Soul Shepherd
Spirit Shepherds a legacy from Lion_at_the_End
In the animistic traditions of the East, the Invisible World is as dangerous to ghosts as it is to the living. It is inhabited by vengeful gods, hungry demons, and dim reminders of their own failings in life; it is no wonder that the dead, when contacted by the living, are always angry. The Great Wheel is endless but not perfect, and many are the souls who, bound to earthly concerns or to emotions too strong to let go of, are unable to pass on. To reincarnate, to return to that state of primordial Sleep, to experience another chance at Awakening.
And sometimes one Awakens, and realises that she is not a fluke, not a random stranger stumbling upon the Watchtower, but rather is the product of a long, arduous journey. And knowing the way to the Watchtower, she has become a signpost to the Supernal, mediating between living, dead, and gods and demons alike, helping the dead on their way. And if along the way, the grateful dead and benign spirits bestow upon them gifts of power and wisdom, well… the labourer deserves her wage.
Parent Path Moros and Thyrsus are the ones most often drawn to this Legacy, due to their links with the invisible world. The Mysterium also welcomes members of this Legacy, acknowledging both their power and the access to secret lore they bring with them.
Nickname Mediums
Appearance As rooted in tradition as these mages usually are, their dressing is usually conservative (appropriate to their various cultures). The Taoist branch of this Legacy tends to dress either in combinations of black and white, representing the yin-yang dichotomy of the invisible world: the black of the 'dead' yin and the white of the vital yang. They also tend to accessorise heavily, every item a symbol recalling some kind of elemental or numerological affinity.
Background Mediums are recruited from the ranks of those who already express a strong affinity with the spiritual. From voudoun hoguns to charismatic Christian ecstasists, they are almost universally strongly-religious before their Awakening, and see the teachings of this Legacy as a way of translating their religious convictions into action. They are usually taught to interpret their Awakenings through the lens of their faiths: a Christian Mastigos might be encouraged to believe he has seen a vision of Hell and must shepherd the souls of the departed away from it, while a Taoist Thyrsus might be taught that he has seen in the Primal Wild a metaphor for cosmic balance -- if life is cyclical, why not the afterlife as well?
Organisation Spirit Shepherds tend to be loosely-organised according to traditional lines: any given locality might have different 'branches' of mediums, each of which interprets their Legacy's mission through the lens of a different faith. They tend to develop very strong bonds between master and student: many students maintain a kind of awed respect towards their masters even when they have moved on, as in their training they have likely witnessed their masters taming spirits of tremendous power. Very often, masters take their students on sojourns across the Gauntlet, and the student learns to depends entirely on the benevolence and wisdom of their masters in that foreign place.
Oblations Conducting a memorial service for the dead, participating in an act of worship, tending to holy places, conversing with ghosts or spirits, meditation or prayer, fasting, seeking out a Verge Concepts Priest, Spiritist, psychic medium, Consilium representative to the local spirit court, coroner
Attainments 1st: The Mandate of Heaven Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Death 2 (primary), Spirit 1, Occult 2 The Medium asserts an authority granted to her by the gods of her faith: she gains a bonus to all Death Arcanum spells -- whether improvised or rote -- equal to either her dots in the Spirit Arcanum or half her Gnosis rounded down, whichever is less. She may see, hear, and speak with ghosts: this effect has an indefinite duration, and may be activated or deactivated with a moment's concentration. Optional Arcanum: Spirit 2 She may see, hear, and speak with spirits, and in fact perceives them in the same way she perceives ghosts.
2nd: Feast for Hungry Ghosts Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Death 3 Blood is the life, and the dead hunger for it. When he spills blood, the Medium can ritually consecrate it to the dead. This works as per the spell "Devouring the Slain", with two modifications: the mage may choose to convert damage to Essence instead of Mana, and it can explicitly be used on animals -- if they are prepared correctly beforehand. Using it on an animal changes the casting time from 'instant' to 'extended': this extra duration is used to perform a ritual that secures the animal's metaphysical consent. The mage may absorb the released energy, or offer it to an attendant ghost as Essence: the energy may not be consumed without the mage's consent. If the mage allows a ghost access to this energy, it must consent to perform a service for him in exchange, as per the "Control Ghost" spell, with successes equal to the points of Essence consumed. If the mage has Death 4, this service's Duration may benefit from advanced prolongation. This attainment may only be used a number of times a day equal to the willworker's dots in Gnosis. Optional Arcanum: Spirit 3 By filtering the the release of life-energies through his own magic, the mage can render the Essence produced by this attainment 'neutral' and palatable to all kinds of spirits. He may offer the Essence to a spirit on the same terms as to a ghost.
3rd: Ancestors' Bequest Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Death 4 Some ghosts are too devoted to certain concerns to pass on in peace, and they petition Mediums of notable power to use this attainment on their behalf. Mediums are often loath to do so -- they have all been taught the importance of helping ghosts pass on, not encourage them to hang around haunting the living -- but are aware that a ghost whose business remains unfinished may turn vengeful, and see this as a way of helping people connect to their ancestors. This allows them to use a version of the "Create Fetish" spell, using a ghost instead of a spirit as its energising influence, with some differences. The ghost loses its current Fetters and instead is attached to a new one (the fetish) by the mage, which it then inhabits. It may use its Numina on behalf of the item's wielders. The Medium, when using this attainment, is capable of (and often obliged by her training to) specify a condition that, when fulfilled, free the ghost from its Fetter: this extends the duration of the effect (as the Fate 2 ability). Most Mediums will consult the ghost on what this condition should be. Perhaps a protective father will ask to be allowed to watch over his daughter "until she has come of age" or "until she gets married"; a hard-working businessman whose company has been losing money may wish to bring prosperity to his firm "until it recovers"; a vengeful ghost of a murder victim may wish to inhabit a weapon "until he has been avenged". A Medium may even bind an unwilling ghost with the condition "until the ghost has purged its negative emotions". Optional Arcanum: Spirit 4 Tutelary spirits and guardian demigods may also be bound, with the same kinds of conditions. Their agendas are frequently wildly different from that of ghosts. Optional Arcanum: Life 4 As a more extreme step, the mage may bind the ghost or spirit to a living Pattern. This does not give the targeted ghost or spirit access to the Possession Numen if it doesn't already have it. The condition of this binding may be extended to "until the subject dies" if both subject and ghost/spirit are amenable, in which case the subject must buy the Spirit or Ghost Familiar merit.
