Plague of Bronze Snakes
Cost: 15 motes Target: Template:Conjured automata
This spell can be cast only at night. Speaking the sibilant Verdigris Serpent Chant, the sorcerer makes the Sign of the Hammer. His Essence coalesces into a great brass mallet, decorated with twining serpents. He strikes the ground once, twice, thrice to cast the sorcery. On the third strike, the hammer opens a hole in the ground and is swallowed up.
Three heartbeats later, a number of bronze serpents equal to (caster's Willpower x 2) wriggle out of the hole, encircle the sorcerer and bow to him. Then they slither away, moving up to as many miles from their hole as the caster has dots of Occult. Motion attracts the serpents, though they bite only livestock and other domesticated animals. Their bite injects magical venom that turns their victims to granite after a period of excruciating pain. The snakes return to their hole after biting one target, or shortly before sunrise, and wait for the following night. They never venture out during the day.
These serpents remain active for a number of nights equal to the caster's Essence. If they have not been destroyed before the spell's duration ends, the snakes return to their den and decompose into tarnished metal segments.
Bronze Snake
Motivation: To bite livestock
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4; Charisma 1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 3; Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 3
Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes others.
Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Dodge 5, Martial Arts 3, Resistance 3, Stealth 5 (In Tall Grasses +3)
Join Battle: 6
Attacks: Bite: Speed 4, Accuracy 8, Damage 1L + poison, Parry DV —, Rate 2
Soak: 10L/10B (Bronze scales, 8L/6B)
Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/Incap
Dodge DV]]: 5 Willpower: 10 (0 against sorcerer)
Essence: 1
Other Notes: The cunning serpents know the best time to strike. They prefer to wait until there are no humans around before biting, and they try to attack from surprise. Bronze snake venom has the following traits:
Damage 10L, Toxicity 5, Tolerance —/—, Penalty -6
Creatures slain by bronze snake venom become granite statues, frozen in a position of absolute agony. Even if the victim survives, it endures incredible pain and continues to suffer the penalty for eight hours afterward. The venom does not affect automaton beasts such as the horse that travels land and water (p. 48) or the hound of the five winds (p. 49).