Lore of Earth

Associated Apocalyptic Form: Kishar, The Visage Of The Earth
Associated House: Malefactor (Annunaki)

Though seldom seen, the Artificers were responsible for maintaining the ever-changing face of Paradise, carving valleys, raising mountains and extended plains in a slow, steady cycle of motion that stimulated all other cycles of physical life. This prime duty was represented by the Lore of the Earth, granting these angels the secrets of shaping rock and soil no matter how vast or small. Hand-in-hand with this enormous task went the responsibility of making the earth accessible to the living creatures that inhabited it by laying pathways from one location to another. The Lore of Paths is a subtle but potent collection of evocations that dictates how a physical object passes from one point to another. Humanity believes that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that's only because the angels of the earth wished it so in times past. Though these potent arts were central to the existence of Paradise, their ways were slow and indirect by mortal standards. When the war began, the Annunaki sought a way to make their powers more immediately useful to their demon and mortal allies, which led to the synthesis of demonically enhanced weapons and tools. These methods, encompassed in the Lore of the Forge, are now considered to be the hallmarks of the Malefactors.

* Earth Meld [ Demon: The Fallen -- Page 186 ]
This evocation allows the demon to bond her physical body with the earth beneath her feet. As long as the evocation is in effect, she can't be moved or pick up or knocked down unless she wishes it.

System: Roll Strength + Survival. If successful, the Malefactor is bound to the earth and can't be moved from that spot unless she wishes it.

Torment: Monstrous demons can sink into the soil and move beneath the earth in any direction they wish. The number of successes rolled determines how many yards the demon can cover in linear travel. Each turn of movement requires a Strength + Athletics roll. If the roll fails, the demon is forced back to the surface.

** Roll The Earth [ Demon: The Fallen -- Page 186 ]
This evocation allows a Malefactor to cause the earth to give up its buried secrets. By concentrating on a particular kind of object (e.g., gold, iron, corpses), the demon causes the earth around her to roil and churn, forcing the objects of her desire to the surface.

System: Your character determines what she seeks within the earth, and you make a Strength + Survival roll. The number of successes rolled determines the radius in yards -- including depth -- from your character that is affected by the evocation. If the object or material is within that area, it's forced to the surface.

Torment: Monstrous demons can use this lore to create a kind of vortex that sucks objects below the surface. Demons or humans affected by the evocation may attempt to dodge its effects if they have an available action that turn. The target is buried a number of feet equal to the number of successes that you roll. Digging out of the tomb of dirt requires an extended Strength + Athletics roll (difficulty , rolled per minute. Until the victim gains more successes than you rolled, she remains buried and suffers damage in the same manner as if she were drowning.

*** Mold Earth [ Demon: The Fallen -- Page 186 ]
This potent evocation allows the Malefactor to cause the earth to move and mold itself according to her whim. With a sweep of a hand, a wall of earth or stone can leap from the ground to shelter her, or a buildng's walls could flow like melted wax, creating a doorway that wasn't there before.

System: Roll Strength + Crafts. The difficulty is determined by the type of material affected (unpacked dirt is difficulty 5; granite, difficulty 6; processed materials like concrete is difficulty 7). The number of successes rolled determines how many square feet of the material the demon can manipulate. The affected material can be directed to assume any shape or form the demon desires within those parameters. The material affected must be within a number of yards equal to the character's Faith, and chances imposed are permanent.

Torment: Monstrous demons can affect the earth in the same fashion as less tormented demons, but the material manipulated is incredibly toxic. Living beings that make contact with this tainted earth suffer one level of lethal damage per turn of exposure.


**** Earth Storm [ Demon: The Fallen -- Page 186 ]
This evocation causes clods of earth and shards of stone or concrete to tear free of the ground and form a whirling storm of deadly projectiles surrounding the Malefactor, providing protection from attacks and supplying the demon with missiles to hurl at foes.

System: Spend one Faith Point and roll Strength + Survival. The number of successes achieved forms a dice pool that's rolled as armor to soak damage from any attacks directed at the Malefactor. The storm itself is centered on the fallen, and it moves as she moves. If the Malefactor wishes, she can sacrifice a die from her pool during any given turn to hurl a fist-sized projectile of earth or stone at a target. As with any ranged attack, roll damage dice pool, equal to the character's Faith score. Individuals caught within this radius are whipped by gusts of stinging grit, increasing the difficulty of any actions taken by one. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene.

Torment: The barrage invokes by a monstrous demon is more akin to a sandstorm, flaying living beings alive and wearing inanimate objects away in moments. The high-Torment version of this evocation doesn't provide extra soak dice or ranged attacks, but inflicts lethal damage dice equal to the character's Torment to everything caught within the storm's radius, except the demon herself. Additionally, the swirling clouds of powdered dirt and stone serve to largely conceal the demon within, increasing the difficulty of ranged attacks directed at her by one.

***** Earthquake [ Demon: The Fallen -- Page 187 ]
By focusing the power of her will, the Malefactor can stir the pent-up energies deep below the earth's surface and create a brief but powerful tremor that reverberate across an entire city.

System: Spend one Faith Point and roll Strength + Survival, and then allocate successes rolled between the intensity and extent of the tremor. The intensity of the tremor is added to the difficulty of any person's actions within the area and is used as a dice pool to determine damage to standing structures. A small wooden building like a shack has one or possibly two structure points, while a brick home might have as many as three or four. The difficulty for the damage roll is 6. If a building sustains more damage than it has structure points, it collapses. The extent of the tremor determines its effective radius. One success causes the tremor to affect a number of square feet equal to the character's Faith score. Two successes affect a number of square yards. Three successes affect a number of square miles. Therefore, a demon can cause immense destruction on a small scale, significant destruction on a medium scale or minor damage across a large scale. A tremor persists for one turn for each intensity point assigned to it.

Torment: A high-Torment demon causes the earth to heave and spew toxic clouds that are thick with ash and that reek of brimstone. In addition to the previously detailed effects, the stinging air increases the difficulty of all Perception rolls made within the affected area by two, and victims suffer one level of bashing damage each turn they're exposed to the fumes. These effects continue for a number of turns equal to the earthquake's intensity.