Caress of 1,000 Hells

Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Aggravated, Decisive-only, Terrestrial
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Azure Abacus Meditation, Burning Judgment Halo, Dancing Devil Trigger Finger

There is no sin beyond redemption in the fires stoked by the Righteous Devil. The Caress of 1,000 Hells sets an enemy ablaze with the fires of judgment, engulfing him in a swirling vortex of cobalt and gold flames. Within this hellish pyre, disembodied voices recount his sins and misdeeds, and offer him a single choice—repent, or burn.

If the enemy chooses to repent, the flames fade away, leaving him changed but unscathed. He forms a Defining Intimacy reflecting the nature of his atonement, chosen by that character's player. A Guild merchant prince who has made his fortune in the slave trade might form a Defining Tie of hatred for all slavers, while a hedonistic Abyssal mass murderer might form a Defining Principle of pacifism and simple living. An enemy who's atoned will generally retreat or surrender, and crashes to -10 Initiative if he attempts to reestablish hostilities after repentance.

On the other hand, if an enemy chooses to burn, the aftermath is far simpler. He suffers a number of levels of aggravated damage equal to the Righteous Devil's Essence in addition to the damage of the attack, as the fires erupt in a blinding conflagration.

Terrestrial: Enemies who chose to burn in the flames created by a Dragon-Blood take dice, rather than levels, of aggravated damage.

Mastery: An enemy who chooses to repent also forms a Major Tie towards the Righteous Devil appropriate to her role in his atonement—fear, grudging respect, unwavering loyalty, or so forth. Those who choose to burn also suffer a crippling penalty from the pain of their burns on all actions, equal to the levels of aggravated damage that remain in their health track. This penalty persists until the end of the scene.