Relic
The Aegis Kai Doru has collected many trinkets and
odd relics over the centuries. Some are mere oddments
— little trifles for the amusement of kings and children.
In a storehouse in Naples, an impossibly intricate clockwork
man can play chess against a living opponent. In
the sewers under Manhattan, a rough-hewn statue stolen
from a college campus silently salutes whenever a virgin
passes by. Others possess power so terrible that the group
can only seal them away and guard against the day some
fool unleashes them on a hapless world. Deep beneath
the Russian taiga, in a cave that in every geological sense
shouldn’t be there, three men stand guard over a crude
stone altar that pulses like a living human heart. The
guards have to be men — no one likes to even talk about
what happened the last time a woman entered that cavern.
There’s a church in Morocco that isn’t on any of the
maps or in any of the tourist guides, and if you go there
without an invitation, the last thing you’ll see before you
feel the knife slide into your back is a mummified head on
a cushion resting on the altar, and before it all goes black,
you’ll swear to God the thing looked at you.
Straddling the line between the curios and the sanityrending
artifacts of a long-dead age are the Relics gifted to
Aegis Kai Doru agents in the field. As much status symbol
as tool or weapon, these Relics are embodiments of the
trust shown to promising field operatives. To be given a
Relic is a singular honor, and the shame of losing one or
allowing it to fall into the hands of others is as grievous
as deliberate betrayal. Members of the Aegis Kai Doru
have killed themselves rather than face their peers after
losing a Relic to another hunter or, worse yet, a witch.
The organization itself hunts those who steal “its” artifacts
with a relentless determination, sometimes spending millions
of dollars and years of its hunters’ lives to track down
thieves. Recovery is always the primary objective, but no
one in the Aegis Kai Doru raises much of a fuss if the Relic
thieves end up dead.
Unlike many other Endowments, Relics can be used
by anyone. Most have a ritual, spoken command word, or
other obscure, not immediately obvious means required
to activate them, but once an individual learns the key, a
Relic will function for anyone.
One-Eyed Kings (•)
These ancient, verdigris-covered copper coins are so
worn as to be nearly indistinguishable from simple metal
discs. Only a faint relief on one side can still be made
out: the image of a king, in a style that vaguely suggests
both the Grecian and the Babylonian. This king is missingan eye, though whether that is an intentional part of the
carving or the wear of countless centuries is impossible
to determine. One-Eyed Kings always come in a pair: one
coin with the king missing his left eye, one with the king
missing his right. The organization possesses hundreds of
these coin pairs, all demonstrating the same mystical properties.
Attempts to date the metal have provided wildly
differing results, with ages ranging from 9,000 years to just
under two centuries.
Cost: 1 Willpower.
Benefit: When the coin missing its left
eye is walked over the knuckles of the right
hand and then pressed over the left eye, it
grants its user the ability to see whatever
is happening in the vicinity of the other
coin. His vantage point is roughly as though he
were standing adjacent to the coin’s location;
if the coin is in a wizard’s pocket, for example,
the hunter sees things as though he
were standing next to the wizard. The view
cannot be changed, and subsequent uses
of the One-Eyed King show the same angle
and position until the coin missing its right
eye is moved. The hunter cannot
hear, smell, touch or taste anything in the
vicinity of the other coin. The clairvoyant
connection only works one way. If the hunter
tries to use the coin missing its right eye to
see the location of the coin missing its left eye,
he instead sees a brief, terrifying glimpse of a
vast gulf of pure, black nothingness, inside
which things that are not things gibber and wail for his soul. The
shock causes him to lose a Willpower point
immediately, and unless he succeeds on a Resolve + Composure
roll, he gains a temporary derangement that lasts
until the next day. The Storyteller and player should work
together to determine the nature of the derangement.
If the hunter places either of the One-Eyed King coins
on his eyelid and spends a Willpower point before going
to sleep, he will find its match on his other eyelid when
he wakes up.Skeleton Key (•)
It’s said that no lock, no matter how sturdy, can keep
out Death. Bar yourself behind doors and wards and mystical
barriers all you like, but Death has a key for all of them. The
Skeleton Key Relic might not literally be Death’s enchanted
key, but it does give hunters an uncanny ability to bypass
obstacles in their path.
The Skeleton Key is a small, silver key in an archaic style,
tarnished from long use. The teeth are grooved in such a way
as to suggest human dentition, and the bow is an intricately
detailed model of a human skull with tiny fl ecks of sapphire
in the eye sockets. The key is always cold to the touch, even if
carried in the hand or worn next to the skin for hours.
Benefi t: The Skeleton Key fi ts any lock that uses an actual
key, regardless of the type or design. It does not work on
card locks, code locks, or any other form of security device.
When a character inserts the key into a lock and turns it,
he may spend a point of Willpower to unlock the door automatically.
If he leaves the Skeleton Key in the lock until the
door is closed again, the door automatically re-locks itself
with no sign of having been opened. Even tamper-detection
methods (such as a piece of tape run across the door and its
jamb) are reset. This Relic only unlocks a door; it cannot
remove a bar or wedge securing the door, nor does it allow a
door that has been blocked, such as with a piece of furniture,
to be unlocked.
The Skeleton Key can also open doors that have been
sealed or warded with supernatural power. In addition to paying
the normal Willpower point cost, the key’s owner must
roll Intelligence + Presence, with a penalty equal to the number
of successes the caster of the magical ward earned on the
power’s activation roll (see below for roll results).
Cost: 1 Willpower.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The door opens, but instead of whatever
should be behind the door, it opens onto someplace...else.
It might be a distant (and dangerous) location on Earth, or it
might be a bizarre, twisted refl ection of the hunter’s surroundings
or a vast, seemingly endless maze of tangled brambles.
Failure: The magical ward remains in place.
Success: The door unlocks. The creator of the mystical
ward automatically knows the door has been breached.
Exceptional Success: As a normal success, but the ward’s
creator does not know the ward has been broken.
Blood of Pope Joan (••)
Religious relics have long occupied a signifi cant place in the minds
of the faithful. From the bones of saints to splinters of the True Cross, artifacts
of the faith have inspired pilgrimages, the construction of shrines
and even the occasional holy war. Most relics are in the hands of various
religious organizations, especially the Catholic Church, but down
through the centuries, the Aegis Kai Doru has acquired several religious
relics possessed of supernatural powers.
The Blood of Pope Joan reputedly comes from the only
woman ever to hold the Papal offi ce. According to legend, Pope
Joan disguised herself as a man and served as Pope for two years in
the late 11th century before her ruse was discovered and she was
dragged through the street and stoned. Aegis Kai Doru scholars
variously claim that this blood was gathered by Vatican occultists
during her menses or that it was collected from the place of her
execution. A darker twist on the legend states that Pope Joan was
revealed as a woman when she became pregnant and gave birth to
a son, and that the blood comes from this papal infant.
Benefi t: The Blood of Pope Joan counts as a level-one blessed item
(see The World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 214). In addition, werewolves
suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls made against a hunter carrying this
Relic. The Blood of Pope Joan’s mystical ties to the moon (which lends
credence to the theory that the Relic is the female pope’s menstrual
blood) repels the supernatural element of a werewolf’s being in much
the same way that the like poles of two magnets repel each other.
Eye of Hubris (••)
This quartz crystal is the size of a tennis ball and the shape
of a human eyeball. Strange colors swirl within its depths,
suggesting the iris and pupil of some strange, ancient being.
The Eye has no active effect that the Aegis Kai Doru has discovered,
but its mere presence seems to infuriate witches as it
causes their spells to go awry more frequently.
Action: Instant
Dice Pool: None
Cost: None, but activating the Eye of Hubris causes
the hunter to go blind in one eye for the rest of the scene,
temporarily gaining the One Eye Flaw (see the World of
Darkness Rulebook, p. 219). The hunter does not gain extra
experience from this Flaw.
Benefi t: The Eye of Hubris causes magic to misfi re in its
vicinity. Any time a monster uses a power that is obviously
magical (such as a fi reball or turning into a wolf), he suffers a
-2 penalty on the activation roll. Powers with no roll are unaffected.
The Eye of Hubris’ effects last for one scene.
Icarine Servitor (•••)
At fi rst blush, this appears to be nothing more than a
crude mannequin made of wax, about the size of a doll,
with rudimentary wings made of thin sticks tied with string.
Should a character anoint the fi gure with a dab of honey and
stick a feather into its waxen head, the fi gure comes to a kind
of gruesome life. Although extremely susceptible to heat, the
Icarine Servitor can serve as a useful spy or even assassin.
Benefi t: When activated, the Icarine Servitor becomes a
tiny, living creature with the following statistics:
Attributes: Intelligence 1,
Wits 2, Resolve 2, Strength 1,
Dexterity 4, Stamina 2, Presence
0, Manipulation 0, Composure
1
Skills: Athletics 2, Stealth
4, Weaponry 1
Willpower: N/A
Initiative: 5
Defense: 4
Speed: 6 (Species factor 1),
fly 15 (Species factor 10)
Size: 2
Health: 4The servitor has a rudimentary intelligence that allows
it to follow moderately complicated instructions. Although it
cannot communicate per se, it is capable of recognizing any
person, place or thing its activator recognizes on sight, and it
can “report” anything it sees by means of a similar quasi-visual
link. The servitor has no real combat abilities to speak of, but it
can slip poison into a drink or cut a car’s brake line if provided
with the proper tools. The Icarine Servitor is especially vulnerable
to fi re, and any source of fl ame, no matter how small,
infl icts aggravated damage. A servitor destroyed by fi re melts
into a puddle of useless waxy goo and a tangle of twigs and
strings; it cannot be animated again. If a servitor is destroyed by
a more mundane source of damage, such as being chopped up
or crushed, it can be repaired with ten successes on an extended
Dexterity + Craft roll. Each roll represents 15 minutes.
An Icarine Servitor remains active until the next dawn or
sunset, whichever comes fi rst. Unless given explicit instructions
otherwise, the servitor will try to return to its owner before the
duration expires. The servitor’s owner may spend one Willpower
point as a refl exive action to extend the servitor’s animation until
the following dawn or sunset, but doing so causes the creature’s
behavior to become increasingly erratic. One Aegis Kai
Doru hunter, thinking to use the servitor as a round-the-clock
bodyguard, kept it active for a week straight. On the seventh
night, he died — “gas leak,” the authorities called it.
Ringsel (•••)
When a truly enlightened Buddhist master dies and the
body is cremated, small, pearl-like stones are sometimes found
among the ashes. Tibetan Buddhism considers these Ringsel to
be the physical embodiment of the master’s wisdom, knowledge
and enlightenment. Most are placed in shrines, where pilgrims
can visit them and venerate the memories of the masters who left
them behind, but the Aegis Kai Doru have “acquired” a number
of these sacred relics. Ringsel are said to have mystical properties,
granting peace and wisdom to those who behold them, and even
healing injuries when touched. The occultists of the Aegis Kai
Doru are more interested in these mystical abilities than in the
spiritual signifi cance of Ringsel, and have been known to steal
Ringsel left after prominent masters pass on.
Cost: 1 Willpower.
Benefi t: By meditating over a Ringsel, a character may
draw upon her inner reserves of strength to heal her body.
Entering a meditative state requires four successes on a Wits
+ Composure roll, as described on page 51 of The World
of Darkness Rulebook. Once the character has achieved
this meditative state, she may spend Willpower to heal her
wounds: one Willpower point heals one point of bashing
damage, while two Willpower points heals a point of lethal
damage. As usual, the character may only spend one Willpower
per turn. While there is no limit to how much healing
a character can receive from a Ringsel (with the exception of
how many Willpower points she has), she may only use this
healing gift once per day.
In addition, if the owner of a Ringsel suffers a degeneration
of her Morality, she may spend a point of Willpower to
have the Ringsel absorb the sin and negate the degeneration,
exactly as though she had passed the degeneration roll. Spiritual
contact with such base thoughts destroys the Ringsel,
turning it a foul bluish-black and cracking it in two.
Watchful Keris (•••)
According to the occult lore of Indonesia and much of
Southeast Asia, the keris dagger, also called the keris, is as
much a living entity as a weapon. Each individual blade is
reputed to have a soul for good or for ill, and stories abound
of weapons leaping from their sheaths to slay hidden enemies
of their owners, or to turn on their own dishonorable masters.
The Watchful Keris, while not belonging to the same class
as the famed Taming Sari keris, which made its wielder indestructible,
is nonetheless a useful tool.
The weapon itself is a wavy-bladed knife, about a foot
long, with inlaid gold and jade depictions of a watchful serpent
on the blade. The curved, pistol-style grip and the weapon’s
sheath are both carved from the fossilized tooth of a mammoth,
cut to reveal the dentine patterns within the tooth.
The grip is worn smooth from long use, but rests comfortably
in the hand, almost as though it is eager to be used. The
owner of a Watchful Keris often fi nds himself resting a hand
on the weapon or absently stroking the sheath. Occasionally
the knife seems to shudder, almost in anticipation.
Benefi t: The Watchful Keris is a 2(L) knife. As long as
its owner wears it, he receives a +1 bonus on his Initiative
Trait. In addition, whenever the owner is surprised in combat
(see The World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 151), he takes an
action in the fi rst turn of combat, even if he failed his Wits
+ Composure roll to avoid being surprised. This action must
be an attack with the Watchful Keris. The hunter may move
up to his Speed before making this attack. If the weapon was
sheathed, he fi nds it inexplicably in his hand, as though it
leapt there of its own accord. If, for some reason, the character
does not wish to attack with the Watchful Keris (perhaps
he doesn’t want to immediately escalate to violence, or he is
surprised by the presence of an innocent civilian at the scene
of a monster attack), he must make a Wits + Composure roll
or spend a Willpower point. If he restrains his urge to strike,
he does not get the benefi t of acting in the fi rst turn after
being surprised. (Note that being surprised still negates the
application of the character’s Defense for that initial turn, regardless
of how swiftly the Keris springs to hand.)
Heart of Stone (••••)
This lumpy, glassy rock is about the size of a large man’s fi st.
By itself, it’s harmless and completely inert — just an oddly shaped
paperweight. The Heart’s true nature only becomes apparent when
it’s hooked up to a sizable source of electricity, like a car battery or
the electrical wiring in a house. Once you get enough current running
over it, it revivifi es into a living, beating heart. It takes a few
days to really go to work, but once it does, it can make the victim’s
life a living hell. First, people just start to want the thing the heart’s
hooked up to. A man’s BMW gets more admiring glances as he
rolls down the street, the realtor fi nds there aren’t enough hours
in the day to schedule viewings of that new house on the market.
After a while, though, things start to get rough. People still look
longingly at the car, or the house, or whatever, but it’s tinged withan ugly greed. Tempers grow short, and some monsters
become prone to fl ying into berserker rages. After a
while, the Heart of Stone starts to attract...things. Aegis
Kai Doru calls them erinyes, after the Greek Furies, and
they seem to be drawn unerringly to those who have
been in prolonged contact with the Heart.
Cost: None, but the hunter suffers from the Fixation
derangement focused on recovering the Heart
as long as it is active and not in his possession.
Benefi t: Hooking the Heart of Stone up to
an electrical power source requires a Wits + Craft
roll. Since the Heart takes some time to really get
to work, it’s usually employed as a hidden booby
trap, couched away in the bowels of a car’s engine
or hidden down near the bilge of a luxury yacht. As
the stone gives way to fl eshy life, the heart pumps
its weird, captivating energy throughout the structure
or vehicle it’s connected to. This results in a
sequence of escalating effects:
• For the fi rst 24 hours of the Heart’s activation,
nothing bad happens. In fact, the owner of the
device to which the Heart is connected enjoys
a +1 bonus on all Social rolls against individuals
aware of his ownership. Vampires, werewolves
and other monsters prone to fi ts of rage suffer a -1
penalty on rolls to resist their fury if the Heart’s
owner is the instigator. This penalty increases by
-1 per day, to a maximum of -5.
• On the second day, the bonus disappears and
is replaced with a -1 penalty, as people become jealous of
the owner or begin to irrationally suspect him of being
up to no good. This penalty increases by -1 per day, to a
maximum of -5.
• Once the penalty has reached its maximum level by
the sixth day, people begin to act on their jealousies and
suspicions. Even ordinarily law-abiding citizens might
try to carjack the victim, or break into his home just
to experience the place. Neighborhood “watch groups”
spontaneously come together to do something about
“that car that’s always driving around watching the kids
on the playground” or “the crack house over on 19th.”
• On the seventh day, the monsters start to arrive.
Even the Aegis Kai Doru doesn’t know exactly where
they come from, but these creatures dubbed erinyes
start skulking out of the shadows on the seventh day.
They seem to be unable to identify the Heart itself as
the thing that called them, but they have an unerring
ability to locate those who have spent the most time
in the close vicinity of the Heart — usually the victim
and his family. Erinyes vary widely in appearance,
but usually resemble squat gargoyles or bizarre mythical
chimeras. One Aegis Kai Doru cell in San Francisco
reported that its Heart of Stone drew tiny humanoid
fi gures composed of various mismatched bits of taxidermied
animals, each dressed in a different period costume.
Erinyes have the following stats:Mental Attributes: Intelligence 0,
Wits 1, Resolve 1
Physical Attributes: Strength 3,
Dexterity 2, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 1, Manipulation
0, Composure 2
Physical Skills: Athletics 1,
Brawl 4, Stealth (Stalking) 1,
Survival 2
Willpower: 3
Initiative: 6
Defense: 2
Speed: 15
Health: 8
Size: 4
Weapons/Attacks:
Type Dam Range Dice Pool Special
Bite (
– 7 –
Claws 1(L) – 8 –
Armor: 1
The creatures (and all penalties associated with the
Heart) disappear immediately if the Heart is cut off from
its electrical current. Sometimes the erinyes leave behind
little stone or wood bodies. These are promptly collected
by the Aegis Kai Doru and may become Relics in their
own right.THE HEART OF STONE AND
THE CREATED
Players who own Promethean: The Created
have no doubt noticed the similarities
between the effects of the Heart of Stone
and certain properties of Promethean
existence. Whether or not the Heart of
Stone is, in fact, the calcifi ed heart
of one of the Created is left up to the
Storyteller; it is possible to integrate
that game’s elements into Hunter:
the Vigil. The penalties incurred by
the Heart of Stone can be replaced
with the four stages of Disquiet as
described on page 167 of Promethean:
the Created. The erinyes can use the
statistics and special powers of the
Pandorans described in Promethean or
its supplement, Pandora’s Book.
This level of integration is entirely
optional; if you don’t have Promethean
or don’t want to feature it in your
Hunter game, the rules presented herein
are perfectly serviceable.Witch-Candle (••••)
The name of this Relic is something of a misnomer; it isn’t
an actual candle, but rather a battered old pewter candlestick
whose metal is carved with various gargoyle reliefs. By itself,
the Witch-Candle has no inherent mystical properties (it can
be used as a 1(
improvised weapon, but that’s about it). Placing
a candle on the stick and anointing it with blood before
lighting it primes the bizarre magic within it, but apart from
the fl ickering shadows making the carvings appear to move in
a disturbingly lifelike manner, there’s still no immediate effect,
until sorcery is performed in the vicinity of the Relic.
The Witch-Candle feeds on magic, especially of the variety
performed by witches. When a sorcerer casts a spell
anywhere within the radius illuminated by the candle (generally
within the same room), the gargoyle fi gures come
to hideous life and slither off, leaving behind a plain, unadorned
candlestick. The candle-gargoyles are drawn to the
caster of the spell that animated them, and attack unceasingly
until they or the mage are destroyed.
Cost: The hunter must bleed onto the candle before
lighting it, suffering a point of lethal damage.
Benefi t: When a witch casts a spell within the light of the
candle, take note of the number of successes rolled. For every
success, the Witch-Candle spawns a single gargoyle (to a maximum
of four), which remains animated for a number of turns
equal to the successes rolled. If additional spells are cast within
the candlelight while the gargoyles are already animated,
whether by the same mage or by another mage, add the total
number of successes rolled together to determine the number
of turns the gargoyles remain animated. Likewise, additional
successes continue to animate additional gargoyles (again to a
maximum of four). If there are multiple Witch-Candles in the
same vicinity, all the successes are applied to each Relic.
If the candle is put out, the gargoyles immediately slither
back to their candlestick and lose their animation. If a gargoyle
is destroyed, it melts into a puddle of foul-smelling ooze
that quickly evaporates, leaving nothing but a black discoloration
on the ground. Destroyed gargoyles reappear as carvings
on the candlestick one day after they are destroyed.
The gargoyles have the following stats when fi rst animated:
Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits
3, Resolve 2, Strength 2, Dexterity
1, Stamina 2, Presence 0, Manipulation
0, Composure 2
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3,
Stealth 3
Willpower: 4
Initiative: 5
Defense: 1
Speed: 8 (Species factor 5)
Size: 3
Health: 5
Weapons/Attacks:
Type Dam Range Dice Pool Special
Bite (
– 5 –For every fi ve total successes on spell-casting rolls within
the candle’s light, the gargoyles gain one of the following benefi
ts. The Relic’s owner chooses which bonus to grant; all the
gargoyles get the same bonus.
• +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. This bonus
• Two additional Health boxes. This bonus may be
granted more than once.
• A 1 (L) claw attack.
The supernatural powers of other monsters can likewise
empower the Witch-Candle, but at a reduced effi ciency.
Halve the number of successes for any non-mage power for
purposes of determining the Relic’s abilities.
Example: Elias Stark, an Aegis Kai Doru hunter, has lured
a coven of three witches and a vampire into an ambush. He has set
up a Witch-Candle to do the dirty work for him. On the fi rst turn
of combat, two of the witches cast defensive spells on themselves,
earning two successes and three successes, respectively. The vampire
attempts to cow Elias with a supernatural display of its frightful
nature, rolling four successes (halved to two for the candle’s purposes).
The third attempts to blast Elias with a lightning bolt, rolling
two successes. That makes for a total of nine spell-casting successes;
all four gargoyles spring to life for nine turns, and they each
gain an additional benefi t because more than fi ve total successes
have been rolled. Elias’ player chooses to give them a 1(L) claw
attack. The gargoyles attack the monsters, who, on the next turn,
try to destroy the gargoyles. Between the four of them, they roll
eight successes to activate their powers (still halving the vampire’s
successes). All four gargoyles gain another eight turns of animation,
and two more bonuses, since the total number of spell-casting
successes is now 17. Elias’ player gives them an additional point
of Strength, Dexterity and Stamina and two more Health boxes.
Things aren’t looking good for the witches.
Aegis Talisman (•••••)
According to Greek myth, the Aegis was the shield of
Zeus himself, an indestructible goatskin buckler onto which
the head of Medusa was mounted. The Relic bearing its name
is a silver amulet the size of a man’s spread hand, with the likeness
of a Gorgon’s face embossed in the center and a ring of tassels
like snakes around the rim. It provides protection against
both physical and mystical assault and can, if invoked with the
proper force of will, temporarily paralyze an enemy with abject
terror. Aegis medallions are rare, and are only given to the
highest-ranking fi eld operatives of the Aegis Kai Doru.
Cost: None or 1 Willpower.
Benefi t: A character holding or wearing an Aegis Talisman
next to her skin receives three points of armor against both physical
and magical attack. This armor does not stack with other
sources, be they natural, mundane, or supernatural in origin.
In addition, by brandishing the Aegis Talisman and spending a
point of Willpower, she may make a contested Presence + Intimidate
roll with a +2 equipment bonus versus an enemy’s Resolve
+ Composure as an instant action (resistance is refl exive).If she succeeds, that enemy is paralyzed with fear for a number of
turns equal to the difference in the number of successes rolled.
A paralyzed opponent loses his Defense, but is not considered
“completely dormant” and cannot be struck a killing blow.
Dead Man’s Face (•••••)
This gruesome Relic appears to be a mask made of the expertly
fl ayed and cured skin of a human face. It’s diffi cult to determine
the face’s gender or even race, as it was long ago reduced
to a dried-up, brownish-tan mass. When placed over the face of
a recently deceased corpse, the Dead Man’s Face momentarily
forces some semblance of life back into the cadaver. It’s far from
a true resurrection of the dead, and it doesn’t seem to be calling
the ghost back to its mortal coil, but Aegis Kai Doru agents have
learned to appreciate the information this Relic can provide
without questioning its source too closely.
Cost: 1 Willpower; in addition, the hunter gains an Obsession
derangement focused on death and the dead. This derangement
lasts for one week.
Benefi t: The Dead Man’s Face must be placed over the
face of a corpse that has been dead no more than 12 hours.
The hunter must spend a point of Willpower and roll Presence
+ Resolve as an extended action as he utters a prayer
to Hades, invoking the wisdom of death to seek the light of
truth. This prayer requires one success per hour the corpse has
been dead, with each roll representing 10 minutes of chanting.
(An exceptionally long extended action may actually increase
the number of successes required.)
Once the requisite number of successes is acquired, the
Dead Man’s Face stretches or shrinks to mold itself like a second
skin to the corpse’s features. The corpse’s eyes snap open, and
it returns, however briefl y, to a semblance of life. The corpse
can speak and move its head, but the rest of it remains inert
and dead. (Rumors suggest that the Aegis Kai Doru possesses
similar relics that can animate a hand, or even the entire body.)
This “resurrection” lasts for one minute per point of Stamina
the corpse possessed while alive. As a rule of thumb, assume
the corpse can answer one reasonably complex question (e.g.
“What did you see before you died?”) per minute.
Doru Talisman (•••••)
Like the Aegis Talisman, the Doru Talisman is one of the
great symbols of the Aegis Kai Doru. These rare and powerful
Relics are more than just powerful tools of the Hunt; they are
symbols of status and prestige within the organization itself.
Few fi eld operatives are ever given this Relic, and the number
that earns both an Aegis and a Doru Talisman can be counted
on two hands.
A Doru Talisman is an intricately detailed representation
in pure silver of a doru, or a Greek Hoplite’s spear. It is approximately
four inches long, with a small hole bored through
the back spike so it may be hung on a chain. In dim light,
the spearhead sometimes shines red, as though refl ecting the
blood of an ancient battlefi eld.
Cost: 1 Willpower.
Benefi t: Despite its diminutive size, a Doru Talisman is a
potent weapon. By gripping the talisman in the hand in much
the same manner as a full-sized spear, the Doru Talisman may
be used as a 3(L) melee weapon, with which the wielder can
attack any opponent within 10 yards of himself. He simply
mimes a thrust with the spear (making a normal Weaponry
attack), and though the talisman may never actually touch its
victim, bloody wounds like those infl icted by an actual spear
appear on the victim’s body.
