The Old Allegiance

The Old Allegiance •••• (Lacrima •••)

 * Action: Extended, 30 minutes/roll, threshold = target’s Willpower
 * Dice pool: Presence + Intimidation, modified by Sympathy
 * Cost: 2 Wisps, 1 Willpower
 * Duration: 1 month

It is right and proper, the Last Empress teaches, for the Nobility to reward those who serve the Light, and punish those who refuse to serve. In a lengthy ceremony, invoking all she knows of him, the Noble weaves the thread of another person’s fate, calling him to assist her in her labors.

When the Noble reaches the threshold, the target’s fate makes him a loyal servant of her Nation, if she has one, until the Charm ends. In a fashion similar to the Entwined Destiny Merit, the target gains Willpower when his actions serve the Nation’s interests, and reaches a breaking point when he flouts them to serve another goal. When the Noble does not have a Nation, the target’s destiny instead pushes him to serve Alhambra and the Queen of Tears; he gains Willpower when his actions further Alhambra’s survival and reaches a breaking point when he could have helped the Last Empress but declines to do so.

Unlike the Radiant Queens’ Charms of Entwined Destiny, it is perfectly possible to use The Old Allegiance on an unwilling target. It is however a compromise to do so, with a -3 penalty to the roll. Further breaking point rolls may be called for if the Noble takes advantage of people she has woven a destiny for. As a general rule, it doesn’t count as consent if they’re only saying it as a result of an artificial destiny.

Collective

 * Requires Lacrima ••••
 * Modified by Commonality
 * Cost: +1 Willpower

The Noble may bind many members of an organization to her goals at once. When she reaches the threshold, all the members of the target organization who see her are affected. The Charm is modified by Commonalty of the target organization, instead of by Sympathy; the threshold is the highest Willpower of those present who can be affected.