Blessings Be Upon This House

Blessings Be Upon This House (••••)

Action: Extended, 30 minutes/roll, threshold = Sanctuary + 2 * Beauty

Dice pool: Presence + Crafts

Cost: 3 Wisps, 1 Willpower

Duration: Inner Light days

The Noble appeals to the Light to bless the place she stands in and the people who enter it, and dedicates time and sweat to make it both beautiful and inspiring. The Charm is invoked on an area where the Noble is working. If it succeeds, the area becomes a Blessed place for the duration of the Charm.

The Noble must set both the boundaries of the area (and hence its Sanctuary rating), the level of Beauty she desires and the Aspirations she wants it to grant before she starts working on the Charm. Without upgrades, the Noble may give the Blessed place only her own Vocations as Aspirations, or the Blessing of Calm. Each of the Radiant Queens has her own preferred variation of the Charm, learned as an upgrade tied to the Queen's Invocation.

If the Noble invokes the Charm on a Consecrated area, it automatically becomes tied to the Condition, and will last until the Condition ends. The Noble must apply the Charm to the whole of a Consecrated area to link it with the Condition in this way. The Charm cannot be used on any part of an area already under its effects. It also cannot be used on any area with active Taint, and will end instantly if anywhere under its effects becomes Tainted.

Upgrades

Study

Requires Acqua •••

The Noble prepares the area for use as a place of learning or study. She catalogs shelves of books, sets up laboratory equipment, or connects computers into a network. By applying Acqua to the Charm, she may give the area Aspirations based on the Queen of Diamonds’ philosophy. She may also protect people from mental deterioration by creating the Blessing of Integrity.

Carnival

Requires Aria •••

The Noble makes the area welcoming for the clever, deft and cunning. She puts up tents for a carnival, or sews costumes and decorations for a haunted house. By applying Aria to the Charm, she may give the area Aspirations based on the Queen of Spades’ philosophy. She may also protect people from the assaults of real magic by creating the Blessing of Resistance.

Arena

Requires Fuoco •••

The Noble prepares the area for competitions between the worthy and displays of excellence. By applying Fuoco to the Charm, she may give the area Aspirations based on the Queen of Swords’ philosophy. She may also grant people greater determination by creating the Blessing of Willpower.

Grove

Requires Legno •••

The Noble cultivates the area into a tranquil garden. She takes the appropriate supplies (ie, plants, seeds, soil, water, etc.) and makes a grove that instills peace, confidence, and competence. (Most Nobles who take this upgrade follow the lead of Bonnie Getsuei and make serene Japanese-style gardens, with cherry blossoms constantly floating through the air, but that isn’t required.) By applying Legno to the Charm, she may give the area Aspirations based on the Queen of Clubs’ philosophy. She may also speed recovery from all wounds by creating the Blessing of Health.

Ballroom

Requires Terra •••

The Noble prepares the area for a formal social occasion. She prepares the courses for a banquet, or sets up decorations and musical instruments for a dance. By applying Terra to the Charm, she may give the area Aspirations based on the Queen of Hearts’ philosophy. She may also discourage people from breaking the peace of the occasion by creating the Blessing of Defense.

Road of Dawn Upgrades

Intervention

Requires Fulmine •••

The Princess prepares the place for tolerance and acceptance. She sets up chairs for groups, prepares vouchers and sets an atmosphere for the start of self­discovery. By applying Fulmine to the charm, the Princess may create a Blessing that enhances any Attribute or a two attribute roll in which one of the attributes is one selected beyond her own knowledge.

Workshop

Requires Metallo •••

The Princess prepares the place for work. She gets tools, materials, and able hands and workspaces to get the ball rolling. By applying Metallo to the Charm, she may create a Blessing that enhances a Physical Attribute, a Physical Skill and Crafts beyond her own knowledge, or a two­Attribute roll in which one of the Attributes is Physical. She may also help the group make grand feats by weaving in the Specialities Blessing beyond her own knowledge.

Rectory

Requires Vuoto •••

The Princess sets up a place for spiritual occasions or philosophical disputes. She sets the place apart from the rest of the world to speak of higher concerns. By applying Vuoto to the charm, a Princess may create a Blessing that negates Penalties upon rolls using Attributes she selects or enhance the skills Academics, Investigation, Occult, Science, Expression, or Socialize (beyond her own knowledge). She may also encourage people to work upon the better half of themselves by setting in the Virtue Blessing which is considered to work for Virtues not of the Princess’s own.