range for any connections between them, or the mark of Fate upon them. The mage can take no other actions while studying the world in this way, and can ultimately detect all connections between all things they can see, no matter how distant and remote.
Pathfinders themselves more frequently use this Attainment to hide meaning within patterns which to Sleepers and even other Mages seem entirely random. Through use of this attainment and a Manipulation + Investigation test, the Pathfinder may lay a hidden message between some mark he makes upon the world, be it a graffiti tag upon a wall, an artistic sketch, a deliberately made coffee stain on a napkin, or any other mark that could conceivably to an Awakened will hold a secret meaning. To crack this code, a Pathfinder must succeed on an extended Intelligence + Investigation test, requiring a number of successes equal to 5 times the number obtained establishing the message, and with an interval of one hour.
This emulates a modified version of Interconnections with Reach allocated to Instant Casting. The ability to discern connections between individuals should likely only work if the spell lasts long enough to gaze at both of them, but that’s retarded. It’s also possibly not the best for Code-breaking or Code-making, but it’s the only Unveiling spell in Fate, so it gets the job.
Optional Arcanum: Mind 1
With an Instant Action the Pathfinder may open the vault of their memory, and instantly recall in perfect
detail any specific piece of information, including all manner of sensory input that they have experienced in their life. Combined with the capacity to search this vault with the Hidden Meaning spell and a Pathfinder
can discover ancient Conspiracies and frightening truths across months, years, or even decades of time.
This emulates Perfect Recall, a crazy powerful little slugger of a 1-dot spell, which gets even more batshit insane when you can scrutinize the stain on your kindergarten teacher’s dress, and the mailman who came to your house the day before, and realize that it’s his blood.
Second Attainment: A Conclusion without a Question
Pre-Requisite: Fate 2
A Sphinx who progress deeper into the mysteries of their Legacy find that they gain an instinctive knowledge
of the best way to progress to an answer without truly understanding the steps. After a scene’s worth of
pondering over accumulated information, Pathfinder may gain a brief glimpse of the next course of action
which will make substantive progress towards a stated goal. As the mage pursues this goal, they may
through discerning hidden patterns in meaning, substitute one Skill of the same type for any other skill a
number of times equal to their Fate dots as they instinctive discern the best path to progress towards their
goal.
This emulates Serendipity, with Reach allocated to Advanced Duration and the +1-skill substitution option. Pretty simple
Optional Arcanum: Mind 2
Arriving at the destination not know how one got there can be a complex conundrum even for mages who
specialize in one, so it’s always best to make a good first impression. Having spent at least a scene following
their instinctive answer to their destination, the Pathfinder can read the subtle messages hidden in the body
language and facial expressions of the individuals that Fate leads them to. You may increase the first
impression of the individual you meet by an amount equal to your dots in Mind, minus their Composure.
Emulation of First Impressions, where you basically try and get people to go along with your crackpot understanding devoid of any actual facts. Reach allocated to swapping Primary Factor to Potency (so it actually does something), and Advanced Duration, so he won’t realize how crazy you are after a few seconds.
Third Attainment: Truth without Knowledge
Pre-Requisite: Fate 3
Studying the infinite web of hidden meaning, the Sphinx is capable of drawing inspiration and insights from
their surroundings, allowing them to act in synchronicity and harmony with the ultimate meaning they seek.
As an Instant Action, the Pathfinder can grant themselves a Boon with a Potency equal to their dots in Fate.
Very simple use of Exceptional Luck in a manner which means that it isn’t quite as bullshit as it can be, Reach allocated to Instant Casting and Advanced Duration
Optional Arcanum: Mind 3
Concentrating on patterns of meaning in writing, symbols, body language, hand symbols or any other
codified medium of communication, a Sphinx may comprehend anything she reads, sees or hears. This is
different to Hidden Meaning in that this discerns truth from non-random, potentially comprehensible
patterns of codified communication. It is not possible to read information accessible with Hidden Meaning
with this attainment, and vice versa. Activating this Attainment requires an Instant Action, and it remains
active until the Mage ceases to concentrate on the communique.
Emulates Universal Language. Bit hard to explain, but this attainment is to language what Hidden Meaning is to a bloody headbutt on a wall. Once again, I’m stretching the Reach rules, but honestly, it’s getting boring having to explain that you can keep using an Attainment over and over. Instead it’s just better to let it last until they stop concentrating.
Fourth Attainment: Off the Path
Pre-Requisite: Fate 4
The Sphinx’s understanding of paths of meaning has provided her with the ultimate freedom, the ability to
set aside what should be, and simply step off for a while. After a scene’s worth of meditation, the Sphinx
glimpses the threads of Fate which attempt to bind her, and shrugging them off seeks to divorce herself
temporarily of Fate’s grasp. During this time, the Mage cannot cast any spell which manipulates her own
fate, including use of the Truth Without Knowledge Attainment however she becomes impossible to affect in
any way shape or form with Fate magic, be it Supernal, terrestrial, or from stranger shores. In addition, she
gains an Occultation of 3 if she did not already have that merit. This Attainment lasts a maximum of one
Month, however with Mastery of Fate, it can extend to a year’s duration.
This spell doesn’t really fit within any existing Fate practice that I know of; however it’s basically turbo- shielding. Ultimately, it would be a bit of a cop-out to give it a Clash of Wills against Fate manipulation, given that Fate 4’s Arcanum Attainment basically already does that, so basically I just decided fuck it, you’re cutting yourself off from being able to use Fate Magic, which is your major mojo, so fuck it, you get flat up immunity. Enjoy.
Optional Arcanum: Mind 4
Having already learnt how to read people’s mood and reactions, progressing to her current level of
proficiency the Mage can dig deep into even the subtlest tics and clues in a person’s appearance to gain a
profound and deeply insightful gaze into the kind of person they are. All but the most self-controlled
individuals with a will of iron are puzzles easily solved by such a Sphinx. With an Instant Action, the Sphinx
may read information from the subject’s subconscious for if she maintains focus and visual contact with
them, this Attainment only functions on an individual however if the Mage’s Mind exceeds the subject’s
Resolve.
Emulates Read the Depths with Reach allocated to Sensory Range and Instant Casting.
Fifth Attainment: Complete Knowledge
Pre-Requisite: Fate 5
The Sphinx at this stage is winding the strands of Fate tightly around herself or another subject, encouraging
them to seek out the path to a specified goal through an instinctive understanding of the Wisdom hidden
throughout the world. By spending a scene in meditation with the subject, carefully weaving the strands of
Fate about them, they can ensure that the best chance possible for that event occurring is achieved. If the
act is simple, then it will happen as soon as is reasonably possible, if it requires the subject’s participation or
requires a chance in circumstances, an option will be provided to do so once per day. This Attainment cannot
do the impossible however, no matter how hard the Mage may try.
Simple use of Strings of Fate, with Reach for Advanced Duration, and once per day option.
Optional Arcanum: Mind 5
As the Mage weaves her web of possibility, she may also create or smooth herself into the weave of other
social networks, gaining dots equal to her Mind dots to spend amongst Allies, Contacts or Status, these last
for a Week before the Mage must re-tie the weave, or lose their newfound resources.
Simple use of the Social Networking spell, Reach for Advanced Duration