Mnemosynis

Mnemosynis
Guild	Mnemoi
Status	Forbidden
Marking	(1e) Never blinks (20th) Crystal / mirror Corpus markings

Mnemosynis (ne-MOH-sin-iss) is one of the three Forbidden Arcanoi from Wraith: The Oblivion listed in the Wraith Players Guide. Users of Mnemosynis can trace and read the memories of others.

Mnemosynis is by and far the most controversial art of the Arcanoi. It was the first to be banned, well before the Breaking of the Guilds. Prior to its banning, it was used by the judges of Stygia to ascertain the guilt of a criminal. With so much knowledge of dark secrets at their disposal, many Mnemoi became corrupt, and Charon and the Hierarchy were forced to outlaw them, lest they destroy Stygia. In first edition, some Mnemoi managed to hide among the Monitors, as those who use Lifeweb had almost the same Guild marking, while others used their abilities as little as possible so they wouldn’t attract attention to themselves.

The main focus of the few who dare use Mnemosynis is control. With its most basic uses, a Mnemoi can tell if another is lying, giving them a decided advantage in any negotiation or deal. Those who continue to use their powers to delve into the memories of other wraiths want information to lord over others with. That is not to say that all Mnemoi use their gifts for such dark purposes, but those who would use it for good are far outnumbered by those who peddle in knowledge and blackmail.

There are some who say the Mnemoi have been falsely accused and that there is more to their exile than appears, but these are usually dismissed as random ramblings.

A Mnemos who has their abilities go wrong is in for a horrific time. Not only have they risked exposing themselves as users of a forbidden power, but they may end up revealing secrets of their own that should have stayed hidden.

Basic Abilities

• Rewind: A Mnemos can see the last minute of another’s experiences.
• Sense Intellect: A Mnemos can sense other intellects nearby, whether they be mortal or otherwise (or even out of sight). The wraith can not ascertain the identity of those minds, only their presence.

Standard Powers

First Edition

• In Memoriam: A Mnemos can bring a specific memory of another to the surface to experience it themselves.
• Mnemotechnics: A Mnemos forces another to relive a specific incident in the past.
• Mindspeak: A Mnemos may make their voice sound in another’s mind.
• Casting the Scene: A Mnemos can allow others in the area to see a flash of another’s memory.
• Onslaught: A Mnemos can transfer a full memory from one person to another.

20th Anniversary Edition

Basic abilities were dropped in the 20th anniversary edition.

• Keys to the Memory Palace: A Mnemos gains conscious control of their own memories, giving them the opportunity to search their memories for details that escaped them initially. In addition, they also gain resistance to non-consensual uses of Mnemosynis.
• Further Reflection: A Mnemos can project their memories into someone else's mind.
• Open Book: This is essentially the same as In Memoriam, save for the rating.
• Phantom Pain: A Mnemos can project their memories of injury into another wraith's mind, triggering psychosomatic wounds in the other wraith's Corpus.
• Muse of Lies: A Mnemos can create and implant false memories in themselves and others.

Alternate Powers

Ends of Empire (Guildbook: Mnemoi chapter)

• Erasure: A Mnemos may wipe a memory from their mind.
• Swipe: A Mnemos may temporarily erase a memory from another’s mind.
• Soulkeeper: A Mnemos may duplicate another’s memories and store them in their own mind.
• Tabula Rasa: A Mnemos may permanently wipe a memory from another's mind.
• Memorycrafting: A Mnemos may alter old memories or create new memories from scratch.

Wraith: The Great War

In contrast to the other Arcanoi, practitioners of Mnemosynis have no known difference in their abilities, as the art is largely unknown during the Great War and the Mnemoi themselves gone from the record. It is presumed they have gone into hiding in light of the Fourth Great Maelstrom and the coup of the Smiling Lord, but some whisper they may be elsewhere...

20th Anniversary Edition

The 20th anniversary edition introduces the initiate arts, a set of Mnemosynis abilities available to members of the Mnemoi Guild with sufficient status.

• Memory Vault: This is similar in function to Erasure.
• Washed in the Lethe: A Mnemos can make it difficult for others to remember or record specifics of the Mnemos's identity and actions.
• Tabula Rasa: This is similar to Swipe, rather than the original Tabula Rasa, though it functions for longer, and at higher levels of Mnemosynis the Mnemos has the option to make the erasure permanent.
• Soulkeeper: This is essentially the same as the original Soulkeeper, save for the rating.
• Gray Man: A Mnemos may erase someone from the collective memory of all who know them.

References

• WTO: Wraith Players Guide, p. 156-159
• WTO/cMET: Oblivion, p. 119-122
• WTO: Wraith: The Great War Rulebook, p. 131
• WTO: Ends of Empire, p. 136-137
• WTO: Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 189-194