The Gifts of the Witch’s Moon focus on the interaction between the flesh and the Shadow, in ways that are often dangerous and, to outside eyes, even sinister. They allow an Ithaeur to entice and then disrupt the affairs of spirits, as well as hex victims of a more physical nature.
Gift Levels
Shadow-Speaking (•)
The idea that a spirit or spirits may choose to contact mortals by speaking through a mortal vessel is a concept as old as humanity — and likely older. This Gift allows the Ithaeur to become that vessel. The Ithaeur opens herself to contact with spirits on the other side of the Gauntlet, allowing willing spirits on the other side to speak through her. The spirit speaks with her voice, and looks with her eyes. This Gift is obviously at its most useful when the pack is unwilling or unable to cross the Gauntlet at a particular location, yet desire to interrogate the spirits of the area.
Shadow Discord (••)
A skilled wolf-witch can call on the Shadow to jinx a material foe, but she can also make things more difficult for those entities trying to reach across the Gauntlet. This Gift causes a form of supernatural interference, countering a spirit’s ability to influence the things it exemplifies.
Luck-Eating (•••)
Some Ithaeur are able to hex their enemies in a particularly subtle fashion. With this Gift, the Crescent Moon can devour a portion of her target’s luck for her own use. The Ithaeur must touch the target in order to activate this Gift; any touch will do, even casually brushing against him in a crowd. The Gift is a subtle one, and the victim fails to realize that anything has happened until something goes terribly wrong.
Cage the Rider (••••)
Many of the spirits that cause the most trouble for Uratha are those that attempt to Ride living creatures. This particularly risky Gift allows the Ithaeur to act as bait to such spirits and then to trap them within herself. Some Ithaeur refer to this Gift as “catching a spirit in my ribcage,” while others liken it to swallowing a spirit for a time or caging a spirit within the mind. Most frequently, this Gift is used either to frighten a spirit into complying with the pack’s demands, or as a temporary way to catch a spirit until a formal Rite of Binding or other means of disposal can be prepared.
Poisoned Essence (•••••)
The final trick taught by the witch’s moon is a curse, and a dangerous one at that. The Ithaeur can levy a hex on an opponent that taints the very Essence within him. As the victim attempts to use his Essence reserve, the tainted energy sends painful shocks throughout his body, eventually causing physical damage as the poison worsens.
This Gift works only on targets that have an Essence trait, such as spirits or other werewolves; it cannot be used to poison a vampire’s blood pool, for instance.
