The Protected People or the Seven Wells Bane is a spirit that blinds mortals to the presence of supernaturals in the town of Seven Wells, Sudan.
Overview[]
A bane, a spirit of twisted destructive entropy, is the source of the town's extraordinary supernatural "blindness." It thrives on people's inherent tendency to overlook the supernatural, and intensifies the effect to attain more sustenance. The spirits does not contact or compel other creatures to take advantage of its influence, but those that discover the phenomenon can exploit the effect to its fullest, creating a symbiotic relationship between spirit and other monsters. Creatures partaking of this freedom may not understand it or even care about its source. The more intelligent or discerning investigate and make use of the liberty, but are still cautious of dangers that remain in the world.
Stats[]
Attributes: Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 0, Charisma 1, Manipulation 5, Appearance 0, Perception 6, Intelligence 1, Wits 4
Abilities: Intimidation 3
Willpower: 8
Health Levels: 10
Blinding: The spirit can infect a region's inhabitants with the inability to perceive anything supernatural. The only beings immune to this effect are hunters (Conviction need not be spent) and other supernatural beings. Any normal person who enters the region is affected; no notice is taken of any otherworldly activity or presence. Hunters are still perceived, but their edges are never noticed in use, by any means.
A person removed from the region regains his senses, but loses them again if returned. A human victim still in the area can be freed of the blindness over a series of days in which he is confronted directly and frequently with the supernatural, in an effort to deprogram the subject. Roll a subject's Willpower against the spirit's Manipulation _ Intimidation in a resisted and extended contest, difficulty 6. One roll is made each day. If the subject is the first to achieve six successes, the illusion is broken and he behaves like a normal person again in the presence of the supernatural (that is, he may be driven in fear from it, but at least he subconsciously acknowledges it and has some form of survival mechanism against it). Attempts to deprogram a group of people requires that they remain available for days of effort and confrontation. (Remember, they believe everything is normal, so they undoubtedly resist being held against their will.)
Possession: The bane possesses a town well and spreads its control through the drinking water. It can be seen through second sight as a dark ooze roiling out of the well. It can take damage from edges that normally affect ghosts, but suffers no wound penalties. Although the spirit has no means by which to harm attackers, intelligent creatures in the area that understand how the spirit operates may come to its defense; all supernaturals in the area of affect hear a high-pitched keening as the bane signals alarm. That sound alone may attract monsters intending to put an end to the disturbing noise.
References[]
- HTR: Hunter Survival Guide, p. 130-131