HANDS OF POWER - CHOOSE WISELY

All hands of power are draining. It is not something you can use day after day, because that just wouldn't be fun. On the most part you live your life day by day by your Merits if you want any special stuff. Remember to play the game and treat other characters, as you would like your own to be treated. One day you might win a fight, but maybe tomorrow you lose and someone gets to play naughty nurse until you feel better, I don't know. But have fun.

AIR This hand of power held by Queen Maeve of the Seelie Fey gives her the power over the element of Air. Eventually all words spoken will reach her ears if proper precautions are not taken. She can also manipulate air to bring oxygen or take it away, become a force like a cyclone, or bring heat or cold. It is not the most powerful, but its subtlety has proved useful for the queen more than once.

ANIMALISM The shapeshifters, namely the weres all have this ability. Because they are half beast they can interact with the beasts of the world. Depending on what animal lies inside them, they can create an empathic connection with those like him. For instance Lucien is a werewolf, so if he were to come in contact with real wolves, they would most probably see him as dominant and as kin. They can also issue simple commands. Although it isn't necessary to actually "speak" in chirps, hisses, or barks, some Chimaera find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time: if it's broken, the Chimaera must look into the beast's eyes and once again regain contact. Further, the simpler the creature, the more difficult it becomes to connect with the animal's Beast. Mammals, predatory birds and larger reptiles are relatively easy to communicate with. Insects, invertebrates, and most fish (with the possible exception of larger ones like sharks) are just too simple, their Beasts too weak, to connect with.

ASTRAL SELF The Chimaera with this awesome ability project their sense out of their physical shell, stepping from their body as an entity of pure thought. The Chimaera's astral form is immune to physical damage or fatigue, and can "fly" with blinding speed anywhere across the earth -- or even underground -- so long as they remain below the moon's orbit. The Chimaera's material form lies in a torpid state while their astral self is active, and they aren't aware of anything that befalls their body until they return to it. An ephemeral silver cord connects their psyche to their body. If this cord is severed, their consciousness becomes stranded in the astral plane, the realm of ghosts, spirits and shades. Attempting to return to the Chimaera’s physical shell is a long and terrifying ordeal, especially since there is no guarantee that they will accomplish the journey successfully. This significant danger keeps many from using this power for leaving their bodies for long, but those who dare can learn much. Interaction with the physical world is impossible while using Astral Self. At best and only by Selene and Seth’s graces, the character may manifest as a ghostlike shape. This apparition does not last for long and speech will be like a whisper.

AURA This hand of power bestows uncanny sensory abilities upon the Chimaera. Though most of the Chimaera initially have heightened senses, one with this hand of power can perceive the psychic auras that flow around them and others Furthermore, they can often see ‘the unseen’ or those cloaked in darkness, etc. simply by the auras everything casts. This is a wonderful ability when trying to sense another’s basic intentions, moods, etc.

CELERITY Being Chimaera automatically gives you a startling speed and reflexes when compared to a mortal (they would look as if they were moving in slow motion). But having this hand of power magnifies that even further. Some use this hand of power to strike down their foes before the victims are even aware of the attack while others delight in the advantages the power gives them against superior numbers of opponents. Of course there are some, more peaceful in nature that use it to lend preternatural grace to live performances such as dance or extraordinary speed when creating sculptures or paintings --however , they can be as terrifying as any when angered. Like a cheetah, this quickness does not last forever and afterwards it leaves them feeling drained as if they had just run a marathon.

CHARISMA People like you. They really, really like you. You can magnify it with this hand of power and turn on that charm like a floodlight. People will be attracted to you like a moth to a flame and feel compelled to listen, watch, etc to you. They will be compelled, even the toughest I-hate your-guts kind of guy, to be near you, to make you happy. You must have charisma as a merit if you have this hand of power.

COLD FIRE This hand of power, known only to be possessed by the King of the Slaugh, Frost, gives the person the ability to produce cold fire, a frozen ball of fire that on impact is as deadly as the real thing and has killed more than one Chimera. He must be near ice/water/snow etc to manipulate it into this form. You do not want to encounter this. It is like real fire.

CONDRADICT With this power the Chimaera can interrupt a subject's though processes, forcing the victim to reverse his current course of action. An archon may be caused to execute a prisoner she was about to exonerate and release; a mortal lover might switch from gentle and caring to sadistic and demanding in the middle of an encounter. The results of Contradict are never precisely known to the Chimaera in advance, but they always take the form of a more negative action than the subject had originally planned to perform.

DARKNESS Possessed by the Unseelie King and few others, this hand of power allows the Chimaera a limited control over shadows and other ambient darkness. Though the Chimaera cannot truly "create" darkness, they can overlap and stretch existing shadows, creating patches of gloom and even create a cloud of inky blackness from the darkness already existing. Roarke uses this hand of power to deepen darkness and create a blackness that scares even those born to the night. By varying accounts cold or hellishly hot and cloying, the darkness can be used to aggravate or even smother victims. Light is often obscured completely, as well as sound to some extent and those who have been trapped within it (and survived) describe the cloud as viscous and unnerving. Because of this hand of power Roarke also has an affinity with all things of the night (e.g. nocturnal animals, plants, Chimaera, etc).

DEMENTIA You might think this a harmless little hand of power, but it is very deadly. Everyone has a quirk inside them, be it a flaw, a fear, a delusion, an obsession or an emotion that is quite strong. Someone with this hand of power can stir all of that heightening the victim to a fevered pitch as if they were mad. It is usually only one person at a time, though more powerful Chimaera can use dementia on a group of people and lasts from a few hours to a days and weeks. The only problem with this hand of power is that it slowly eats away at the Chimaera's own psyche until one day with overuse they too will go mad.

DEMONIKA This exceedingly dangerous power allows the wielder to tap into the Realms of Hell. Through the use of ancient rituals, it allows demons, akumas, asuras and other denizens of the Netherworld to be brought to the Mortal Plane. These creatures retain their free will during summoning, and magic, bargaining or manipulation is required to control them. Inexperienced practitioners often find this out the hard way. Demonika also has a variety of other uses. A proficient user can draw upon the terrible energies of the Hells to destroy their enemies. For example, a wielder can create blasphemous runes that can strip the flesh from the bones of whoever is struck by them. Demonika can provide protective magic, but even in this its essence is destructive - rather than simply shielding the user, it will destroy the attacker. Use of this potent magic is not for the inexperienced or the foolhardy. So far only Bethany Feranti has mastered this hand of power.

DOMINATE The Chimaera has such a strong psychic mind that you are able to dominate others minds. Unless you are quite powerful (usually Council) this is usually limited to giving a one-word command that your target will obey instantly unless of course it is ambiguous, in which case temporary confusion ensues. Eye contact must be maintained throughout the command. Or to make a person forget a particular event (say a feeding - unwilling, as not to alert the police and well all those nasty consequences). If you are powerful enough, loyalty, obedience are other traits as well as having a victim believe that she is acting of her own accord and cannot be convinced otherwise unless hard evidence is produced. This is one of the most draining hands of power and one of the most powerful. Very few have it.

DREAM WEAVER This power allows for the interaction of mortal dreams while the Chimaera themselves are also dreaming. Unless Selene gives you the go ahead, the most you can do is manipulate objects in the dream, have conversations with the other dreamer, and increase emotions or textures of the dream. But like all hands of power, this can be very draining and difficult as you are using the power inside you. After dream weaving you feel very drained and most of your physical abilities have decreased in half. A very powerful dream weaver may have the ability to remove or alter aspects of the dream or reshape the dream at the risk of whatever consequences such actions create.

ELATION The Chimaera can invoke laughter in others; they will find whatever you say or do to be hilarious. A few of the more malicious Chimaera who have this ability use this when fighting as it pleases them to no end to have a man laughing as he dies. Of course, most use it to calm people down or avert their emotions and attentions to other things. Like all hands of power, this can be draining, but only when trying to attempt to amuse an entire room.

EMPATHY This hand of power allows the Chimaera to sense, learn the emotions of others. It can be used to learn what thought, emotion, or urge is being most rigorously repressed as well as those that are quite clear. This power can also magnify the wielders emotions onto another person. Some wielders have the power to invoke sadness, happiness or even fear. For those who are leaders this hand of power can be quite useful to spur your followers to victory or to inspire them to greatness. There are even tales of wielders making someone love them for a time, but when the power faded, the results are disastrous because the opposite emotion can be magnified double. Most users of this power are also very 'people' oriented and feed off extreme emotions as Kindred feed off of blood.

ENTRANCE The Chimaera can enchant a target who will seek to please him/her of their own free will. The effect lasts for little more than a day, so use it wisely unless you are Council and is very draining since you are altering someone’s will.

ENTROPY Call it the Hand of Murphy as in Murphy's Law. What will go wrong, does. Guns can misfire, swords rust, doors splinter, tempers flare, hearts stop, strokes burst, memories disappear, people trip and batteries die. It can also make hands of Power unpredictable (e.g. lightning misses its mark, shifters only half shift) Bastian Diablo, the only known person to have this hand can also make him rid that entropic factor. For example he could pick the winning lottery number simply be reducing the existing entropy in the system. He can spot the weakness in everyone and everything and use that against them. In short Bastian just got A LOT scarier due to finding a key. Thankfully he doesn't realize it yet.

FATE FIRE These casters of fate use this power to occasionally receive precognitive insights. These brief, unfocused, glimpses may be odd premonitions, flashes of empathy or eerie feelings of foreboding. They have no control over these perceptions, but with practice can learn to interpret them with a fair degree of accuracy. This is draining and often leaves the user of this power feeling very disoriented and feeling the emotions dominating in the visions.

FEAR The hand of fear gives the user not only the ability to invoke fear in either an individual or a group of people, but to fashion it and use it like any other weapon. It can be as simple as pulling a person's worst fears from their minds and bring them to life, amplifying a fear or even using it to fashion a blade to pierce an enemies heart with the worst emotion leaving them paralyzed. Mortals often die from heart attacks or kill themselves to stop the fear. Chimaera are far more heartier, though prolonged exposure has said to drive even the most stalwart mad.

FIRE This power gives a Chimaera the power over flames. It can be used to conjure forth mystical flames -- small fires at first, but more powerful and skilled Chimaera may create great conflagrations. It can also be used to aggravate flames (make a small fire engulf a house), or extinguish them. This power is greatly feared as fire is one of the surest ways to bring Final Death to Kindred. Fire conjured by this hand of power must be released for it to have any effect. Thus, the "palm of flame" does not burn the Chimaera’s hand and cause an aggravated wound -- it merely produces light. Once the flame has been released, however, it burns normally and the character has no control over it.

FLESH This very powerful hand of power is possessed by both Roarke and Gitanne and no known others. With this hand of power they can sculpt their own or others' flesh and bone. Both can use this power to alter their own bodily parameters: height, build, voice, facial features, and skin tone, among other things. Such changes are cosmetic and minor in scope -- no more than a foot of height (gained or lost), for example. The result however is that often times they are inhumanly beautiful which can prove to be its own power. Of course they can also use this power on others as well. There is a difference in Roarke and Gia’s power however. Roarke does not have the ability to use this hand on Shapeshifters, while Gitanne does hence her nickname Mistress of the Beasts. As Mistress of the Beasts, Gia has the ability not only to call Animals and Shapeshifters to her, but can force the change in a Were and keep them that way.

Flesh can be used to alter mortals, ghouls and Chimaera of lesser power. For mortals and ghouls the effects are permanent, but for Chimaera they may heal the effects as if they were aggravated wounds. While this hand of power permits powerful and horrific effects, the wielder must obtain skin-to-skin contact and must often physically sculpt the desired result. This even applies to the use of the power on oneself. This is very draining and is hardly used, but when it is used…beware.

FORTITUDE This describes a type of supernatural toughness and vigor which allows Chimaera extra advantages in resisting the harm to which their kind is especially vulnerable. For Kindred, this not only means they are able to shrug off the injury inflicted by guns and weapons of all sorts, but are even more resistant to "normal" injuries. Of course fire and sunlight are very deadly save for a few. For shapeshifters this fortitude is very much the same, but since increased fortitude is already one of their abilities they gain as a were. If a shapeshifter has this hand of power even silver will not harm them and they are more or less invulnerable. For Fey it is very much like the Kindred though sunlight gives them nothing but a nice tan. This requires little energy and is not very draining.

GLAMOUR This power is innate in all Fey and incorporates illusion. But unlike illusion it is intensifying and diminishing what is already present, not creating things that are not there. Those with this hand of power are exceptionally good at Glamour, so well that is difficult if not impossible to tell the difference between reality and glamour. Most often it is used to change the perception or influence the perception of others, causing them to see someone different from the immortal himself. Although the Chimaera's physical form doesn't change, unlike Flesh, any observer who cannot sense the truth sees whomever the Chimaera wishes her to see. The Chimaera must have a firm idea of the visage he wishes to project. The primary decision is whether to create and imaginary face or to superimpose the features of another person. Manufactured features are often more difficult to compose in believable proportions, but such a disguise is easier to maintain than having to impersonate someone else. Of course, things get simpler if the Chimaera borrows the face but doesn't bother with the personality. Actually posing as someone else carries its own problems. The character should know at least basic information about the individual; especially difficult deceptions (fooling a lover or close friend) require at least some familiarity which the target in order to succeed. Of course one can also use this hand of power to make a room brighter, darker, and things of that nature. Those who have the hand of power of Glamour are able to prevent others from seeing through the glamour.

HAUNTING The Chimaera may stir the sensory centers of their victim's brain, flooding the victim's senses with visions, sounds, scents, or feelings that aren't really there. The images regardless of the sense to which they appeal, are only fleeting "glimpses," barely perceptible to the victim. The "haunting" effects occur mainly when the victim is alone and mostly at night. They may take the form of the subject's repressed fears, guilty memories, or anything else that is dramatically appropriate for the plot line. The effects are never pleasant in any case. For example, one may use haunting on a person who hates spiders. At first the victim may think they brushed past a spider web. The next hour, maybe they see a spider crawling on their arm and flick it away quickly. In six hours, the victim is convinced that there are spiders everywhere and they have one target in mind…them. If they last the eight hours that the power lasts (and not gouging the invisible spiders from their own body or others) everything will turn to back to normal, but the crawling feeling would remain for a while.

HEALING With this hand of power, the Chimaera can heal himself as well as others. However he cannot bring life back if it is not there (Kindred are the exception to this rule since they are technically already dead) or give back body parts as if the injured were a starfish. This is a very powerful hand but unfortunately it has its downsides. Often the healer will experience mild symptoms of the wound they healed (e.g. healing a blow to the head, they would experience mild to severe migraines depending on the severity of the wound…a deep cut, they may have a scratch on their arm that throbs a little, etc). The wounded will feel a warmth when they are healed and in rare times a healing light will seem to permeate from the healer’s hands. The Chimaera must touch in order to heal. It of course can be very draining as you are using your own life force.

HEIGHTENED SENSES While a Chimaera already has heightened senses, this hand of power doubles them even further. While their sense of taste and touch extend no further than normal, they likewise become far more acute; if they are Kindred they could taste the hint of liquor in a victims blood that they had hours ago, or feel the give of the board concealing a hollow space in a floor etc, etc. The Chimaera may magnify their senses at will, sustaining this heightened focus for as long as they desire. The Chimaera must be careful lest this heightened sensitivity cause them her to be distracted by beautiful things, startled by loud noises or overwhelming foul smells. Sudden or dynamic events can disorient them as well. In addition to the possibility for distraction mentioned above, an especially sudden stimulus -- like the glare of a spotlight or a clap of thunder -- can blind or deafen the Chimaera for an hour or more. SO be careful.

ILLUSION Illusion is an art of conjuring; the Chimaera may draw upon their inner powers to bring phantoms to life. These false images can confound mortal senses and sensory equipment alike. If the Chimaera is strong enough, illusions created by this hand of power may even baffle the heightened senses of another Chimaera. For instance, they may evoke a sulfurous stench, the image of a curtain, or the feel of raw silk maybe even throw a mirage over a dank basement, making it appear to be a sumptuous boudoir, although she could no create flickering candles or a flowing fountain. Stronger weavers of illusion could create the illusion of a living being, running water, fluttering drapes or a roaring fire as well as convincing the victim that the hallucinatory fire can burn him, and imaginary noose can strangle him, and an illusory wall can block him (this affects only one person at a time, is extremely draining and can only be proved a falsehood if Selene or Seth whispers it so in their ear. Of course the less powerful illusions may be seen for what they are by a victim who "proves" the illusion's falsehood (e.g. a person who walks up to an illusory wall, expresses his disbelief in it, and puts his hand through it effectively banishes the illusion). But most people do not the see the falsehood unless there is something off, like the non-flickering candlelight. This is one of the most powerful hands of power known and as far as anyone knows the only one who has it is Nicholas Giovanni and Khan Sherka.

INANIMATIA The Chimaera can cause an inanimate object to provoke an emotion of her/his choice in anyone who looks at it (a painting, a building, etc). This is draining and difficult as it requires enough power to affect so many, but the result is absolutely fascinating.

LIGHT With this hand of power, the Chimaera has limited power over the powers of light. Abilities range from illuminating or casting auras of light upon objects or places to cause objects, people or even an entire place to become lit by this phosphorescence (somewhat like a flood light. Really nifty uses in front of religious types.) Because light is the opposite of dark, this ability can also bring comfort to those in terror…nice calming influence.

MIND NUMB The Chimaera may make a group of targets apathetic even in danger, insulted or in amorous intentions. They will lose all special interests like love, hate, friendship, fear, etc in each other and in you. This is difficult and some may fight it, especially if their flaws are true love, revenge, etc. But done on the right people, very interesting.

MOTHER EARTH With this hand of power, the Chimaera has limited control over Mother Earth. It can be used to create specific earth tremors, to earth meld, to manipulate the earth and its contents. Small earthquakes are possible but are location specific (no entire East Coast goes into the sea because of one. More like a house in particular, creating a fissure in an alley where your enemy is, etc). Earth meld enables a Chimaera to become one with the earth. They literally sink into the bare ground, transmitting their substance to bond with the earth. Though a Chimaera can immerse themselves fully into the ground, they cannot move around within it. Further it is impossible to meld into the earth through another substance. Wood slats, blacktop, even artificial turf blocks the effectiveness-- of course, it's a relatively simple matter for them to grow claws and rip apart enough of the flooring to expose the raw soil beneath. This is excellent power for Kindred as the vampire gains full protection from daylight when outdoors. It is also the method of choice for those Kindred who wish to sleep away the centuries; these vampires lock themselves in the earth's embrace, gaining strength and power as they rest. However, a disruption to the soil that the immortal occupies or to his presence on the astral realm, returns himself him to the physical world immediately (and to full wakeness), showering dirt outward as his body displaces the soil. The final use of this power is to manipulate the Earth to create things. Those who use Earth pay homage to Mother Earth and thank her for helping them.

NECROMANCY This hand of power allows limited power over the realm of the dead. It can be used to call a ghost back from the Underworld, though for conversational purposes only (In order to perform this the wielder must have an object that the wraith had some contact with in life nearby). It is also used to create zombies and gives the Chimaera the ability to see and interact with those in the realm of the dead, which can be both useful and hindering at the same time.

OBFUSCATE This uncanny power enables Chimaera to conceal themselves from others' sight. There are two levels of this power. The most basic level the Chimaera must rely on nearby shadows and cover to assist in hiding their presence. He steps into an out-of-the-way, shadowed place and eases himself from normal sight. The Chimaera remains unnoticed as long as he stays silent, still, under some degree of cover (curtain, bush, doorframe, lamppost, alley) and out of direct lighting. The immortal's concealment vanishes if he moves, attacks or falls under direct light. Furthermore, the Chimaera’s deception cannot stand concentrated observation without fading. So long as they remain quiet and motionless, virtually no one but those with the hand of Seeing the Unseen will see them.

The second level of this power is the ability to disappear simply by wishing to remain unseen by all even if they stand in full view of a crowd. At this level it is only used by Council Members or those who have been graced by the good fortune of Selene and Seth. They don’t actually become invisible; they simply delude any observers into thinking they have vanished. So profound is this vanishing that the Chimaera can fade away even if they stand directly before someone. While the disappearance itself is quietly subtle, its impact on those who see it is anything but. Most mortals panic and flee in the aftermath. Especially weak-willed individuals wipe the memory of the Chimaera from their minds. Although other Chimaera are not shaken so easily, a sudden vanishing may momentarily surprise even them. Unless the Chimaera purposefully makes themselves seen, they can remain obscured indefinitely. Under most circumstances, few mortals or supernaturals can penetrate Obfuscate's cloaking fog. Animals, operating on a more instinctual level, often perceive (and fear) the Chimaera’s presence even if they can't detect them with their normal senses. Children and other innocents to whom deception is foreign might also be able to pierce the deception. Since Obfuscate affects the viewers mind, Chimaera cannot use this hand of power to cloak their presence from mechanical devices. Video recordings and photographs capture their image faithfully. Even so, such is this hand of power’s ability to bend the mind that someone using a recording device will not see the Chimaera’s image until she views the footage at a later date. Since the Chimaera fully retains his physical substance, he must be careful to avoid contact with anything that may disclose his presence (knocking over a vase, bumping into someone). Even a whispered word or the scuffing of a shoe against the floor can be enough to disrupt the power. Although the character is cloaked from view while he smashes trough a window, yells out or throws someone across the room, they become visible to all in the aftermath.

PERCEPTION This unique hand of power, possessed only by Nemesis, allows the user to truly 'see' the world as it is. All is revealed. For example, Nemesis can see the ley lines that Roarke built, see through Nicholas Giovanni's illusions as well as any other magics such as glamour and even flesh. No one can hide from The Whispering Death and as she can see through most Hands of Power, she is largely unaffected by them. When using this ability, Nemesis can see the all the links in the chain - and knows exactly where to strike to make it all come crashing down. However, this is a double edged sword. Use of this Hand of Power is physically and mentally stressful, leaving the user with a sore eyes and an aching head. Perhaps more ominously, it sometimes allows the wielder to see certain things lurking at the edges of reality that are better left unseen...

PHYSICA This power allows the Chimaera to manipulate its physical form. They can grow bestial claws, assume the forms of animals or transform into mist. The Chimaera's clothes and personal items also change when they transform, presumably absorbed within their very substance. Chimaera cannot transfigure large objects or other brings. In another animal’s form, the Chimaera is a particularly imposing representative of the animal kingdom. Indeed, he is far superior to normal animals. In mist form, the Chimaera’s physical shape disperses into a hazy cloud, but one still subject entirely to their will. They float at a brisk pace and may slips under doors, through screens, down pipes and through other tiny openings. Although strong winds can blow the Chimaera from their chosen course, even hurricane-force winds cannot disperse their mist shape.

POTENCE This power gives the Chimaera increased strength that surpasses the preternatural strength all Chimaera already have. Potence enables Chimaera to leap tremendous distances, lift massive weights and strike opponents with terrifying force. Some have been known to leap so far they seem to be flying, toss cars aside like a tin can, and punch through concrete as if it were cardboard. While the more mental hands of power are awe-inspiring, Potence's brute effectiveness is formidable in its own right especially in a fight. It is also one of the less draining hands of power.

PRESENCE When your character walks into a room, you can turn on your hand of power and no one will miss you. Some are in awe if that be what you are projecting at the time, while at other times you can adopt a threatening presence and they will fear you. Used correctly this can be quite effective in getting what you want. For those more powerful Chimaera, this power can be used to create a strange sensation similar to depression when not in your presence. A bonded victim is no less likely to attack his controller, and feels no particular positive emotions toward her. However, he is psychologically addicted to her presence and has engendering feelings of lethargy and helplessness when the Chimaera is not around.

PRIMAL FORM Deep within humanity is the beast, terrifying when revealed. How yet more terrifying is the bestial form within Chimera? With this hand of power the Chimera can reach out to this primal form. The Chimera’s physical form enlarges and warps into something monstrous, filling with rage. The beast is brought so close to the surface that all but the most stalwart mortal cowers in terror and madness. If a shape shifter, this gives the shape shifter some additional control over his form, allowing changes at times other than the full moon, etc.. This hand is not without its price: one cannot play with the beast within without becoming wholly beast, uncontrolled and mad.

QUIETUS This hand of power allows the Chimaera to create a mystical silence that radiates from her body, muting all noise within a certain vicinity. No sound occurs inside this zone, though any sounds originating outside the area of effect can be heard by any one in it. This silence, with difficulty, can be transferred to an object or person. Rumors abound of a certain Chimaera assassin who has the ability to silence a location rather than a circumference that follows them as well as her targeted victim, so no one hears their ‘death screams’.

REPRISAL This hand of Power requires touch, but it is a deadly hand none the less. Call it the Karmic Hand of Power for with one touch any harm an individual has done upon another person will be inflicted upon them. However it is a double edged sword for the bearer of the Hand of power will have echoes befall themselves as well though less severe. It is not a hand of power you would want to use on say...the Lord of Sorrows. Though we may all laugh and smile and be relieved at his defeat, ultimately whomever used the hand of Reprisal on him would probably die as well.

RUINATION Ruination is both a devastating hand of power and a dangerous one. Absolute control is necessary for one small mistake could mean everything. Ruination does as the name suggests, it destroys. Swords rust and crumble as if ravaged by thousands of years, buildings crumble and a person's heart could wither away in a matter of minutes. It is a touch based hand of power and very difficult to control. (Think Rogue without being able to gain other mutants powers) Bearers of this hand tend to be loners, afraid to touch and be touched. They often wear gloves and bear the weight of seeing many things lost. Only Selene can grant this power.

SEEING THE UNSEEN With this power, it enables the Chimaera to perceive many things beyond mortal ken. Among it's many uses, this hand can be used to detect the presence of a supernatural being who is hidden from normal sight (Someone using Obfuscate, a mage cloaked with invisibility, a wraith, etc) or pierce illusions created by Glamour, Illusion, etc. Very few have been granted with this special ‘second sight’ and sometimes piercing the veil does more harm for the Chimaera than good.

SERPENTIS This hand of power is for those Chimaera (they tend to be Kindred) who pay homage to Machida, a serpent demon of considerable power from Chimaera. With it they can adopt the attributes of the serpentine god himself from the legendary hypnotic gaze of the serpent to a forked tongue, to venom, etc. With the gaze, the Chimaera’s eyes become gold with large black irises, and mortals in the character's vicinity find themselves strangely attracted to him. A mortal who meets their beguiling gaze is immobilized. Unless the character takes his eyes off his mortal victim, the person is frozen in place. With this hand of power the Chimaera may lengthen her tongue at will, splitting it into a fork like that of a serpent. The tongue may reach 18 inches, and makes a terrifying effective weapon in close combat. The tongue's razor fork opens aggravated wounds and if they wound their enemies, they may drink blood from the target on the next turn as though she had sunk her fangs into the victim's neck. Horrifying though it is, the tongue's caress is very like the Kiss, and even strikes mortal victims helpless with fear and ecstasy. Additionally, the tongue is highly sensitive to vibrations, enabling the Chimaera to function effectively in the darkness the clan prefers. Finally they can create a venom that slowly poisons and eventually kills (for Chimaera it puts them into a catatonic state). It is known only to be possessed by Council Chairs and is very deadly indeed as it can be delivered by a bite, a kiss (fleck their lips with the poison, for a "kiss of death") or weapons coated in the venom.

SHADOW BOUND Similar to Shadow Weaver, a Shadow Bound Chimera takes a different approach at manipulating the dark stuff of life. Rather than control shadows, they can form themselves into Shadow (similar to Physica's mist) to move through smaller or higher places easier than a humanoid could, but only so long as they are within their natural surroundings; where light disperses shadow these Chimera may not pass except in their physical form. They are also quite capable of hiding within the deep, dark recesses of shadow (again, limited by degree of light shining down on them). Being one with Shadows also allows them to move incredibly fast on their feet outside of light; a typical draw back tends to be a certain accumulating fatigue while in the presence of bright lights, correctable with some time off in the darkness...

SHADOW WEAVER This power allows Chimaera to separate shadows from their casting bodies and even shape darkness into the shadows of things that are not truly there (say another person veiled in darkness or it is rumored that some have used this power to choke mortals to death with their own shadows because they displeased them or to create simple weapons like swords to fight with). It also gives them the ability to lengthen shadows, creating a semi darkness which can be useful when trying to hide and are able to effectively travel hereto unseen if in these shadows (However it is not like Obfuscate).

SOUL STEALING This awesome power is known only to be possessed by Ba-ali. This power affects the living, not the dead. It can however strip the soul from a Kindred, leaving only the Beast behind. For mortals, Ba-ali can turn their soul into a sort of wraith, and exile them from their corporeal body. From here on they have only one tie to this Realm and this world: their now-empty body. Ba-ali feeds on these essences, and in doing so gains their powers and their memories. For Chimaera the process is more difficult as Ba-ali must siphon the spirit slowly. The victim will feel weaker and feel as if they have no will of their own. Over time, he can take the spirit away completely leaving the Chimaera a wraith, but is doubted that Ba-ali can actually feed off this soul. With difficulty the Chimaera may traverse the Spirit World back to its undestroyed body or that of another.

SPIRIT OF THE BEAST With this hand of power the Chimaera may psychically possess an animal by locking his/her gaze with that of the beast. In doing so the beast’s weaker spirit (or mind) is pushed aside by the Chimaera’s own consciousness. The Chimaera’s body falls into a motionless state akin to Torpor while his mind takes control of the animal's actions, remaining this way until their consciousness returns. The power intertwines the character's consciousness closely with the animal's spirit, so much so that the character may continue to think and feel like that animal even after breaking the connection. This effect may last an hour up to a day. Although the Chimaera has no conscious link to his body while possessing the animal, he does form a sympathetic bond. Anything the animal feels, the Chimaera also experiences, from pleasure to pain. In fact, any damage the animal's body sustains is also applied to the character's body, although the Chimaera may soak as normal. If the animal dies before the Chimaera’s soul can flee from the body, the character's body falls into Torpor until Selene and Seth take him out of it. Presumably this is sympathetic response to the massive trauma of death.

TEMPESTS Not unlike the uncanny powers the X-men Storm has, this hand of power gives the Chimaera control of the weather. They can control the winds, call lightning bolts at their command, create clouds to cover the sun or moon, updrafts that make them seem to fly, etc. It is very draining, but the effect is almost godlike in nature. (Only Selene can grant this as it is very very powerful…just ask, she likes giving people power)

VITAE This hand of power gives the Chimaera some control over blood. She can change the taste from ambrosia to bile, from power giving to power taking (her own blood). But the most deadly ability is the power to drown her target in his own blood. By Concentrating, the Chimaera bursts her target's blood vessels and floods his lungs with vitae that proceeds to strangle him from within. The blood actually constricts the target's body from the inside as it floods through his system; thus, it works even on the unbreathing Kindred.

WATER With this ability, the Chimaera has limited power over the element of water. The sea is at her command and those living in it. They can manipulate it to their will. Of course being in New York and the Ocean has its advantages for one who has this hand of power.

WRATH The Chimaera can enrage others; this can be very dangerous as the results are unpredictable and you may be the thing they were thinking of when you used your hand. You can also invoke Kindred and Weres into a frenzy, though unless you are far far away, which is pretty much impossible to do, or in the pope mobile which could be tricky as well, I wouldn’t recommend it, but it can be done. Of course it can also be quite useful. It is very difficult to enrage more than three individuals at a time. A mob for instance would make you feel like you have the flu. (That achy, I won’t get up for anything drained feeling) And that’s if you get out of the frenzy unscathed.

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