| Secret of the Elf |
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| Elven bodies are formed from the aether by willpower alone. An elf that dies in Near returns within 28 days. The Story Guide and the player cooperate in choosing the time and the place; a story-relevant solution is preferred, but note that nobody has ever seen an elf rematerialize. The character loses a level from each Pool and a level from all Abilities, as the process of rematerialization is not perfect and the elf needs to readjust to his new body. The player can choose to have his character not return; in this case, however, the reason will not be established. |
| Secret of the Polymath |
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| In an elf’s long life, many Abilities have waxed and waned. Using this Secret allows the elf to use their PAST LIVES (R) in lieu of any other Ability they are physically capable of using. This lasts for the entire scene. |
| Cost: 2 REASON, and the next available Advance goes to improving the Ability used. |
| Secret of Enlightenment |
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| The character Transcends, ascending to Heaven. The other players decide whether Near continues to exist. If it will, the character will not be heard of in Near anymore, but the player may opt to expend any of his Pools as bonus or penalty GIFT DICE for other characters as long as they last. |
| Requirement: PAST LIVES (R) at Grandmaster. |
| Aura of Fading the Illusion |
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| An elf with this secret can, through force of will, make the illusion of the world temporarily grow dim and ghostly outside his aura. To everyone else, it appears the elf has become translucent and incorporeal. This lasts for one scene, during which the character can pass through the smallest crack and cannot be harmed physically. |
| Cost: 2 VIGOR |
| Aura of Protection |
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| The character’s aura grows thick and smothering, protecting him softly from the external world. The elf can spend REASON to lower incoming physical Harm. Cost: 1 REASON per step lowered. |
| Aura of Sight |
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| The character’s aura is no brighter from afar, but up close up it is bright enough to see in clearly. |
| Aura of the Tower |
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| The character’s aura is polarized, giving it a weird dark-and-light flavor. Passive Abilities are now all associated with the character’s current strongest Pool. |
| Aura of the Ancient |
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| The character’s aura has a calm frisson. He can use CHARM (I) to calm down animals, and giants with temper have to overcome him in a direct contest of wills to act against his wishes. |
| Aura of the Imperator |
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| The character’s aura waxes as he enforces his will, making him appear taller and more majestic. The opposing player has no input into the stakes of this social conflict, which may cause the moment to resemble mindcontrol. |
| Cost: 1 Vigor |
| Aura of the Lunar Sphere |
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| The character has an affinity with the Moon. He suffers a penalty die to all social checks towards other elves, and cannot Transcend. When the character dies, he returns to Near during the next night. He does not lose Abilities; instead, he loses this Secret. |
| Cost: 2 INSTINCT to return via the Moon. |
| Secret of Aura Imbuement |
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| The character’s aura is strong enough to influence any equipment the character carries on his person or handles on a regular basis. The character can create rated or imbued equipment in this way from ordinary items, which slowly grow towards perfection in the elf’s hands; instead of an Ability check, the elf slowly invests into the item, one xp per scene, until he’s happy with it. All items developed by this Secret have the ELVEN IMBUEMENT for free. |
| Cost: 1 EXPERIENCE POINT per a point of quality imbued into the item, and 2 xp per Secret. |
| Secret of Aura Smithing |
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| A skilled aura smith can further improve on the process: an appropriate crafting Ability check allows the character to immediately improve the item with the check result in xp (he himself pays only to activate this Secret, note). This can be done only once per month. |
| Cost: 2 EXPERIENCE POINTS. |
| Requirement: SECRET OF AURA IMBUEMENT |
| Elven Imbuement |
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| All Elven items have an Elven aura. Any elf who is familiar with the item and at peace with its creator gains a 1 point discount to the Pool costs of any imbuements in the item. This imbuement can be stacked on an item, which increases the discount and also gives a 1 point discount to non-elves at peace with the creator. |
| Memory Imbuement (Ability, level) |
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| The item has a memory of how it was used by its creator, at one level under the creator’s Ability. The current user can loan these memories to make an Ability check at the level stored in the item. The effect lasts for the whole scene once activated. Cost: 1 REASON per level of Ability, and the next available Advance goes to improving the Ability used. |
| Requirement: ELVEN IMBUEMENT |
| Ego Imbuement |
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| An item with this Imbuement has developed a self-identity of the sort you’d expect from magical talking swords or such. It doesn’t necessarily talk, however; the item can only do the things it has Abilities for, as determined by the MEMORY IMBUEMENT, which it uses for free. Ego items do not normally have Pools or Keys, but can use those of their operator. The item has no limit to its number of Imbuements. |
| Requirement: two ELVEN IMBUEMENTS |