Master Poet's Craft
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Linguistics: 1
Minimum Arete: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
The mage's skill with words improves, adding 2 dice to a Performance check to compose poetry or prose. This Charm may be purchased more than once, with additional applications adding 2 more dice, but the maximum number of dice provided by all applications of this Charm cannot exceed the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower. Spend 1 additional mote to have this Charm last for an entire day.
Prolific Writer's Pen
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 2
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Master Poet's Craft
The mage's mind reaches its creative peak and his hand moves with certainty, making him capable of composing at great speed. All composition and transcription times for prose or poetry are halved. This Charm may be purchased more than once, to a maximum number of times equal to the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower, with each additional application reducing this speed by another factor (1/2 for 1, 1/3 for 2, 1/4 for 3, 1/5 for 4, 1/6 for 5). Spend 2 additional motes to have this Charm last for one full day.
Master Scribe's Transcription
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Prolific Writer's Pen
Normally, transcriptions are imperfect, containing errors, blots, and other flaws. A mage under the effects of this Charm, however, can flawlessly reproduce a document written in any language with which he is literate without fear of error. The copy takes the usual amount of time and is in the mage's handwriting, but the text is identical in content to the original. Spend 2 additional motes to have this Charm last one full day.
Vivid Words Technique
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Master Scribe's Transcription
The mage's words are chosen so well that they literally conjure up images in the mind of his reader or listener, allowing the audience to see and hear things in the text exactly as the mage imagines them, provided the language in which the expresses these sensations is one that the target speaks. This sensory input does not allow the mage to distract or fool the listener in any way, but it prevents confusion when the mage gives descriptions, allowing her to pass some useful information to the target. The mage could, for example, describe a specific tree so vividly that the listener could pick it out from among a small forest of trees. This Charm works both with the mage's spoken and written words. Spend 3 additional motes to have this Charm last for an entire day.
Read the Subtext
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Master Scribe's Transcription
The mage becomes supernaturally attuned to words, causing written or spoken words in a language she understands to conjure up exactly the images and sensory data imagined by the author. These images are accurate within the limits of the author's knowledge, allowing the mage to gain insights that might be of great value to her. The mage could, for example, read written descriptions of the ingredients of a potion and identify these substances by sight, scent, and even taste, provided the author is or was capable of identifying these herself. The sensory input does not distract of fool the mage. Spend 3 additional motes to have this Charm last for one full day.
Words Stronger Than Truth
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Arete: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Vivid Words Technique
The mage's words and descriptions actually become more real to the victim than reality itself. This personal illusion, while it does not inflict any direct damage, might indirectly cause harm to the target. A victim might walk off a cliff she thinks is a staircase, for example. This Charm only affects targets with a Willpower of 3 or less. This Charm may be purchased more than once, with additional applications increasing the maximum Willpower of targets it can affect by 1, though the mage may not purchase this Charm more times than his Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower. Every time the illusion would result in physical harm to the victim, she may roll a Wits + Awareness with a difficulty equal to the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower, to pierce this illusion. Spend 4 additional motes to have this Charm last for one full day.
Paper-Making Gesture
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 2
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The mage may conjure one blank sheet of paper. This paper is non-magical and real and does not disappear. This Charm may be purchased more than once, but the total number of sheets of paper produced by all applications of this Charm cannot exceed the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower.
Finger-Writing Method
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Paper-Making Gesture
The mage may write using her finger as a quill or brush. For the duration of this Charm's effects, one of the mage's fingers secretes ink at will. Spend 2 additional motes to have this Charm last one full day.
Verbal Dictation
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Master Scribe's Transcription, Finger-Writing Method
This Charm causes every word the mage speaks to appear written on a surface of the mage chooses provided she can write, the surface is normally capable of retaining ink, and the target surface is within (Arete x 10) feet or (Linguistics x 10) feet of the mage, whichever is lower. The words appear in the mage's own handwriting, using characters of any language the mage can read. The mage can stop or resume dictation with a word. Spend 4 additional motes to have this Charm last one full day. If this Charm is used to record the words of multiple targets, the source of each statement is indicated.
Silent Speech Gestures
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 1
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The mage may communicate silently with someone who speaks her language by means of hand signals, lantern movements, or other visible signals. The target is automatically granted the ability to understand these messages and respond in kind, but observers who understand the language can read these messages on a successful Intelligence + Linguistics check at a difficulty of 2, provided they notice the signals, a task that demands a successful Perception + Awareness check at a difficulty of 3. This Charm may be purchased more than once, to a maximum number of times equal to the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower, and additional applications increase the number of people who may communicate by means of these signals by one.
Message in a Bottle
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Finger Writing Method, Silent Speech Gestures
The mage enchants a letter or other written missive by means of this Charm, insulating it against the whims of fate. The letter is assured of eventually reaching its destination, though it might still take time for it to do so. This Charm works whether the message is entrusted to a professional courtier or merely stuffed in a bottle and thrown into the ocean. It can only find locations, however, not individuals, so it is imperative the mage have an address.
Wisdom of Death's Messenger
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Message in a Bottle
The mage enchants a letter or other missive by means of this Charm, which guarantees it will eventually reach its recipient. The mage must merely speak the name of the recipient and send the letter by some means. Given enough time, the letter will reach the individual, if she is alive by the time the missive reaches her. As with Message in a Bottle, this letter's journey is not necessarily swift, but it is assured of success, though the one entrusted with the letter is not likewise protected.
Speech Without Words
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Silent Speech Gestures
The mage may communicate with someone who speaks her language by merely touching the target, though the target may not communicate in return. This method of communication is wholy silent and therefore proof against evesdropping.
Infant's First Words
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Special
Type: Long
Minimum Linguistics: 2
Minimum Arete: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
The mage quickly learns language through immersion in it. The mage must spend 1 full day among native speakers of a single unknown language. At the end of this immersion, the mage gains the ability to communicate basic ideas in this language. This understanding is barely enough to allow the mage to ask directions, buy goods, find food, and express the most basic of emotions. His accent is thick, and his tongue is clumsy, but at least he isn't completely lost in the language. These rudimentary language skills fade rapidly if the mage has a conversation in a language she knows, vanishing in a number of days equal to her Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower. This crude knowledge also fades if the mage does not hear the language spoken for one full day. This Charm can be helpful for a mage who wishes to raise his Linguistics, allowing him to function well enough in a foreign language to learn the tongue in truth. In game terms, use of this Charm reduces the training time required to raise the mage's Linguistics score by 1 week so long as the mage is mostly engaged in activities that require him to speak the language to be learned.
All Words as One
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Arete: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Infant's First Words
The mage's words are understood by all who hear them, so long as the listener speaks a language. The words aren't translated into the listener's native tongue, but she understands them all the same. There is therefore no doubt that magic is at work when a mage uses this Charm.
With the Mother's Voice
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: All Words as One
All those listening to the mage hear her words in their native tongues.
Words Spoken in Silence
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Arete: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Speech Without Words, With the Mother's Voice
The mage may communicate with anyone who speaks a language by merely touching the target, though the target may not communicate in return. This method of communication is wholy silent and therefore proof against evesdropping.
Sky Writing
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Arete: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Wisdom of Death's Messenger, Words Spoken in Silence
The mage may communicate with any being who speaks a language provided it is within the mage's Arete or Linguistics in miles, whichever is lower. The recipient, in turn, may respond, conversing with the mage until the end of the scene. This method of communication is as quick as if the mage and target were in the same room. This Charm may be purchased more than once, up to a maximum number of times equal to the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower. Additional applications increase the range of this communication by a number of miles equal to the mage's Arete or Linguistics, whichever is lower.
