Blood Gift of Ardor

The Blood Gift of Ardor gifts the vampires who employ it with superhuman physical resilience. Furthermore, it also enables vampires to resist the supernatural weaknesses that plague their accursed race, as well as to replicate the healing effects of torpor when they are awake. Understandably, this power is widely employed for the benefits that it can bring in protecting a wielder from the many enemies with whom vampires share the night, and has been wielded by vampires since Cain bestrode the world alone. Ardor is believed to be the second or third Blood Gift that Cain developed, after Virtus, the known first, and possibly Legerity.

## Mechanics

Ardor functions by its vampiric wielders generating magical fields of protection within themselves which serve to toughen their flesh, stiffen their minds, lessen damage inflicted upon them, and mend it from harm. A subconsciously controlled power, the field generated by Ardor is believed by most vampires to simply be a toughening of their body and a source of healing. Advanced Ardor users are able to project the protective field from their bodies to block attacks.

## Powers

### New Blood Gifts (Levels 1-2)

* **Regeneration (Level 1):** The most intrinsic power of Ardor, the ability to Regenerate is the first step towards learning this Blood Gift. It enables vampires to summon the healing powers of torpor at will, repairing their undead flesh without the need for supernatural slumber. This power allows mundane injuries, including lost limbs, to be mended with naught but expenditures of the magical power within the vampire's blood, allowing healing to complete within moments or minutes. Supernatural sources of damage, such as those from fire, the sun, or the claws of a supernatural being, can still only be healed by days of torpor. This power grows more potent as a vampire further masters Ardor.
* **Resilience (Level 2):** Resilience causes a vampire's body to toughen as it is infused with a magical field, making it more resistant to damage and further fortifying a vampire from physical pain. Their skin becomes tougher, and their bones stronger. However, no discernable difference can be felt by touching them, due to the magical nature of their Resilience. Use of supernatural damage, such as from fire or the sun, cuts right through the endurance gained by this power. As a vampire masters Ardor, their Resilience continues to increase.

### Common Blood Gifts (Levels 3-4)

* **Arousal (Level 3):** Normally, the only way to rouse a vampire from daytime torpor is by inflicting damage upon their body. Vampires with the ability to Arouse themselves can wake at any time if they so choose. They will be sluggish of movement and sluggish of thought if they do so, but some activity is better than none, and this power is the first step to being able to be active during the day. Maintaining Arousal requires considerable effort, and can usually only be done for brief periods of time.
* **Fortify Senses (Level 3):** Using this somewhat uncommon ability, a vampire gains the power to harden their physical senses from being overwhelmed and used against them. Bright flashes and loud noises are less disorienting, while pain is muted and lessened.
* **Defy Terror (Level 4):** Upon gaining this ability, a vampire permanently becomes less susceptible to the instinctual fear elicited by fire and the light of the sun. Whilst still unpleasant to look upon, the sight of either is far less likely to drive them into a frenzy, and they now at least have a chance of not being driven into mad shrieking if either flame or the sun should touch them.
* **Suppress Torment (Level 4):** Vampires are by nature extremely resistant to pain. However, they can still succumb to it, especially when it come from a mystical source. Using this power, which builds on one of the properties of Fortifying the Senses, a vampire may temporarily quash any pain that ails their body, usually for periods of a few minutes. When their will and reserves of strength wane, however, the agony comes rushing back.

### Elder Blood Gifts (Levels 5-7)

* **Defy Bane (Level 5):** The use of this ability gives a vampire the ability to, at least in part, withstand attacks that do supernatural harm to them. This enables them to better withstand being stabbed by wood, the claws of a werecreature, or come out of exposure to sunlight severely burned rather than dead. The ability to Defy Banes grows more potent the more mastery of Ardor a vampire achieves.
* **Disperse (Level 5):** The effect of this power, once gained, is permanent. The magical field Ardor sustains causes damage to a vampire's body to be automatically spread across the surface of their form, reducing its penetrative power.
* **Dampen (Level 6):** Through the use of Dampen, which advances on Dispersions, a vampire's protective energy field becomes able to actually rob incoming projectiles and blows of force, making them weaker in addition to dispersing them across their body.
* **Repulse (Level 6):** Wielding this ability, an elder vampire is able to cause the protective magical field around their body to retaliate against anyone who strikes at them. Any strike made against the elder receives a backlash of force, which damages anything that is insufficiently durable. Repulsions grow more potent as further mastery of Ardor is maintained.
* **Stabilize Thoughts (Level 6):** Upon obtaining this ability, a vampire becomes much more resistant to having their thoughts or memories altered, particularly by the use of Mesmer. The effect grows more potent as they continue to master Ardor.
* **Expel Uriel's Blade (Level 7):** Most vampires become utterly helpless when a wooden stake enters their heart. Those with this power are able to slowly force out the wood, eventually enabling them to move once more.
* **Personal Barrier (Level 7):** This power enables a vampire elder to project the energy field which defends them beyond their body. This enables them to create barriers in any direction of themselves, including omnidirectional ones, though those have less range. Anything with sufficient momentum or mass is impeded by the barrier, although the vampire may selectively distort it to allow allies to pass within and receive shelter. The Barrier created using this power grows more potent as Ardor mastery does.
* **Regenerate Bane (Level 7):** Advancing on the power of Defying a Bane, this ability enables vampires to heal supernaturally inflicted wounds with the same speed as mundane ones, without the need for torpor. However, the ability does require a much greater expenditure of power than healing mundane injury.
* **Vigilance (Level 7):** A highly advanced version of Arousal, any vampire who masters the power of Vigilance is no longer bound to sleep with the rising sun. They may remain fully awake and alert throughout the day, and may wake at any time they wish while the sun is up. Of course, going out into the scorching rays of daylight is an entirely different matter.
* **Wall of the Mind (Level 7):** This ability covers a vampire's mind in a mental barrier, making it extremely difficult to penetrate their minds so as to read or alter their thoughts and memories.

### Ancient Blood Gifts (Levels 8-9)

* **Elixir of Resilience (Level 8):** Any vampire who attains this level of mastery of Ardor automatically gains this power, as the strength of their resilience saturates their blood. While normally consuming the blood of a vampire gives the potential to learn their gifts, ancients with this ability can instantly grant temporary Ardor to anyone who consumes it. If their blood is continually imbibed, learning Ardor becomes far more easy and rapid. The more potent a vampire's Ardor mastery, the stronger these effects.
* **Fortify Object (Level 8):** By applying their blood and will to an object, a vampire may imbue it with a portion of their own resilience to a mundane physical object, toughening it for the duration that the power lasts. Reapplications must be made continually, or the added fortitude will eventually fade. The resilience is greater and lasts longer for those with greater mastery of Ardor.
* **Erect Barrier (Level 9):** This power functions the exact same way as Erecting a Barrier, only it allows a vampire to permanently construct a Barrier away from their own body. Such Barriers may be dispelled or reshaped on the vampire's whim, but otherwise, require tremendous force to be broken down.
* **Fortify Through the Blood (Level 9):** Using this ability, an ancient vampire may gift any amount of their own Ardor to any vampire descended from them. The more distant the vampire is to them, the harder they are to Fortify, with only Primordial vampires being able to extend the power to the end of their line. This power can be used from within torpor.