Valeren
“Betrayal is a blessing. Hatred is a strength. Death will not elude those who have profited from our fall. We will bring about their end.” — Viziael, Archishop of Mogadishu
Fighting to defend their clan in dark and troubled times, warrior Salubri created the Valeren discipline. Over the centuries, rumors spread legends that the Salubri are infernalists and diablerists, and this discipline is now seen with fear and revulsion. Unlike its sister discipline, Obeah, Valeren is definitely not a healing power. It is a manifestation of war, anger, and spiritual chi.
As with Obeah, in modern times, most vampires believe that the Salubri and their disciplines are infernal in origin. Old lies and ancient betrayals still bind most elders to this assertion, and they persecute and destroy anyone discovered to possess the powers of Valeren before they have a chance to speak the truth.
Use of any Valeren power beyond the first dot causes a third eye to manifest upon the user’s forehead. This eye opens and glows throughout the use of these powers, and disappears thereafter.
Valeren and Obeah: A character who has purchased any amount of Obeah can never purchase Valeren. Likewise, a character who has purchased any amount of Valeren cannot purchase Obeah.
Valeren Test Pool: The Valeren wielder uses her Mental attribute + Medicine versus the target’s Mental attribute + Willpower.
Contents
• Sense Vitality
Life permeates the world, cycling with the ebb and flow of inevitability. With this power, you can tap into that source, feeling the pulse of the universe and tangibly perceiving the vital energy of individuals nearby.
System: Spend 1 Blood and use a simple action to activate Sense Vitality. For the next hour, you gain the instinctive ability to perceive the health of any creature that comes within 10 steps of you. You automatically realize the following information:
- Whether the target is alive, dead, or undead
- The target’s current number of wounds and number of remaining health levels
- The location and severity of any injuries she currently suffers
- Whether the target suffers from any diseases or other maladies, and if so, which ones
- Whether the target has any drugs or poisons in her system, and if so, which ones
- The disposition of all organs, bones, musculature, and other physical structures of the body. You realize if any organs have been removed or shifted, and you can sense the signs of older, healed injuries or genetic anomalies.
Sense Vitality overcomes supernatural powers that obscure an individual’s health level, such as Misleading Wounds or similar powers.
Focus [Perception]: Valeren focuses on offense and causing pain. Consequently, while Sense Vitality is active, you do not need to spend Willpower to use the combat maneuver Pierce the Heart.
•• Burning Touch
You have a warrior’s spirit, and can inflict agony on those you assault. Any target who falls victim to your Burning Touch is consumed by pain.
System: Use a standard action to Grapple a target. If you are successful, spend 1 Blood to inflict Burning Touch on a victim, as well as inflicting all the standard effects of the Grapple combat maneuver. Thereafter, the target suffers a -3 penalty to all actions until your next everyman initiative. If you are currently grappling your target, you can activate Burning Touch simply by spending 1 point of Blood and using a simple action.
Burning Touch inflicts pain on anyone who is touching you, but individuals who are not grappled can simply flinch away before suffering penalties. If another character is touching or grappling you when you spend 1 Blood to activate Burning Touch, that individual may choose either to let go or to suffer the effects of Burning Touch and receive its -3 penalty until your initiative during the next everyman round.
Powers that allow an individual to resist pain do not overcome the pain caused by Burning Touch, unless specifically noted in that power’s description.
Focus [Wits]: Those who have felt your Burning Touch have its agony seared into their subconscious. The threat of torture from a Valeren wielder gives even the most stoic character a reason to reconsider her stubbornness. Anyone who has been affected by your Burning Touch suffers a -5 penalty to resist Intimidation-based interrogation challenges. This effect cannot be used to augment supernatural powers.
••• Mens Sana
Your vitae is an alchemical substance, carrying healing properties like those said to be possessed by sacred figures of myth. By centering your warrior’s chi and focusing your mind, you transmute the blood within your body, causing you to heal at an incredible rate.
System: Once per turn, you can spend 1 point of Blood to heal 1 point of normal damage. Blood spent for Mens Sana does not count towards the maximum amount of Blood a character can spend per turn. You can only perform this action on yourself; you cannot heal other individuals with Mens Sana.
Focus [Wits]: You can use Mens Sana twice per turn, healing up to 2 points of damage for the cost of 2 Blood.
•••• Armor of Caine’s Fury
When this power is activated, the user is surrounded by a shining crimson halo. This phantom armor is formed from the vampire’s spiritual essence and protects her against most physical injuries.
System: Spend 1 Blood and use a simple action to activate Armor of Caine’s Fury. While this power is active, you gain a +3 bonus to all Dodge and Survival defense test pools. If at any point you use a standard action to do anything other than use a Melee attack, a Brawl attack, or move towards a character you intend to attack, Armor of Caine’s Fury ends immediately.
Armor of Caine’s Fury is not mundane armor, and attacks that normally pierce armor do not pierce or ignore the effects of this power.
Focus [Wits]: While this power is active, you gain the benefits of a rage frenzy, without suffering any of the drawbacks. Further, you are immune to both fear and hunger frenzy. These effects do not stack with the benefits of a natural frenzy.
••••• Vengeance of Samiel
When using this power, the Valeren user’s third eye opens and glows with a fierce, brilliant blaze. While under the effects of Vengeance of Samiel, the vampire’s blows become unerring, and their wrath is a fierce, nearly palpable thing.
System: Once per turn, you can spend 1 Blood and use a standard action to make a Melee or Brawl attack against another character. That attack automatically hits, earning a normal success. Powers or effects that completely negate or avoid an attack can be used to avoid Vengeance of Samiel. However, those powers that give a defender bonuses to Dodge have no effect.
Vengeance of Samiel can be used in combination with other powers, such as Potence or Feral Claws, but cannot be used in conjunction with ranged attacks. Also, combat maneuvers cannot be combined with an attack augmented by Vengeance of Samiel under any circumstances.
Focus [Perception]: Your Vengeance of Samiel gives you an exceptional success on this attack, instead of a normal success. Your target may choose to spend a Willpower to convert this automatic exceptional success into a normal success.
