An Anathema is a weakness imposed on a Beast by a Hero. Anathemas may resemble the bans or banes of a spirit, or the innate weaknesses of legendary monsters. From the Hero's point of view, they have "discovered" this weakness; from the Beast's point of view, the Anathema was imposed on them from the outside.
A Beast is vulnerable to Anathemas only when it is Sated (4-6 Satiety) but the effect of the Anathema persists even if this condition is resolved. An Anathema can be removed, but with considerable difficulty and risk to the Beast in question. For example, the Bane Anathema can be resolved if the Beast starves herself down to Ravenous (0 Satiety), but a Ravenous Beast needs greater sources of fear from which to feed, and in the meantime her wandering Horror may range through the nightmares of mortals around her (and trigger the arrival of yet another Hero).
A Beast can only suffer from one Anathema at a time. The affected Beast, and any Heroes who encounter them, can detect the Anathema and know exactly how it works, but it is otherwise invisible to both mortal and supernatural means of detection.[1]
The Talassii are collectively affected by an Anathema that no individual can remove. Some think that if enough Talassii achieve the Incarnate Inheritance, the Anathema will be lifted, but so far this has not been proven.[2]
List of Anathemas[]
Below are the Anathemas listed in the core rulebook. The effects of an Anathema vary according to the Beast's Satiety, with more severe effects at higher levels.
- Bane: the Beast becomes unusually vulnerable to a specific substance, such as wood, iron or silver.
- Entrancement: the Beast becomes obsessed with a specific type of object or person and cannot focus on anything else in the presence of one. Particularly dangerous to Collectors.
- Phobia: the Beast develops a severe panic reaction to a specific trigger.
- Rage: The Beast is consumed by uncontrollable anger, and may lash out violently at anyone or anything.
- Weak Spot: one specific part of the Beast's body is unusually vulnerable to damage.
- Weaponbound: the Beast is uniquely vulnerable to injuries from a specific weapon. This Anathema is resolved if that weapon is destroyed.
Additional Anathema mentioned in other sources:
- Chosen One: as the Weaponbound Anathema, except it applies to all attacks by a specific individual.[3]
