Animantic Tradition or Animancy

Animancer, Shaman (spiritual), Mentalist (secular), “Mancer”

Named for the spiritual entities they use and only they can see, Animancers use “Animus” to channel dangerous etheric energies into spells. There are two main schools of thoughts for Animancers:

• More secular Animancers call themselves Mentalists, as they believe that the Animus is a psychic construct that they have forged from their subconscious as an aid to wielding magic.

• On the other hand, Religious or spiritualistic Animancers (called “Shamans”) believe that their Animus is granted to them -- be it a spirit animal, a nature spirit, an angelic aide, or even the ghost of a beloved ancestor/relative.

Choose this Arcane Tradition if:

• You want to play a more spiritual or cerebral character

• You are willing to cast slower but you have less corruptive magics and have the help of their spirit aide/mental construct.

• You want to focus more on magic that helps or heals your allies.

Somatic Gesture:

Used by Adept Skills (e.g. Restoration Adept) to enhance your spells, these tend to require an empty hand.

• Place one or more fingers of an empty hand upon your Anima Crown.

• Perform a minimum of EConc-7, this may add to the EConc required of a spell if it is less than EConc-7
  
  

Prop requirements: 

• An Animus Crown, which appears to be a mask that does not cover the mouth except by a thin material .

• This must be worn by the Animancer -- on the face, over the head, sewn unto a cloak, etc.

• It must reflect your Animus, in whatever capacity you desire e.g. an animal, a plant, an elemental, a ghost, or a combination of any or all of these. You are encouraged to be creative yet use safe materials (no needles, blades, etc).
  

Gaining the Animantic Tradition

You can gain this Tradition through the methods below:

— Character Creation: Choose this Tradition when making an Arcanist. This represents a mentor’s or organization’s training or direct investiture from an Animus.

— Animus Investiture: This involves spiritually summoning or mentally constructing an Animus and creating a new Animus Crown or adapting an Illustrados Cara with a mentor’s guidance and a Workshop’s power. This requires the following:

• One unused Milestone to be spent on “Sorcerous Awakening”

• A Stigmata that allows for spellcasting

• Rare CMP x5 (Astral/Earth/Wind)

• Spirit Circle, Hallowed Shrine, or Magna Forge

• Shaman or Mentalist with Arcane Proficiency plus a 10+ minute Ritual action -- this determines whether a character is a new Shaman or a Mentalist.

Animantic Ritual Abilities

As per usual with Ritual-Craft skills, once such a skill is used, that skill or any other Ritual or Craft skill may not be used until the current Period has passed and a 10 minute rest has been completed.

Etheric Arcana (Basic Channeler)

Channel Animus: You create a basic-quality Animus Crown

• Step 1: Fill out a Craft-Ritual sheet

• Step 2: Give Game Staff the required CMP (Minor x5; Astral/Earth/Herbal). They will give you the Item Tag for your Animus Crown.

• Step 3: Perform 10+ minutes of roleplay that reflects this magical Ritual

• Step 4: At the end of the role-play, your basic Animus Crown is now in-game.
  

Harmonic Animus: Cure Curses from or revive 1-5 living/dead allies

• Step 1: Fill out a Craft-Ritual sheet

• Step 2: Have Game Staff sign off on any cured Curses or revived dead characters.

• Step 3: Perform 10+ minutes of roleplay that reflects this magical Ritual

• Step 4: At the end of the role-play, choose from one of the two options below:

-- Option 1: Cure Affliction (1-5 targets) -- This cures all Basic Curses and Diseases (i.e. not Greater, Anathemic and Incurable) from your targets at no CMP cost. As per usual, a Game Marshall must mark the Attunement slot (ATN) as cured/inert but the slot cannot be otherwise used until the next Event. Fortunately, any patient you cure in this way cannot be affected by the same Affliction in the current month.

-- Option 2: Greater Revive (1-5 targets; non-self) -- Invoke “Greater Revive” to resuscitate dead allies, reviving them at 1 HP, with a Pain Strike, and with a new Grave Scar. Grafted Characters with 5 Grave Scars gain a Soul Scar instead. In all cases, report to Staff with regards to any new benefits or penalties associated with said Grave Scar or Soul Scar.

• Proximity: You must be within 10 feet of the bodies while using this Skill

• Consent: Their Players are willing to be revived

• Integrity: Targets must be dead for less than 12 hours and not missing their head (or similarly important body parts). These may be stitched on or grafted on during the process if severed.

• Grave Scars: Also, less than 5 Grave Scars or has a Graft Stigmata.

Empowered Arcana (Complex Channeler)

Expert Animancy: This functions as per “Channel Animus” except that this Ritual can create/upkeep 1 Advanced Animus with Runeweave or Eldritchweave augments. These usually cost Basic CMP x5 (Astral/Earth/Herbal).

Hallowed Animus: As per Cure Affliction from “Harmonic Animus”, except that you also cure your allies of Blight and imbue them with “Lasting Resolve 3”. You can target yourself with Hallowed Animus.

Arcane Proficiency (Erudite Channeler)

Guardian Animus: This functions much like “Hallowed Animus” except for that you can also invest Bonded allies with a “Guardian Animus” (1 ATN)

• Cost: Minor CMP x5 (Astral/Herbal) per person affected

• Duration: This lasts until the end of this Event.

• Effects: Increases their maximum HP by +1 and allows them to use “Animantic Defiance” as though they had it

• Prop requirement: Guardian Animus requires an Animus Crown on each recipient.

Invest Animus: See Gaining the Animantic Tradition above

Masterful Animancy: This functions as per “Expert Animancy” except that this Ritual can create/upkeep 1 Superior Animus. These usually cost Rare CMP x5 (Astral/Earth/Herbal).

Eldritch Corruption or Spell Sever

Whenever an Arcanist or a Spell-user (any character that can use a Spell) gains a Milestone, they are affected by Eldritch Corruption. While the character does not make this choice, the Player chooses which effect (see list below) they receive. Spell-Severs may be cured as though they were an Anathemic Curse that requires 3 Pure components to cure. 

If you currently have at least one uncured Eldritch Corruption, then you no longer gain Eldritch Corruption whenever you gain a Milestone. A greater description of Eldritch Corruption is here.