Vainglory

Seeming Contract

Changeling The Lost Sourcebook p.146
Fairest
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These Contracts draw on Glamour to make the changeling more impressive and awe-inspiring. Several of these clauses allow the changeling to reveal his true mien to mortals in a fashion that neither risks lowering his Clarity nor allows the mortals to remember it clearly. The Striking Looks Merit provides the listed +1 to +2 dice bonus to all Contracts of Vainglory.

Contract Levels

• Mask of Superiority

The changeling convinces a single subject that she is his professional superior or someone of superior social status. This clause cannot compel anyone into obedience, only deceive him.

• Cost: 2 Glamour
• Dice Pool: Wyrd + Intimidation – Resolve
• Action: Instant
• Catch: The changeling pretends to be a socialite or similar celebrity whose fame comes from high standing or good looks alone.

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The subject takes extra offense to the changeling’s obvious lies, perhaps viewing her as dangerously deluded.
• Failure: The illusion fails. The subject sees the changeling as she is.
• Success: The changeling can either convince the subject that she is a high-ranking person in the subject’s workplace, or simply that she is a celebrity, someone important and worthy of notice and respect. The changeling doesn’t control who the target sees, only the general “someone in his workplace” or “a celebrity.” If the subject is expecting someone important to come and talk with him, he assumes the changeling is this person. This Contract does not force any particular action on the subject, but most will behave deferentially. Along with this effect, every success rolled adds one bonus die to all Social rolls to impress, intimidate or command the target. This effect lasts for one scene or until someone else convinces the target that the changeling is not who she claims to be.
• Exceptional Success: In addition to the above effects, the target is firmly convinced of the changeling’s importance and will argue with anyone who claims otherwise. In his certainty, the target gains +1 die to all rolls to convince others of the changeling’s importance.

•• Songs of Distant Arcadia

Some Gentry keep slaves to provide them with more refined forms of entertainment. This clause allows changelings to become consummate performers, preternaturally skilled storytellers or inhumanly eloquent speakers.

• Cost: 2 Glamour
• Dice Pool: Presence + Expression Skill
• Action: Instant
• Catch: The changeling is giving a performance in front of a wealthy and powerful audience.

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The character’s confidence in her ability is utterly misplaced. She receives a –2 dice penalty to all Expression or Persuasion rolls for the next scene, but believes she is giving an excellent performance.
• Failure: The changeling gains no bonus to speeches or performances.
• Success: The character gains a number of bonus dice equal to her Wyrd to all Expression and Persuasion rolls for the next scene.
• Exceptional Success: The changeling delivers an inhumanly excellent performance, adding a number of automatic successes equal to her Wyrd to her next Expression and Persuasion roll, as well as adding the usual bonus dice to all other Expression and Persuasion rolls for the next scene.

••• Splendor of the Envoy’s Protection

The Gentry sometimes send the finest on diplomatic missions where they must be both impressive and difficult to harm. The changeling temporarily abandons the Mask, revealing her fae mien to all mortals (and other beings) within sight. However, using this clause does not harm the changeling’s Clarity, because his appearance dazzles mortals with amazing glory rather than confusing or frightening them. Mortals can clearly see they are talking speaking to a creature of inhuman appearance, but this merely impresses them to the extent that mortal onlookers are incapable of attacking the character except in self-defense.

• Cost: 3 Glamour
• Dice Pool: Presence + Wyrd
• Action: Instant
• Catch: This clause is invoked at a formal party containing at least a dozen people.

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The character appears clumsy and ill mannered, suffering a –2 dice penalty to all Presence or Manipulation rolls for the next scene.
• Failure: The character’s appearance is unchanged.
• Success: The character appears in her true form. Onlookers are awed, but not frightened. The character gains the equivalent of the four-dot version of the Striking Looks Merit. This bonus adds to any others, such as if the character already has the Striking Looks Merit. In addition, as long as the changeling does not brandish a weapon or attempt to harm anyone, ordinary humans cannot attack her. They can attempt to block her path, but they cannot actually harm her except by accident. Supernatural beings may attack the changeling by making a successful reflexive Resolve + Composure roll before each attack. This Contract lasts for one scene, unless the character attacks someone or aims a weapon at someone with threatening intent. Either action instantly ends the Contract’s effects, but the character can order others to attack without necessarily dispelling the effects.

During this time, cameras and other electronic devices will not show or record the character’s true form. Afterwards, human onlookers still consider the changeling as striking and impressive, but either remember her appearance as a wondrous costume or forget that she looked at all inhuman. Supernatural onlookers remember the changeling’s true form, however. This clause affects everyone who sees the character during this scene, not merely those present when it was first invoked.

• Exceptional Success: This effect lasts until the sun next rises or sets (whichever comes first).

•••• Mantle of Terrible Beauty

The changeling appears in her fae mien to all onlookers in a fashion that makes her appear both frightening and terrible. Onlookers see the changeling as a great and terrible version of her normal seeming, but afterwards cannot remember the exact details of what she looked like, only that she filled them with utter terror. As a result, invoking this clause does not risk a changeling losing Clarity.

• Cost: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower
• Dice Pool: Intimidation Skill + Wyrd vs. the subject’s Composure + Wyrd
• Action: Contested
• Catch: The character is fighting a duel or some other combat that has been agreed upon in advance by both sides.

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The changeling looks harmless. All attackers gain confidence, giving them one additional die to all attacks on the changeling for the next scene. The changeling also cannot affect anyone within range until the sun next sets.
• Failure: The clause fails to invoke.
• Success: This clause affects everyone within three yards per dot of the changeling’s Wyrd. One contested roll may be made reflexively for a crowd of mortals based on the highest Composure present. Supernatural beings should each make their own resistance rolls. If the changeling rolls any successes, he fills the affected targets with a mixture of terror and awe. If he rolls more successes than a target, the person must flee the changeling’s presence in utter terror. Those who fail this contest but cannot flee are at a –2 dice penalty to all actions due to fear. They also cannot spend Willpower to gain three extra dice on any rolls, or +2 to any Resistance traits. (Willpower can be spent to activate capabilities or powers that require it, however.) Anyone who rolls as many or more successes as the changeling need not flee, but the changeling awes and frightens them, causing a –2 dice penalty to all rolls to attack or attempt to harm the changeling. The changeling also gains +2 dice to all rolls to Intimidate everyone within range. The changeling’s awe-inspiring appearance persists until the changeling decides to resume her normal appearance or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first. Record the number of successes rolled for the changeling when this clause is activated, and compare it to any rolled for newcomers to the power’s area of effect. This awe cannot be used selectively, and affects all characters near the changeling (save those bound to her by a motley pledge or who share her Court). This clause cannot be used more than once on any subject in a single scene.
• Exceptional Success: All who roll fewer successes than the changeling must either flee or cower helplessly until the awe ceases. Those who roll as many or more successes are at a –2 dice penalty to all actions.

••••• Words of Memories Never Lived

The changeling gives a speech or performance, such as a song or play, which profoundly affects the minds of listeners within 50 yards of the changeling. Although the changeling can augment her voice with a microphone, videos or recordings do not contain the fae magic present in the actual in-person performance. Once the character succeeds in preparing the audience, she can begin weaving a speech or other performance that warps their memories and supercharges their emotions.

• Cost: 3 Glamour + 1 Willpower
• Dice Pool: Wyrd + Expression Skill vs. the subject’s Composure + Wyrd
• Action: Extended and Contested (five successes; each roll represents one minute). If the changeling has not achieved the needed number of successes in a number of rolls equal to her Presence + Expression, the audience loses interest. One contested roll may be made reflexively for a crowd based on the highest Composure present. Supernatural targets may make their own resistance rolls.
• Catch: The changeling is attempting to convince the audience of something that she believes to be factually correct.

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The audience turns hostile. Those who are so inclined may turn to violence.
• Failure: The performance is uninspired and has no effect on listeners.
• Success: The character tells, sings or demonstrates an emotionally charged story. Listeners fall into a light dreamlike trance. The events of this story affect them deeply, and they remember the events being described either as having happened to them or as something they personally witnessed or heard from a trusted friend. The audience reacts to the described events as if to vivid reality, but will not likely take any action they would not normally perform under strong provocation. The changeling cannot control how the audience reacts to their new memories. The effects of this performance last until the sun next rises. A crowd verging on riot told a story about how the events angering them have a reasonable explanation will likely calm down and disperse. Similarly, the members of a peaceful community meeting could be moved to mob violence if told that a neighbor is secretly a serial killer plotting to kidnap and kill their children.
• Exceptional Success: The performance so completely touches the audience’s hearts that they follow any simple and not obviously foolish or suicidal suggestion that the changeling makes about how to react to the story.