Vever Drawing [Song]: Defaults to Parent Song (-3/-6); May not exceed Parent Song/level;
Maximum TN that of the Parent Song
As a rule, the Host indignantly and loudly rejects
the claim that this particular practice comes from the Loa... provided, of
course, that such rejection can be done without risking dissonance. Seraphim and those speaking Angelic instead
decline to legitimize such a wild accusation with a reply.
Angelic snobbery aside, Vever Drawing owes quite a
good deal to Santeria practices, although Navaho sand-drawing was also mined
for useful techniques. This skill allows
the user to temporarily inscribe a Song into some sort of physical medium,
where it will last until triggered. Any
relatively easy to modify medium is acceptable: chalk or powder drawings are
most common, but Vevers have been created via graffiti art, tattooing and even
finger-paints. A unique Vever Drawing
must be learned for each Song (and variant thereof) known; they may be
recognized with a successful Knowledge (Song Lore) or (Theology: Santeria)
roll.
There are two triggering mechanisms: the first is
accomplished by having the original singer (and no-one else) symbolically complete the Song encapsulated in the
Drawing. This is handled by a regular
Song roll at -3, plus the Vever Drawing skill; on a successful roll the Drawing
will hold the Song for CD days. All
Essence is spent and Disturbance created at the time of the Song's performance. The more esoteric use is to create a Drawing
that will go off when anyone touches it - including the original user. This is essentially a way to create a booby
trap; the Song roll is at -6 (no default use allowed) plus the Vever Drawing
skill. A successful Drawing can last
indefinitely; an unsuccessful one will go off immediately. Again, all Essence is spent and Disturbance
created at the time of the Song's performance.
In either event, the time it takes to create a
Drawing depends on the skill level:
Vever Drawing/1: One full day
Vever Drawing/2: One extra hour
Vever Drawing/3: Five extra Minutes
Vever Drawing/4: One extra minute
Vever Drawing/5: Two extra rounds
Vever Drawing/6: No extra time
This is cumulative with the regular pluses to skill
for extra time spent performing.
Finally, while it is possible to reuse an undamaged
Vever in order to hold a new Song, it requires a new skill roll each time (but
not extra time). A reused Vever may not
hold a Song higher than the level of the Song that it was originally created
for.