Summoning the Lesser Minions of the Eyeless Face

Cost: 25 motes Target: Summoned minions

This spell requires a pool of expensive, black, scented oil (Resources 3) and a ritual lasting six hours. In the course of the ritual, the sorcerer reaches through the oil into Elsewhere and draws forth mewling, servile creatures long-banished from Creation. The creatures absorb the oil as the sorcerer pulls them through it, and once she calls forth a number of lesser minions equal to her (Charisma + Essence), the ritual ends and the oil is expended, save for the residue on her arms and hands.

The lesser minions of the Eyeless Face are humanoid in form. They have black skin like iridescent tar, set with ridges and protrusions—but their faces are smooth and white as maggots' skins, lacking facial features of any sort. Minions range from seven to four and a half feet tall. The whimpering they make during the summoning, before their bodies are fully set, is the last vocalization they will ever produce. They cannot speak, though they can see, hear, touch and smell as well as any mortal. To communicate, they dance, pantomime and cringe in unnaturally expressive fashion.

The lesser minions are naked and sexless when called, but they can use any equipment allowed by their Abilities and are sufficiently plastic to squeeze into any reasonably sized armor. A sorcerer can have only one batch of lesser minions under her control at a time. Once pulled from Elsewhere, minions live for a year and a day, or until slain, or until the sorcerer casts the spell again to call a new batch. Upon death, they crumble into stinking dust.