Piromancy (revised)

           by Haroudo S. X. Filho (DL) and Robert Holmberg (dreamlord@cryogen.com)

Piromancy, a school of magick incorporating ideas from pirourgy, first appeared in the late 60's. Believing in the ideas of ritually cleansing the spirit, the flesh and their surroundings practiced in pirourgy (that fire is a natural force created to destroy - not as a force of evil, but as nature's tool to make the world better), they are also called Firestarters - an hold the flame as their holy way.

Getting charges by burning themselves ("our scars are marks of our spiritual cleansing, we should be proud of them" - Adriano Colares, leading adept of the "Burning Leaves" , a piromancer cabal in the amazons) have made some adepts wonder about their resemblance to the epideromancers, but the truth in this case is more than flesh deep. Piromancers worry a lot more about the world around them and are all very idealistic. They believe that they have an obligation to the world, and that striving for a cosmos better than that in the next incarnation is the only way to a greater self. Piromancers are not naturally evil, even though their believes make many see them as such, on the contrary - their teachings make them strive for a better and purer way to live.

Because of the fact that they sometimes get hunted entropic avatars, and even adepts that fear the attention their blatant effects can attract, the firestarters make one of the most united groups of adepts ever seen. Actually, there are just two larger groups (each one consisting of about 5 adepts with a few apprentices and followers) - one in South America (they live close to the city of Manaus) where they act as eco-terrorists, killing employees of foreign enterprises that stalk the Amazon forest; the other group is located in Spain, helping the Basco form a sovereign state (they are very brutal, but still fight for a "good cause"). The existing minor groups are somewhat less politically active, but they all share an interest in the progress and evolution of the world.

Blast style: Have you ever seen a spontaneous combustion? The minor blast usually causes the target to get a terrible fever, and sometimes even burn some hair. The significant blast, when it does enough damage to be lethal, creates fires so intense that they burst from the target, but only as a side effect - it rarely burns anything other than the target.

Generate a minor charge: Burning a being of entropy (a criminal, a torturer, an illegal lumberjack, corrupt lawyers and politicians, etc.) to death; burn something the adept has owned for at least a month; deliberately burning herself, causing a minor (1st degree) burning injury.

Generate a significant charge: Burning an entropic avatar or adept to death, burning something really important (your only house, your car) or something you have owned for at least a year (no, a blank piece of paper isn't enough). Second degree burns that cause at least 10 points of damage and covers an area big as a hand will do the trick (it has to be a deliberate damage).

Generate a major charge: Burning an entropic godwalker to death; burning herself with third degree burning that covers at least 20% of her body.

Taboo: Having friendly contact with beings of entropy (Demons, entropics, and any other unnatural creature with an evil nature); deliberately hurting innocent people (if you help evil, you become evil); being burned in a non-deliberate way.

Random magick domain: Firestarters can generate or resist effects of fire, heat and light. They can sense entropy in beings, and can even see auras. They also hold the power to destroy demons (UA demons).

Starting charges: Newly-created piromancers receive three minor charges.

Piromancy minor formula spells

Have you got a light?
cost: 1 minor charge
effect: this formula creates a small flame, no bigger than a candle or the fire from a match. The adept has to be no more than 2 meters away from the target, and it should be flammable (wood, paper, clothes, etc.). People can't be the target of this spell.

I saw the evil
cost:1 minor charge
effect: casting this spell, the piromancer can clearly see a persons aura if he looks at her for a few seconds (one combat round) and concentrate. He can also determine if the being is entropic (Randy Douglas is a good example, as is O.J. Simpson). The spell has a 4 hour duration. Some adepts (with Soul above 60) can even see demons that are possessing somebody.

I was burned with cold
cost: 2 minor charges
effect: after casting this spell, the firestarter can endure high temperatures (300 centigrade) and easily resist low temperatures (-10 centigrade) as well. The duration is 10 combat turns. During this time the adept will feel like it is 28C all the time.

You've got the fever!
cost: 3 minor charges
effect: the firestarter minor blast causes a fever and a small external burn of fragile skin (inside the nose, eyelids, lips, etc.) and hair. In addition, the target loses his next action due to disorientation (the target may make a body check to avoid loosing the action). If the magick causes 25 or more damage the target pass out. As usual it is only hand to hand damage.

Is it hot in here?
cost: 3 minor charges
effect: If a match isn't enough, put fire to a whole room. The effect is very similar to "Have you got a light?", but this time the area covers up to 2x2 meters. Again, you have to target combustible material, can't target people, and there still is a range - but this time 5 meters.

Piromancy significant formula spells

Hellfire
cost: 1 significant charge
effect: This is a special kind of blast that only deals damage to demons and other supernatural creatures (like Unspeakable Servants), that are clearly entropic. The blast damage targets Soul points instead of wound points. Visually the creature or the possessed person seems to be engulfed in flames.

Burn, motherfucker, burn!!!
cost: 1 signficant charges
effect: Piromancer significant blast. Works like "you've got the fever", but now the target can't avoid been stunned for the next action, and if the damage is fatal, nothing but ashes will remain of the target.

Never play with fire
cost: 2 significant charge
effect: After casting this spell on a person, the target will be "attacked" from the next source of fire he creates. The damage can be minor (light a cigarette with a lighter) or significant (turn on the oven). The fire attack will appear as if an accident (the lighter seems to be badly adjusted, the gas pipe wrongly connected, etc), being one of the few subtle spells made by Firestarters. There is just one down: the caster has to touch the target to make the spell work (yes, touching his clothes is enough).

Burning Eyes
cost: 2 significant charges
effect: The adept can see auras clearly, even in total darkness. He doesn't need to concentrate and the effect works at his full field of vision (not just viewing one person or object at a time). The effect works for 5 combat rounds (despite the name, his eyes will look normal).

Smell the evil
cost: 3 significant charges
Effect: The piromancer can sense if an entropic being has been in the same room as she, and can track it, as long as the spell is working. The spell has a 2 hour duration.

Illusion of Heat
cost: 3 significant charges
effect: The caster of the spell is very hard to hit. All attempts to hit the adept will have a -20% shift to their skill. The effect last for three rounds. The attackers will see him as a blur, like he was behind a curtain of enormous heat.

Firestorm
cost: 4 significant charges
effect: Works like "Do you have a light?" and "Is it hot in here?". The only differences are the larger area of effect (10x10 meters) and a longer range (the adept can set fire on things up to 30 meters away).

Piromancy major effects