Forged by Sister Solaris during the Solstice Court’s ascension into the Great Courts proper, this set of Contracts focuses on the passage of seasons and change as a whole.
Abilities
Drowning Marzanna:
Solstice festivals have long celebrated the coming of the next season. This clause enables the caster to tap into this anticipation of the season, strengthening the coming season's Contracts.
Prerequisites: Mantle (Solstice) 1 or Court Goodwill (Solstice) 2
Cost: 2 Glamour
Dice Pool: Mantle (Solstice) + Presence
Action: Instant
Catch: Used during the last month of the season.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever comes second, the caster's use of the next season's Contracts requires an additional point of Glamour.
Failure: Caster gains no bonuses.
Success: Caster gains a +1 bonus to use of Contracts of the next season for one scene (e.g. bonus to Spring Contracts during Winter).
Exceptional Success: Bonus lasts until sunset or sunrise, whichever comes last.
- Midnight Sun, Polar Night:
The solstices, height of the Court's power, are defined in the polar regions by an endless day or night. This clause draws from that unending time, convincing the Wyrd to view the sun as being "stopped". Note: The sun does not truly stop moving, nor does it seem to do so. Contracts merely read the time as stopping. This time jumps back to where it should after this clause fades.
Prerequisites: Mantle (Solstice) 2 or Court Goodwill (Solstice) 3
Cost: 2 Glamour
Dice Pool: Mantle (Solstice) + Manipulation
Action: Instant
Catch: Midnight or midday (within two minutes)
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The caster cannot make use of catches or blessings affected by this clause until three days after the failure. Curses similarly affected initiate fifteen minutes earlier and end fifteen minutes later than usual for the same timespan.
Failure: The flow of time moves on unimpeded.
Success: For 3 × successes minutes, halt the apparent advance of the sun in the eyes of other Contracts (e.g. halt Darkling curse for a time or allow a catch requiring use at mid-day to be fulfilled).
Exceptional Success: This effect lasts until the end of the scene.
- Calm the Storm:
Those within the Solstice Court are well acquainted with change, for it is in their mandate to enforce it. As such, the Clarity of Solstice courtiers is far more resilient in the face of life changes.
Prerequisites: Mantle (Solstice) 2 or Court Goodwill (Solstice) 4
Cost: 3 Glamour
Dice Pool: Composure + Clarity
Action: Reflexive
Catch: The relevant breaking point is more than one level below the user’s current Clarity.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: On the next Clarity roll, if the caster fails, she automatically gains a derangement, rather than rolling for it.
Failure: Roll Clarity breaking points as normal.
Success: Increase the dice with which the changeling rolls when facing a Clarity breaking point due to a sudden life change (1 per success, up to a maximum of 5); effect lasts for one scene.
Exceptional Success: The effects of this clause continue until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever comes later.
- Foil the Ojáncanu:
This clause is drawn from the Anjana of Cantabrina myth, who gather on the vernal equinox. These fairy creatures are known enemies of the brutal cyclopean Ojáncanu.
Prerequisites: Mantle (Solstice) 3 or Court Goodwill (Solstice) 4
Cost: 4 Glamour
Dice Pool: Mantle (Solstice) + Brawl or Weaponry or Firearms
Action: Instant
Catch: Used against the agents of the user’s Keeper
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The opponent's next attack ignores the caster's Defense.
Failure: Combat rolls are unchanged.
Success: The caster gains a bonus of +2 on combat rolls against the Gentry and their agents. Lasts for successes turns.
Exceptional Success: This clause's effects continue until the end of combat.
- Doldrums:
As the season draw to a close, the traits it embodies begin to fade in preparation for the next. This clause taps into that between-time to dull the powers of a seasonal Contract.
Prerequisites: Mantle (Solstice) 4
Cost: 4 Glamour
Dice Pool: Mantle (Solstice) + Wyrd vs Target Mantle (Seasonal) + Wyrd
Action: Reflexive
Catch: Used within a day of a solstice or equinox.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: For the next day, the caster is vulnerable to seasonal effects, facing a -2 penalty on any roll to resist the effects of such a Contract.
Failure: The seasonal Contracts are enacted as usual.
Success: Blunt the effects of seasonal Contracts on the user. Such Contracts' activation rolls (i.e. those that are contested by the Solstice courtier) face a -2 penalty.
Exceptional Success: The caster remains unbowed in the face of the opponents' Contracts, gaining the Steadfast condition.