Sorcery is said to put one at odds with the Divine, for the simple reason that forcing one's will upon the Universe is the surest route to getting the Universe to push back. This is, unfortunately, one of the quickest routes to damnation, and it is exceedingly hard for sorcerers to resist the many temptations of their art. The Sorcery Attunement, by whatever means acquired, quickens the Sorcerer's Will into a living, tangible instrument which cries out to be used (hence the popularity of Will-wars among Summoners, and even among sorcerers themselves). The very few white sorcerers, such as the Ignes (see Superiors 3), have occasionally sought a path to power which offers less in the way of temptation and a more divine outlook on the whole art. Darker Sorcerers, who are well aware of their looming Eternity, sometimes do the same thing. Boy, are they pissed when they find it. The problem, you see, lies in two simple words in that sentence: "to power." If you're looking for power, you're looking for a way to impose your Will on the Universe, which is going to lead you right back to Sorcery. Instead, if you really want to go the other way, you have to abandon the search for power and seek subordination. Sorcery hones a Sorcerer's Will through their initiation ritual; but to subordinate oneself one must accept what is, and the first step to that is knowing what is -- so one must instead hone Perception. Two general groups figured out how to do this. One, in the West, called their studies "the Mysteries"; it called the studies of the other school of thought, from the Orient, "Mysticism." The English words blended over time and the art is now called Mystique. Its practitioners are, naturally, Mystics. Hell is not (likely) aware of the existence of the Mystics yet. First, Mystique is a relatively new art, and few of its founders have died yet. Second, practicing Mystique tends to make one humble and giving; one would expect that the resulting person would be more likely bound for Heaven, and if any found himself in Hell he would most likely keep his head down. Finally, even in their corporeal operations, Mystics tend to try to keep it quiet. Heaven, on the other hand, has very quietly learned about the Mystics from a bodhisattva or two and has promptly classified the information. (They'll probably get found out eventually, but until then, a secret resource is always good.) Investigations are being undertaken to determine whether these practitioners should be recruited, studied, or left alone to their likely Destiny -- which way the investigators lean, and which is eventually chosen, will of course depend on your campaign. ----- Mystique Mechanics To become a Mystic, one must be a human (or close enough) with at least 6 Forces (one in each Realm) and a Perception of at least 6. The initiation ritual endows the human with a Mystique Attunement which permits the use of States, which in turn are based on the Mystique skills. (Even a non-Mystic can learn the Mystique skills, though they are of little use.) A Sorcerer can never become a Mystic, and vice versa; nor can Undead, who are too wrapped up in their own bodies to fully perceive the Symphony. (A Mystic *can* become an Undead, but loses his Mystique Attunement -- not that any would know this, as none have yet tried.) A Saint could become a Mystic(and vice versa), but would rarely need to. Gorgons and Nephallim, if they were accepted by the founders, might be able to learn. Theoretically, they can. Children of the Grigori certainly can -- several were in the founding groups. However, if any of those "enhanced" humans dedicate themselves sufficiently to gain the Mystique Attunement, they will find (possibly to their deep chagrin) that Mystique interferes with Song use! By "quieting" one's presence in the Symphony to become a Mystic (no beepers or cellphones at the concert, please, thank you to our loyal patrons) one foregoes the ability to alter the Symphony by such a focused effort of will. The same applies to any attunements or Distinctions a Superior might wish to grant; the Mystic can use any parts that allow perception of some fact, but not anything that alters the Universe. In particular, Mystics cannot participate in Will-wars. (Should a Mystic desire to become a straightforward Soldier, this is possible, but if he wishes to use Songs or active attunements, he must be stripped of his Mystique Attunement. Any Superior can do this.) A Mystic is Symphonically Aware and has Essence Control. They can be granted Rites, which work normally. They also have a curious advantage which investigative Superiors may have found out: a Mystic can receive any unrestricted attunement which involves perceiving some Symphonic characteristic. This *includes* unrestricted Choir or Band Attunements! The Mystic is perceiving the Symphony from a uniquely human point of view, "from the inside" as it were; his senses are sufficiently keen to distinguish this input as long as the attunement does not strictly require that a being be focused on some concept like Truth or Obsession. For example, Marc could provide a Mystic with his Elohite Attunement without needing to implant an angelic Force; he could not, however, give the Mystic his Divine Contract Attunement or his Mercurian Attunement. He could, however, provide any of his Rites or Distinctions(though the Vassal Distinction's clause relating to the Divine Contract would never be active, and the skill bonus of his Master Distinction would express itself as sharp perception rather than some force of personality). The primary use of Mystique is to activate abilities which are given various names by the founding groups: some consider them States (of consciousness), Levels (of awareness), or even Rituals (after their Sorcerous counterparts). The traditional method of activating a State is meditation, occasionally varied by chanting, incense, and repetitive actions. The game mechanics are exactly those of Sorcery, though the base skills and actual workings are different. The sole exception is Interventions; a Mystic is favorably affected by Divine Interventions in the course of his work, and unfavorably affected by Infernal Interventions, unless he is particularly selfish about his art. There are five basic Mystique skills, which are used as prerequisites for the States. These are: Listening(Perception): The skill of catching the fine points of the Symphony through the senses. Sifting(Intelligence): The skill of separating information into categories of interest(such as truth and falsehood). Stillness(Precision): The art of reducing one's own contribution to the Symphonic "noise" -- presumably, the better to hear. Rapport(Perception): The wondrous, sometimes exciting, sometimes dangerous art of *really* seeing through someone else's eyes. Cognizance(Perception): States based on this skill establish *new* senses through which the Mystic can receive information. Here are some sample Mystique States -- GMs and PCs who wish to use the art are encouraged to make up their own, remembering the restriction that Mystique *senses* the world, not *affects* it. LISTENING STATES Sensory Enhancement(Listening/1) There are, of course, five of these States, once for each of the five physical senses(though Taste is rarely used, except by experimenters and truly dedicated gourmands); each is a separate State. On a success, the Mystic's Perception (in the sense granted by the State) increases by the CD; she gains a sense of things she could not perceive before, via sharper vision, softer hearing, etc. A Perception boosted past 12 might allow one to hear air currents or see cellular complexes. The effect lasts for hours equal to the Essence spent. Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Mental Sense Enhancement(Listening/2) There are lesser-known senses which can also be enhanced, with finer skill: our sense of time, for example, or of balance. Someone with an enhanced sense of time could, for example, estimate time (over hours) to the second, wake up at a determined moment, or fix a rhythm perfectly. Someone with an enhanced sense of balance could walk a tightrope casually. Other effects are possible; senses include proprioception(where your body parts are), temperature, internal health, acceleration, etc. As above, each sense enhancement is a separate State lasting for hours equal to the Essence the Mystic chooses to spend; the check digit determines the degree of enhancement. Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Awareness Expansion(Listening/3) The Mystic's Perception increases by the CD for Symphonic purposes such as sensing disturbance, using perceptive attunements, or noticing artifacts. Physical senses remain unadjusted. The State lasts four hours equal to the Essence spent. Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Remote Viewing(Listening/4) The Mystic can send his sight and/or hearing from his body to a known location on the Corporeal plane (the Mystic must have been there before, or know its location relative to himself very well). No effect is noticeable at the other end, though the State is blocked by Celestial Shields as normal. The effect lasts for CDxEssence minutes, during which the senses the Mystic is using remotely will be inoperational back at his own body. The remote senses are only physical; hearing will not pick up disturbance, for example, and artifacts will not be identified by sight. The point of view can be relocated with a thought. (Other physical senses might be cast, but the rituals are not researched yet.) Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Dream Viewing(Listening/5) The Mystic can send his senses to the Marches without falling asleep. Domains with restricted entry, or dreamscapes Bounded in a Nutshell, cannot be entered. Again, as the Mystic remains at his own body and merely perceives what is occurring elsewhere(in this case, on another plane of existence), there is nothing for denizens of the Marches to see at the sense point. However, if the Mystic attempts to move his point of view into either Tower or the Volcano, that Tether's Seneschal (and its Mistress) will know! The effect lasts for CDxEssence minutes, and the point of view can move quite swiftly in the Marches so long as the Mystic does not think something is holding him back. Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Self-Knowledge(Listening/6) This Listening State is so difficult because it is a bit difficult to, as one might put it, taste your own tongue(you can do that here, by the way). For the duration of this State, the Mystic knows anything about himself of which he could possibly be aware, from current state of health to emotional motivations. The most immediate effects are total recall of everything the Mystic has ever experienced, Enhancement of the proprioceptive and balance senses as under Mental Sense Enhancement -- and the Mystic immediately knows whether he is being inhabited by a Shedite, giving a bonus equal to the CD in any future attempts to resist the Shedite's Will if he is(needless to say, the Shedite will attempt to interrupt the meditation). However, Mystics often use this State for its personality insight; the GM should be generous with knowledge that can come from introspection while affected by this State. The State lasts for hours equal to the Essence spent times the check digit. Time: (7 - Listening skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 SIFTING STATES Connoisseur(Sifting/1) The Mystic becomes aware of minute differences and shades in what he senses. While he cannot sense anything he normally would not sense, his ability to discern becomes greater. A Mystic in this State can differentiate humans by scent or catch minute details of a forged painting. Unlike a Sensory Enhancement, with practice and exposure the Mystic can remember these details and employ them in a normal state of consciousness(though a combination of the two works wonders). The effect lasts for hours equal to the Essence spent, and the CD determines the level of detail (CD 1, discerning black from midnight blue at a glance; CD 6, telling paper made at the Atlanta factory from that made at the Seattle factory by feel). Time: 1d minutes Essence: as desired, minimum of 1 Clear Channel(2) The Mystic can see through layers of interpersonal barriers to see what someone is really trying to say, as long as they can understand the communication (and insofar as the communicator knows what he is trying to say). This does not see through lies, unless the speaker is deliberately trying to convey two contradicting pieces of information. This State can be a real boon in interpersonal relations, giving the Mystic a bonus equal to the CD on any skill which involves listening to someone else(such as essentially any social skill). It also can cut the learning time for a new skill in half if the Mystic has a teacher. The State lasts for hours equal to the Essence spent.Time: 1d minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Analysis(Sifting/3) Almost the opposite of perfectly detailed total recall, the Mystic observes her knowledge and memories from a detached vantage point whereby she can seek patterns. The Mystic must focus on a single question as she enters the State. The State lasts for about an hour; during this time, red herrings can be discarded and circumstantial evidence navigated, such that the Mystic emerges from the State with a clearer understanding of the issue. In addition to any game effects of this vague prescription (which can be as fluffy or precise as the GM desires), the Mystic gains a bonus to her next CD rolls related to addressing this issue, equal to the Essence spent entering the State. On an Intervention, a Mystic frequently reaches a firm conclusion regarding her current progress toward Destiny and Fate(which will be accurate or inaccurate as the Intervention was favorable or not. . .). Time: 10 minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Common Tongue(Sifting/3) A refinement of Clear Channel, the Mystic can understand anything said or written that he receives, regardless of the language, as long as all the information is therein contained(i.e., he cannot break codes, though he could read an artificial language only the speaker knew, like some medieval researchers' journals). He cannot speak these languages, however -- the State is perceptive, not manipulative. The State last minutes equal the CD times Essence spent. Time: 1d minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Finder(Sifting/4) The Mystic plunges into the Symphonic flow and tries to pick out a particular melody. after meditating for 10 minutes, he spends an Essence and attempts to focus his Perception on a particular object to which he is somehow tied. There is no penalty if the object is something intimately tied to the Mystic, like a treasured possession or a loved one; penalties to the perception roll can range from -1 for a good friend, to -4 for a lost shoe, to -12 for "the kid who sat behind me in first grade, whatshisname," and beyond. (Unless the Mystic is holding a deed from the Greek government for the Parthenon, forget about trying to find, say, Athena.) If successful, he can discern the location of that particular object at a single moment, whereupon the State ends with the knowledge in the Mystic's mind. One Perception roll may be made each hour, up to a maximum of the CD rolled when first entering the State. On a failure, the object cannot be found by this method for at least 24 hours. Time: 10 minutes' preparation, and hours thereafter Essence: 1 per hour spent searching Visions of History(Sifting/5) The Mystic discerns the delicate footprints that the past leaves on the present, unweaving them and seeing what once was in the place where he now stands. The Essence he spends determines the range back through which he can reach: for 1 Essence, he can see back minutes equal to his Perception; for 2 Essence, hours; for 3, days; for 4, months; for 5, years; for 6, decades; for 7, centuries; and so on by factors of 10. The check digit determines the clarity of any image and sound received; if the Mystic seeks a particular object or event he must make a Perception roll to select that particular strain from the Symphony. Success means he focuses on that object, if it was visible or audible from his location; failure, or lack of the object in that location, means a random image, or one powerfully associated with that location, is received. The State itself lasts but a few minutes once entered; fortunately, the Mystic can still see, hear, and act normally in his own point of view, often to communicate his findings to others. Time: 1 hour Essence: as desired for one's reach Shadows of the Unformed(Sifting/6) The ultimate Sifting State as the practice currently stands gives the Mystic the ability to anticipate where the Symphony's current melody is heading. However, any good Composer can surprise the audience. . . Meditating for six hours, the Mystic expends Essence to extend her reach as for Visions of History, though instead of her current location, Shadows of the Unformed reads the loci of the Mystic's likely future(s). She makes a Perception roll; on a failure, nothing clear is gained, while on a success the check digit indicates the clarity of the information gained. This may be in the form of an image(a face, a place, an event), a sound(music, a proverb, a scream) or even a strong celestial Word(Judgment, Lust); celestial interference *is* taken into account here, and only Interventions and the Mystic's own actions stand between her and the prophecy. Whatever it is will likely be significant in her future during the time surveyed, unless she acts to avert whatever she sensed. Time: 6 hours, followed by a flash of insight Essence: as desired to determine the reach STILLNESS STATES Relaxation(Stillness/1) The Mystic's body language becomes null. He will not betray anything to someone attempting to read his body language unless he deliberately emotes something; people attempting to manipulate him with social skills will find their abilities penalized by the check digit of the Mystic's State. Lilim attempting to read Needs this way, and similar supernatural powers reading body language, can be penalized equally if the Mystic spends 1 Essence entering the State. A Relaxation State lasts for 1d hours; during this time, the Mystic has a +1 on any other Mystique rolls. Time: 2d seconds Essence: none or 1 Calmness(Stillness/2) The Mystic becomes an unshakeable rock. Normal events do not faze him; he will pass any Fright Check with a CD equal to that he rolled when achieving the state. If the Mystic spends 1 Essence entering the State, uses of Song, attunement or resonance to inflict emotions or motivations take a similar penalty to their own CD. (Note that the Mystic is not suffering Emptiness -- his own emotions are still there. They are simply under tight intellectual control.) The State lasts for 1d hours; during this time, the Mystic has a +2 on any other Mystique rolls. Time: 2d seconds Essence: none or 1 Somnolem Mortis(Stillness/3) The Mystic's body relaxes completely, unless he runs through a cancellation meditation(spending Essence if he did so the first time), then for the duration, 2d hours, his body cannot move. Heart rate slows and breathing becomes very shallow; to an examination short of medical thoroughness the Mystic will likely appear recently dead. His senses still work, though hearing is likely to be of the most use. If the Mystic chooses to spend an Essence entering the State, his body cools, bleeding slows drastically(basically no damage due to blood loss occurs during this time), and brain functions slow dramatically. Even a medical examination has a fair chance of finding him dead unless extremely thorough and persistent. The Mystic thinks at one-quarter speed, quadrupling the time he would spend on any mental actions during this time and making mind-affecting powers of any sort difficult(he simply cannot recognize the attempted transmission), penalizing them by the CD of his entrance into the State. While in this State, a Mystic has a +3 bonus to Mystique rolls based on Listening or Stillness. Time: 3d seconds Essence: none or 1 The Clear Lens(Stillness/3) For the duration of the State, everything the Mystic senses or thinks will be recorded with perfect accuracy. Later, he may recall anything that happened during this time with virtually no effort; the information will never degrade over time, regardless of brain damage, short of total loss of Ethereal forces or (perhaps) an attack by an ability related to Oblivion or Forgetfulness. If the Mystic were (physically) reduced to a complete amnesiac, this chunk of their life would still be accessible to them. The State lasts for hours equal to the CD(Essence can be spent to improve this); during this time, the Mystic has a +3 bonus to Mystique rolls based on Sifting, Rapport, or Cognizance. Time: 1d seconds Essence: as desired; min. 0 Light Passage(Stillness/4) The Mystic touches the world lightly. For the duration of the State, divide the following quantities by (the CD plus the Essence spent): his weight, any damage done to him by physical objects, and any damage he attempts to do to others physically. The State lasts 1d minutes; during this time, the Mystic gains a +4 on any Mystique rolls. Time: 1d seconds Essence: min. 1 Invisibility(Stillness/5) The Mystic ceases to bother photons, and they cease to bother her. In other words, she is completely invisible to all but celestial perceptions -- but also totally blind, unless she has some other way of seeing (such as Remote Viewing or a New Sense(see Cognizance)). She is still quite tangible and audible, simply invisible unless a would-be observer is using some method other than photons to see. The State lasts for minutes equal to the CD times the Essence spent; during this time, the Mystic gains a +5 to Mystique rolls based on Listening, Stillness, or Cognizance. Time: 1d minutes Essence: min. 1 Tracelessness(Stillness/5) Attempts to reproduce the effect of Invisibility with Intangibility or Inaudibility appear to have succeeded, but require the Mystic to not interact with matter -- which is a grave problem when one needs to breathe. However, a careful Mystic can avoid leaving tangible or chemical traces -- effectively, he becomes smell-less, and leaves neither fingerprints nor hair evidence on anything he touches. He passes through the Symphony in crisp notes, without spreading his theme beyond his desire. The State lasts for minutes equal to the CD times the Essence spent; during this time, the Mysic gains a +5 to Mystique rolls based on Sifting or Rapport. Time: 1d minutes Essence: min. 1 Celestial Invisibility(Stillness/6) Symphonic perceptions seem to think the Mystic is simply not there. A celestial who has not encountered the phenomenon before may actually think that he is dealing with a Remnant or Superior ineffability, if he does not investigate. Any Symphonic perceptions targeting the Mystic short of Superior-level abilities simply fail; should the Mystic desire to cloak her immediate actions and held objects, perceptions targeting these can fuzz with a penalty to an observer's Perceptions and check digits equal to any Essence spent. Both effects last for minutes equal to the Mystic's CD. Successfully entering this State provides a +6 to Mystique rolls based on Rapport or Cognizance. Time: 1d hours Essence: as desired, min. 0 Celestial Inaudibility(Stillness/6) Nothing the Mystic does, such as expending Essence, causes disturbance. This also works passively -- damage done to the Mystic by a celestial will not produce disturbance either. Songs targeting the Mystic, relics he activates, or similar circumstances relating to the Mystic also may not cause disturbance, if the Mystic chooses to extend the effect further into his Symphonic presence by expending Essence(which, if the attempt is successful, will not cause disturbance itself). The State lasts for minutes equal to the Mystic's CD. Being Celestially Inaudible provides a +6 to Mystique skills based on Listening, Sifting, or Stillness. Time: 1d hours Essence: 0 or 1 RAPPORT STATES Mutual and Group Rapports may only be established among Mystics. A human may establish a Simple or Deep Rapport with an animal, or with a *willing* celestial or ethereal as the subject. (The nicknames were thought up by a younger contingent in the Western groups, but they stuck.) Simple Rapport(a.k.a. "Mind-Runner")(Rapport/1) The basic Rapport State allows the Mystic to see through someone else's eyes, literally. Upon entering the state, the Mystic senses the world through the physical senses of another being. He has no control over this being, nor can he read their thoughts. Back at his own body, he can still sense the world but can act only once every other round, or at half pace for long actions. The Rapport requires 1 Essence to establish between the Mystic and any subject in his line of sight, and 1 Essence to repeat the transfer with any subject in the *current* subject's line of sight. The State lasts for minutes equal to the check digit. If the current subject sleeps or leaves the corporeal plane, the State ends. Time: (7-skill) seconds Essence: 1, plus 1 for every yard between the Mystic and the subject Mutual Rapport(a.k.a. "Telepathy")(Rapport/2) This State is entered by two Mystics. Each Mystic must successfully enter this State. In addition to the effects of a Simple Rapport with the other as the subject, each Mystic opens himself enough that Symphonic senses such as disturbance sensing (and any Cognizance States) are available to the other Mystic. Each Mystic still suffers reduced time rate. The Rapport requires 1 Essence to establish if the Mystics are touching, more if the two are further away. The Rapport lasts for minutes equal to the lowest check digit. If either being loses consciousness, the State ends. Time: (7- lesser skill) seconds Essence: 1 each, plus 1 each for every yard between the two Mystics Group Rapport(a.k.a. "Teamwork")(Rapport/3) The Group Rapport overcomes the problems of reduced time rate and limited number of participants in a Mutual Rapport. As many Mystics may participate as desired, allowing a group to coordinate its actions. They still must at least subvocalize or write communications to each other, though -- only physical senses are transmitted. Each Mystic must be touching at least one of the others involved at the creation of the Rapport "net," and spends 1 Essence, or more to improve the check digit. Any failures drop out of the net; if this would cut off some participants from others, their Rapports fail or smaller nets are formed. Each net lasts minutes equal to the the least check digit among its members; only physical sensations are transmitted. If any member of a net loses consciousness, they drop out of the net. The State lasts until a net loses its next-to-last member or until minutes equal to the lowest check digit in the net have elapsed. Time: 7 seconds minus seconds equal to the skill of the least-skilled member of the intended net Essence: 1 each; any further Essence increases that Mystic's check digit. Deep Rapport(a.k.a. "Personal-Space Invaders")(Rapport/4) In an odd twist on selflessness, the Mystic can invoke an effect which is more invasive than the Song of Ethereal Tongues, but gives less in the process because he is only perceiving. The Deep Rapport allows a Mystic to access not only physical senses from another being, but their surface thoughts and emotions as well. If contacting a celestial, the Mystic must make a Fright Check or be rendered unconscious by the power of the experience; once passed, the State proceeds as normal for the duration. The State lasts CDxEssence minutes; during this time, the Mystic's body is comatose for all medical purposes. Time: (7 - skill) minutes Essence: As desired, min. 1 Permanent Mutual Rapport(a.k.a. "Lovers' Touch")(Rapport/5) This variant Mutual Rapport is as permanent as its name; once successfully entered, it can only be left if one party repeats the entrance process with intent to cancel, including the Essence expenditure. It otherwise lasts until the death of one party, which causes Mind Hits equal to the CD to the other. It is *not* entered upon lightly. The two Mystics bond for several days before consummating the ritual (some groups do so quite literally). They gain all the effects of a Mutual Rapport, without the reduced time rate, and of course without the State ceasing when one or the other sleeps. In addition, some emotional awareness (though not verbalized thought) is transmitted; the lower check digit indicates its clarity, with CD 1 being vague overall sensations and CD 6 being second-by-second detail. The experience takes a bit of getting used to; one can usually learn to sleep within a day, though dreams tend to involve the other frequently. Time: One week minus the skill of the lesser-skilled Mystic Essence: 1 each Permanent Group Rapport(a.k.a. "The Hive")(Rapport/6) Discovered by one of the Eastern founding groups and used to astonishing effect, this State has all the usual effects of a Group Rapport, and is permanent. It lasts until the death of all but one party (adding new members can cause it to last indefinitely); killing one member of a net causes Mind Hits to other members equal to the CD with which each member entered the net themself. In addition, because the process touches someone more deeply, Symphonic senses such as disturbance sense and any Cognizance states can be transmitted, each member perceiving these with a clarity indicated by the original CD of their entrance. Any single Mystic can drop out of the net by repeating the entrance process with intent to cancel, including the Essence expenditure; in addition, newcomers can enter an established net by touching one member and performing the entrance process themselves. Time: Minutes equal to the number of other persons already in the net, or establishing a new net. Essence: 1 by each newly entering or exiting Mystic COGNIZANCE STATES The Menagerie(Cognizance/1) So named because almost anything a Mystic can think of has already been found in nature, this State augments physical senses to provide information a Mystic could not have otherwise obtained. No matter how sharp your sense of touch or how discriminating you are, for example, you cannot read air currents to determine the position of objects in the room, though with this State you can. Another version provides the ability to not only hear cetacean sonar, but interpret its reflections and images (though, regrettably, not any underlying language, if there even is any); bloodhound tracking is popular, as well. Many variants exist; each is a specialized refinement of a single sense and a translator that allwos the Mystic to understand the information. Each requires a few minutes of preparation and lasts for CD hours. Time: 1d minutes Essence: 1 Imaginary Eye(Cognizance/2) Despite the name, no actual eye is created. Instead, the Mystic gains the ability to perceive physical entities not available to his normal senses, such as radio waves, ambient magnetic fields, gravitational gradients, or electric charge flows. The State lasts for hours equal to the Essence spent; the check digit determines the precision of the state. (Only on high check digits, such as 6 or higher, can the Mystic distinguish such things as separate radio stations or magnetic data storage, and he still requires the ability to translate; entering a second, supporting State like Clear Channel, Common Tongue or The Menagerie can provide an invaluable translator here.) Time: 1d minutes Essence: min. 1 Essence Sense(Cognizance/3) The Mystic can tell at a glance whether a being or object has Essence. If Essence is being transferred within her line of sight, she can see Essence flows between beings and objects, or notice when anyone regenerates or loses Essence(including via bleed-off, like someone already full). The State lasts for minutes equal to the CD times the Essence spent. Time: (7 - Cognizance skill) minutes Essence: as desired, min. 1 Force Sense(Cognizance/4) In this State, the Mystic can tell by examining an object and making a Perception roll whether that object has Forces of a specific type; if the first roll is passed, then by passing a second roll against an effective Perception equal to the CD, he can estimate the number of such Forces at few (1-2), several(3-4), or many(5 or more). The State lasts for minutes equal to the CD. Time: (7 - Cognizance skill) minutes Essence: 1 Theme sense(Cognizance/5) Useful primarily when dealing with celestials and ethereals(though helpful in identifying Soldiers), this State permits a Mystic to determine the themes in the Symphony to which a being or object is attuned. This determines at minimum any word to which a relic may be attuned, the Words and Ensembles of Celestials and Soldiers, and the Elements of ethereals; it will on check digits of 3 or higher pick up any attunements that have been bestowed on a being (including Sorcery and Mystique), and on check digits of 5 or higher pick up any Rites that have been bestowed. The State lasts for hours equal to the Essence the Mystic spends in entering the State. Time: 2d minutes Essence: as desire, min. 1 Potentiality Sense(Cognizance/6) The finest-tuned sense yet explored, and certainly considered the "highest" by the modern practitioners of Mystique, this mysterious State allows the Mystic to hear the tiny Symphonic sound of potentiality. Should a being within the Mystic's line of sight be carrying objects(such as a weapon or a Vessel) in potentiality, the Mystic can sense the object intertwined with the being's theme in the Symphony. The Mystic can also tell whether a being has Essence, which appears to be carried in potentiality, though this is as far as that sense goes. On a CD of 6, the Mystic can sense the progress toward Destiny and Fate of the next person he sees - though this is typically such a shock as to end the State prematurely. Otherwise, the State will last for minutes equal to twice the check digit. Time: 1d minutes Essence: 1 SPECIAL Mystic Initiation(Special) The founders of the art consider this Initiation the act of entering the basic State of Mystique. There are several variants, but all of them take days equal to the would-be Mystic's Perception, during which time the seeker must remain silent via any standardized form of communication, including speech, writing, sign language, Morse code, or any other iconic medium, and cause no disturbance. Various groups have developed acts of ritual to be performed during this time, but all that is really necessary is that the seeker remain Symphonically "silent," have the necessary potential, and deeply desire to become a Mystic. At the end of this time, the seeker must pass a Perception roll. (Essence *cannot* be used to boost chances!) On a success, he gains the Mystique attunement and becomes a Mystic. On a failure, his senses are confused and he loses CD points of Perception temporarily, regaining one per week. The seeker cannot try again until he has returned to normal Perception. Time: (Perception) days Essence: none Symphonic Awakening(Cognizance/1) Other than the use of Cognizance as the base skill rather than Focus, this is almost the same as the Sorcerous ritual of the same name -- anyone who knows one can perform the other. However, the Mystic's version is usually far less traumatic. If a Mystic is aiding the subject, add the Mystic's Cognizance skill to the CD. (The Mystic aids via mentorship, not any supernatural effect.) This eases any awakenings, though it also means one must wait longer after a failed ritual in order to clear the mind. Time Requirement: 1d hours Essence: 7 minus the check digit, with a minimum of 2