Mortis

The Discipline Mortis is rooted in the control and manipulation of death. More specifically, Mortis is a form of magic dealing with corpses and their conditions after death. This Discipline is inherent in the Cappadocian clan and is said to have been given to the clan Elders by Cappadocius himself. The clan, Cappadocian is the only to possess the natural affinities for this Discipline. Cappadocians believe that when a person dies the soul leaves the body, but an echo of the soul remains. Mortis, like the Tremere discipline Thaumaturgy, is seperated into different paths and rituals.
In the Final Nights Mortis evolves into the Samedi discipline of Thanatosis and the (primarily) Giovanni blood magic of Necromancy. Mortis and Necromancy are very similar Disciplines, separated primarily by semantics and focus. Mechanically, they are the same: their rituals and paths are fully compatible.
==Mortis Paths==
===The Grave's Decay===
(Published in the Dark Ages: Vampire core book.) This path may evolve into the Thanatosis Discipline.
*• Destroy the Husk: Turns a corpse into a pile of ashes.
*•• Rigor Mortis: Allows the Vampire to cause Rigor Mortis or extreme muscle stiffness in mortal or undead bodies.
*••• Wither: Allows the Vampire to cripple an opponent's limb whether they are undead or mortal. The muscles shrivel up, the bones get brittle, the skin peals, etc.
*•••• Corrupt the Undead Flesh: This ability causes the victim to be stricken with a horrible, contagious plague.
*••••• Dissolve the Flesh: An expansion upon the level one ability, this ability allows the Vampire to turn vampiric flesh to ash.
===The Corpse in the Monster===
(Published in the Dark Ages: Vampire core book.)
*• Masque of Death: Allows the Vampire to turn his/her body into a corpse-like state.
*•• Cold of the Grave: The Vampire enters a state of death where in they can temporarily feel no emotional or physical pain.
*••• Curse of Life: The user causes a vampire to feel destructive aspects of his/her previous life, such as hunger, thrist, etc.
*•••• Gift of the Corpse: This ability temporarily removes the inherent weaknesses of a vampire, such as vunerability to sunlight, holy objects, etc.
*••••• Gift of Life: This ability transforms the vampire into an assemblance of their former self. They lose their vampire weaknesses and gain the ability to eat, drink, etc.
===Cadaverous Animation===
(Published in the Dark Ages: Vampire core book.) This path evolves into the Bone Path of Necromancy.
*• Trace of Life: The Vampire can cause mild traits of life in a corpse, such as twitching.
*•• Call the Homuncular Servant: Allows the Vampire to cause a small, mobile piece of a corpse (like a hand) to reanimate and move about.
*••• Raise the Corpse to Service: Allows the Vampire to reanimate a corpse into his/her bidding, although it cannot attack or do other complex tasks.
*•••• Call the Athanatos: Transforms a corpse into an undead warrior that the vampire may have trouble controlling
*••••• Muster a Corpse Army: An expansion on Call of the Athanatos, this ability summons a number of corpse warriors that are controlled by the vampire's willpower.
===The Four Humours===
(Published in the Dark Ages: Vampire Storyteller's Companion.) This Path is the signature power of the Lamia bloodline, said to be a gift from Lilith herself.
*• Whispers to the Soul: Releases a wisp of bilious humour into the ear of a victim to whisper nightmares to him as he sleeps or or fearful imaginings when he is awake.
*•• Kiss of the Dark Mother: Concoct a toxic substitute for saliva that makes a bite even more deadly.
*••• Dark Humours: Secret a tainted version of one of the four bodily humors that serve different functions depending on the humor invoked.
*•••• Clutching the Shroud: Draw closer to death, toughening the unliving body, granting knowledge of coming death in nearby mortals and bestowing the ability to see the dead.
*••••• Black Breath: Expel a miasmic black cloud that chokes everyone around with malaise and depression.
===The Path of Haunting===
(Published in the The Player's Guide to the High Clans.) Though not restricted to the Giovanni, this Path is an outgrowth of Nigrimancy that deals with the power of death over the living.
*• Morbid Fascination: Induce a morbid fixation on death on a victim who listens to the necromancer's voice.
*•• Summon Wisp: Calls up a will-o-the-wisp with minor hypnotic powers.
*••• Harrowing: Impose hideous nightmares on a sleeping victim.
*•••• Phantasms: Summon ghostly illusions to terrify and unnerve.
*••••• Torment: Dark spirits come forth to haunt the target of this power.
===Nigrimancy===
(Published in the The Player's Guide to the High Clans.) Proprietary to the Giovanni Cappadocians, this path centers around the control of ghosts. It evolves into the Sepulcher Path of Necromancy.
*• Witness of Death: Allows the necromancer to perceive wraiths.
*•• Summon Soul: This power summons a wraith that the vampire can see and speak with.
*••• Compel the Shade: Ghosts may be bent to the vampire's will.
*•••• Fetter the Dead: Binds a ghost to a specific object, person or place, even a corpse.
*••••• Usurer's Scales: Destroy wraiths by feeding on their energy, or grant them power by means of blood.
==Mortis Rituals==
===Level 1===
*Casting of Bones - cast knucklebones to gain good luck.
*Eldritch Beacon - create a beacon that draws ghostly attention.
*Howl from Beyond - curse the target to hear sounds from the shadowlands.
*Knell of Doom - hear when a death occurs nearby.
*Final Sight - see the last vision a dead person saw.
*Revivify the Cold Vitae - make dead blood drinkable.
===Level 2===
*Eyes of Despondent Revelation - view the signs of decay and impending death on everything around you.
*Hungry Mold - brew up mold that eats through almost anything.
*Kiss of Ages - reduce corpses you feed on to nothing but dust.
*Skull of Warning - enchant a skull to scream when trespassers come near.
*Unearth the Hidden Corpse - create a compass that locates dead bodies.
*Eyes of the Grave - curse a target with visions of their death.
===Level 3===
*Fettered Minion - grant a ghoul extra strengths and raise their body as a zombie if they die.
*Graveyard Mists - create a mist that scares people and mutes sounds.
*Implacable Vigor - give a temporary boost of strength to the living.
*Malediction of Fetid Veins - levy a curse that causes vitae to rot.
===Level 4===
*Mark of Despair - create a ward that causes fear and terror in ghosts that cross it.
*Peek Past the Shroud - enchant mold to grant the power to see through the shroud.
*Resurrection of Stirred Blood - break free from Torpor, or raise another from it.
*Veil That Bars Eternity - enchant a shroud to prevent decay of bodies.
===Level 5===
*Draught of Dust and Ages - gain temporary Willpower from places of death.
*Sanctuary of Living Death - raise an army of zombies tied to a specific location.
*Walk Through the Shroud - send your soul into the shadowlands.
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