Road of Summoning (Hellfire)

## Clarification

The Road of Summoning is not a regular Road that can be learned by a Neverborn. It is mostly a narrative tool that is used by Summoners. When playing a Summoner this article provides a framework for their powers- although both players and Storytellers should feel free to be creative with them. In addition it is possible for Halfbloods to learn this Road, although they may not automatically be able to summon Neverborn. Most of the Evocations described below are lengthy rituals that are not as easy and quick to cast as most Neverborn Powers. Depending on their culture and the resources they learned their crafts from, these rituals can be described completly differently.

## Overview

* **Conjurers Gate-** Teleport your Servants to your side
* **Essence Rack-** Cause great pain to a disobediant Spirit
* **Unbind Contract-** Remove Tenets from a Summoning Contract
* **Imprison Spirit-** Bind Neverbon to create powerful Artefacts
* **Unseal the Gates of Flesh-** Force a Neverborn into or out of their Archform
* **Siphon Sorcery-** Weaken a Neverborns powers
* **Sorcerers Mark-** Strengthen or Weaken the Worldwalls through magical sigils
* **Sigil of Protection-** Create a protective Mark that pushes back Neverborn

## Evocations

* **Conjurers Gate**
	+ ***Description:*** *The Summoner may cut sigils into their arms and use them as an improvised portal through which their servants may enter and be summoned to their side, traversing miles in seconds to step to their side.*
	+ **Casting Time:** 2 Rounds
	+ ***Effect:*** After a successful Evocation Roll and preperation the Summoner may teleport a chosen Servant to their side, as long as they are within 10 km.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: \*10 Range for every level beyond the first
	+ *Example:* The Summoner´s mansion in southern germany is attacked by an ambushing Neverborn. Unable to protect themselves the Summoner hides in their bedroom for a Full Round to cast 3rd level Conjurers Gate. Their favoured Servant is currently on a mission in Berlin, which is roughly 500 kms away; which is half of their total range of 1.000km. After completing the summon their suprised but battleready Servant steps to their side, ready to protect their Master.
* **Essence Rack**
	+ ***Description:*** *The Summoner conjures a whip of magical fire that strikes the flesh of the Neverborn; burning their substance with unfathomable pain unless they follow the Summoners wishes.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** Regular
	+ ***Effect:*** After making a successful Evocation Roll the Summoner may choose a Servant that has disobeyed a vocal command or a Tenet of their Contract. They recieve *Mental Damage* equal to the Summoners Willpower while suffering unbearable pain. Should they loose more than half of their total Essence through this cast, they can no longer activly disobey the Summoner for the rest of the scene.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: + 1 point of *Mental Damage* per Level
	+ *Example:* The Summoners mansion is being stormed by a riot seeking to ravage their possessions. The Summoner orders one of their Neverborn Servants to kill all rioteers that enter their property. Since the Neverborn has no Tenet forcing them to obey this command directly, and since the Neverborn has taken a liking to the rioting mortals, it refuses. In anger the Summoner casts 2nd level Essence Rack, summoning punishing fires upon their servant. Their Willpower equals 4, which increased by +1 through the level 2 cast, causes 5 points of *Mental Damage*. The Neverborn can only reduce the damage by 1 through its saving roll and looses 4 points of Essence. Since its total Essence is 6 the pain is great enough to force it to obey their masters command.
* **Unbind Contract**
	+ ***Description:*** *The Summoner may liberate a Neverborn from the shackles of another Summoners contract or its conditions through a set of sigils cut into their hosts skin aswell as a long-winded Incovation.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** 1 day
	+ ***Effect:*** After making a successful Evocation Roll and Long Preperation the Summoner may remove a single Tenet from a Neverborns Contract. Depending on the Contracts Strength and the kind of Tenet, this may require certain ingredeances. Removing a *Lethal Tenet* will be harder than removing a *Tormenting Tenet*. The Summoner can choose to reinstigate the removed Tenet at any time.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: Half the Casting Time for every level beyond the first.
	+ *Example:* The Summoner is approached by one of their rivals servants send to take the life. In an attempt to bargain for their survival the Summoner offers the Neverborn assassin to instead remove a Tenet from their Binding Contract, allowing them to kill their master and gain their freedom. The Neverborns contract contains a **Lethal Tenet** that forbids them from harming their master. Since a central Tenet like this is hard to remove the Summoner requires a lock from their rivals hair (an ingredeant chosen by the Storyteller) to perform the ritual. After gathering one the ritual requires 6 hours to perform since it is cast on level 3. After it is complete the Neverborn is free to harm and kill their Master.
* **Imprison Spirit**
	+ ***Description:*** *Allows the Summoner to force a Neverborn into an Object, breaking them free from their host and into a material prison. There they must remain, blind and alone, until someone breaks the object and frees them. More wicked Summoners make use of this to harvest a fraction of the Imprisoned Neverborns power.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** 3 hours
	+ ***Effect:*** Through a drawn out ritual and preperation the Summoner may force a Neverborn into an object, which requires an Evocation Roll and a successful contested Roll against their Servant. Should they succeed the Neverborn will remain trapped inside and the Summoner may either gain access to one of the Neverborns [Evocations] or a custom effect while holding the Object. They may only create one such object however.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: +1 Imprisonable Object for every level beyond the first
	+ *Example:* The Summoner has taking a liking for imprisoning disobediant spirits in their jewellry. Through several of their 4th level casts have created a total of four powerful rings they wear all the time. The first one contains a lesser Neverborn and grants them access to the power Essence Bolt on the level their servant had it at. The second contains a weak Incubus and allows them to cast 1st level Passion. The third contains a Voxx and grants them temporary controll over security systems through Transfer Possession, allowing them to transfer the Voxx into a network and force it back into the ring at any time. The last ring contains a stronger Neverborn that allows them to cast a high level Flame Cast, allowing them to cast their own Summoner Powers and those of the other rings as area of effect Evocations. Casting these Evovations still requires Evocation Rolls and appropriate casting time; and if desired so they can be transferred to their servants.
* **Unseal the Gates of Flesh**
	+ ***Description:*** *The Summoner tighten or loosen the Shackles that bind a Neverborn into their Host, allowing them to take their true form with ease or binding them back into their Flesh should they have already done so. Through this increadibly agonising process the Summoner can controll their Servants Strength.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** 5 Rounds
	+ ***Effect:*** After a successful Evocation Roll and preperation the Summoner may choose a visible Neverborn that may either be forced into their Archform force them to return into their Host; which is feels agonising to the Neverborn either way. Against unwilling Neverborn this requires a contested Roll.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: -1 Round of Casting Time for every level beyond the first (To a minimum of 1)
	+ *Example:* The Summoner and their servants are caught in an intense fight against the forces of one of their rivals. Leading the enemy forces is a particulary strong Neverborn that has opened the fight by assuming their Arch Form. To powerful to defeat them normally the Summoner casts 4th level **Unseal the Gates of Flesh**. Their servants successfully protect them for the reduced duration of 2 rounds they require to cast the Evocation. Afterwards they must make a contested Confidence + Focus Roll against the Nevernborns Perception + Willpower. Since their Roll scored more successes the enemy Neverborn is now forced back into their normal form again.
* **Siphon Sorcery**
	+ ***Description:*** *Allows the Summoner to draw out a Neverborns sorcerous powers, weakening their spellcraft or making it fail outright as their loose connection to the Outer Realms.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** Instant
	+ ***Effect:*** The Summoner may target a visible Neverborn that is currently casting and activate this power as a defensive action. After a successful Evocation Roll the Spells Level is reduced by 1. Depending on the situation this may require a contested Roll. Reducing the level below 1 will apply the ***Level Bonus*** in reverse (if possible).
	+ ***Level Bonus***: -1 Level Reduction for every level beyond the first
	+ *Example:* The Summoner finds themselves in a trap set out by a rogue Neverborn that seeks to take revenge on them. Trapped in a small alley the Neverborn descends from the heavens above them, casting 2nd level Essence Blast as it soars downwards. Reflexivly the Summoner casts 3rd Siphon Sorcery, draining the bolt of hellish energies of its power. The Summoners cast reduces the Essence Blasts level to -1. At level 2 it would have caused 4 points of Physical Damage, but through their Spell and the reversed Level Bonus the Blast causes 0 damage and the Summoner remains unharmed.
* **Sorcerers Mark**
	+ ***Description:*** *Allows the Summoner to thicken or loosen the Worldwalls around them through a set of magical Sigils, limiting or strengthening a Neverborns access to the Outer Realms in an area.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** 5 hours
	+ ***Effect:*** The Summoner may create a magical Sigil after preperation. As long as it remains active the local Veil may be in- or decreased by 2. The Sigil can be deactivated by the Summoner at any time but will remain active indefinitly otherwise. However two Sigils from the same Summoner can never remain active at the same time.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: +1 Worldwall Change for every level beyond the first
	+ *Example:* The Summoner has created a 3rd level *Sorcerers Mark* in the center of their mansion. During their creation they had chosen a Mark that decreases the Strength of the Veil, lowering it from the standart 10 to 6.
* **Sigil of Protection**
	+ ***Description:*** *Allows the Summoner to create a magical mark that functions as a bane against a chosen type of Neverborn; warding them off and forcing them to move backwards like a holy symbol in religious texts.*
	+ ***Casting Time:*** 3 rounds
	+ ***Effect:*** The Summoner draw a Sigil on a chosen object or person after sufficient preperation. Any undesired Neverborn coming too close to the sigil must make a Roll against Difficulity 3. Should they fail they can no longer harm the target and must move away from it. The Sigil lasts for up to a scene. The Summoner can choose to disable this effect for their own Servants.
	+ ***Level Bonus***: +1 Difficulty for every level beyond the first
	+ *Example:* Expecting an assassination attempt on one of their contacts the Summoner has given them an amulett enchanted with a 3rd Sigil of Protection. As expected the contact was indeed approached by an enemy Neverborn seeking to kill them. As the Neverborn approaches closer the Sigil activates, and the Storyteller lets them make a Confidence + Willpower Roll against the Sigils difficulty of 5. The Neverborn fails, and suddenly blinded by the amulett, is forced to back away and flee.

## Summoning a Neverborn

A Summoner can summon any Neverborn to bind it into their service. All they require is a mortal host, the Neverborns true name, and a secure ritual circle. After summoning and binding their Servant they must create a magical contract with their Servant. They may impose supernatural rules upon their Servant to make sure they will follow their will; also known as Tenets.

They may impose 1 **Lethal Tenet** or 2 **Tormenting Tenets** or 3 **Weakening Tenets** or 1-3 **Custom Tenets**as a basis. For every second level in the Road of Summoning the Summoner may add additional Tenets as explained above.

* **Lethal Tenet**: When attempting to break the Tenet the Neverborn will die in an instant, being shattered and send back into their Realm where they must heal for decades to come.
* **Tormenting Tenet:** When attempting to or in the process of breaking the Tenet the Neverborn will suffer unbearable pain, weakening them and forcing them to make a Roll if they wish to continue.
* **Weakening Tenet:** When attempting to break the Tenet the Neverborn will half a chosen Talent until the Summoner chooses to remove this condition.
* **Custom Tenet:** When attempting to break the Tenet a custom effect will be activated; the implications, rules and cost of which need to be discussed with the Storyteller