Merits and Flaws
Combination Disciplines
Rossellini Turncoat
The Milliners can go fuck themselves. They constantly complain about their treatment by the bosses, but they go no further than moaning. You found a way of climbing the totem pole without having to kiss Venetian ass for an eternity. These Harbingers will let you do whatever you want with the spirits of the dead, as long as you sabotage the Giovanni. These Lazarenes even said you can“ keep what you kill” when it comes to the war with the Venetians, and you’ ve got your eye on the soul of the stunning Claudia. The cost was high; your initiation was pain beyond anything you’ ve felt, and the tortures the Harbingers’ wraiths then visited upon you was worse, but a month( or was it a year?) later, and you’ re ready for action. A shame your face has atrophied, and your body is catching up, but a styling mask and a tailor-made suit conceal the worst of the damage.
Merits and Flaws
Disciple of Lazarus / Japheth( 2pt. Merit)
You speak for the powers-that-be within your bloodline, and bear the clean, white death mask of a respected Harbinger lost to one of the historic purges suffered by your people. Most Harbingers of Skulls will listen to what you say, and take your words at face value. This Merit adds two dice to any Social roll when you invoke the name of Lazarus or Japheth.
Styx Baptism( 3pt. Merit)
You pledged fealty to the Harbingers of Skulls and swore to work against the machinations of Ashur, despite not being Embraced into the bloodline. You were escorted to the Shadowlands, where you were baptized head-first in the churning waters of the Styx. The flesh upon your head sloughed off with contact over the coming month, leaving just rotten patches or bare bone, reducing your Appearance Rating to 0 permanently. You’ re now held in esteem by Lazarenes, gaining any one of the bloodline’ s Disciplines as a Clan Discipline in place of one of your own.
Half-Life( 6pt. Merit)
You’ re more than just a vampire; you’ re a wraith in vampire form. Your awareness of the realities of death enables you to spend half the regular experience points cost for increasing Necromancy Paths after the first point, and permits you to move between Shadowlands and Skinlands through the expenditure of a Willpower point. You cannot be controlled as a normal spirit through use of Necromancy, but should other vampires discover what you are, you can expect to be hunted mercilessly. You suffer the same weaknesses and have the same strengths as a vampire, but if viewed with a power such as Aura Perception( V20, p. 135) the aura appears as a double-exposure, with a wavering, translucent humanoid shape merging in and out of yours.
Unsanctioned Embrace( 2pt. Flaw)
Lazarus decreed no Harbingers should Embrace, but your sire failed to listen. You’ re hopelessly green and unworthy of the vitae in your veins. Until you perform acts befitting the nobility of your blood, your existence is shunned as a bad omen. Increase difficulties of all Social actions involving your bloodline by two.
Shadow Scarred( 3pt. Flaw)
Since escaping the Shadowlands, you’ ve struggled to reacclimatize to the world of the living. You see ravenous Spectres in every shadow. You must roll your Courage( difficulty 7) or spend a point of Willpower whenever using Necromancy, as you fear the repercussions of touching the Underworld.
Combination Disciplines
Bloodied Hands( Necromancy •, Auspex ••)
Even among immortals, the act of murder is often concealed. Lazarenes use their connection to the auguries of death as potent blackmail material. Through piercing the obfuscations surrounding another being’ s soul, the Harbinger can identify her target’ s most recent victim.
System: The player rolls Perception + Empathy( difficulty 7). Success allows the necromancer to view details of the last sentient being killed by the target. The results are perceived only by the necromancer, and last the duration of the scene.
Successes
Result
1 success The victim’ s face takes the place of his killer’ s.
2 successes The victim’ s body also takes the place of his killer’ s.
3 successes The victim’ s cause of death becomes physically apparent.
4 successes The victim’ s voice speaks the events immediately leading up to his death.
5 successes The victim can voice as much of his life history as time permits.
This power costs 9 experience points to learn.
48 HARBINGERS OF SKULLS