Elusive Dream Defense

Cost: 5m; Mins: Integrity 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Social
Duration: Instant (Story)
Prerequisite Charms: Temptation-Resisting Stance

Like a dream slipping from a waking man's grasp, the Solar eludes others' attempts to chain his mind. The Solar uses this Charm in response to an attempt at mental influence, be it natural or unnatural. In addition to its core effects, this Charm perfectly negates that attempt at influence.

This Charm defends the character against mental influence by forging an instant, sorcerously charged Intimacy to an idea or ideal that protects him. For the purposes of this Charm, this Intimacy might be enmity with the person attempting influence, contempt for that person or loyalty to something that the influence would make him betray. This effect is optional if the character already has such an Intimacy. If he has a preexisting one that is applicable, the magic can bolster it to inviolability instead. Characters observing the Solar when this Charm is used can make a reflexive (Perception + Investigation) roll against a difficulty of the character's Temperance to notice the newborn or newly renewed enmity, loyalty or disdain. The Solar genuinely accepts the Intimacy to which he commits himself with this Charm, although the player decides how much weight he gives it compared to his other ideas, plans, loyalties and goals. At the end of the story, the Essence charge dissipates from the Intimacy, and it is no longer a perfect defense, though the character may maintain it for later use, the sake of the memory or out of genuine feeling.

Lesser Horrors Scorned

The same as an Abyssal Exalted charm. Adds Avatar 1, Obvious and Mirror keywords.
Prerequisite Charms: Heart of Darkness

The world is filled with those who think themselves fearsome and awe-inspiring, but they are as posturing children before the ultimate darkness of Oblivion. Deathknights can use this Charm in response to any mental influence, perfectly negating the attempt as the Abyssal's anima momentarily flashes with power.

This Charm has a more vicious effect when defending against direct unnatural mental influence from a character who is solely targeting and currently interacting with the Abyssal (rather than doing so indirectly through a written text, delayed-effect Social Charm, etc.). In such cases, the thread of Essence connecting the attacker to the Abyssal's psyche also momentarily touches the sleeping minds of the Neverborn through the conduit of the deathknight's Whispers. The attacker suffers a Resonance eruption with Resonance points equal to half the deathknight's Essence rating (rounded down). The points allocated to particular Resonance effects are limited by the attacker's Essence rating as normal.

Note that this backlash is not an optional part of the Charm, even if the Abyssal would rather defend in a more subtle fashion. Perfect mental defenses can disconnect the attacker's Essence from the Abyssal's mind in time to avoid a Resonance backlash.