Argos Symbol





rgos is an Arcanos of travel, specifically of travel through the Tempest. It enables wraiths to “swim” though the Tempest’s mutable substance, find secret pathways from place to place, and journey reasonably safely between the realms of the Underworld. Masters of Argos can go virtually anywhere in the Tempest and arrive without being molested by Spectres. Without Argos, though, travel in the Tempest is very hazardous. Wraiths with no Argos knowledge drift about in the storm, and can only change direction by spending a Pathos point. A character with Argos can usually “carry” a small group of companions with her, so long as they don’t resist. As long as all link hands, one can guide the rest.

Use the Survival Ability for retests with the Argos Arcanos.


Innate Abilities



Orienteering:

Distance and time have little meaning in the alien storm of the Tempest. Orienteering allows a wraith to determine his location in the Tempest and find the route to his destination. Those with Orienteering can travel to their destinations via the quickest and easiest path (usually a Byway), dodging most obstacles along the way.

System:The use of this power requires a Mental Challenge in order to determine the wraith’s whereabouts and determine how long it will take the wraith to get to her desired destination.

Tempestpeek:

This art allows a wraith to look into the Tempest, observing any beings or things drifting nearby. He can be seen by any beings in the near Tempest, and can even communicate with them if need be.

System:The use of this power requires a Static Mental Challenge in order to be able to look into the Tempest. A tie might give a slightly distorted view of what is nearby in the Tempest, while losing the challenge might give false information or blind the wraith doing the peeking.

Tempest Threshold:

Most wraiths can only enter the Tempest through Nihils. Those with Argos can open their own portals, however. The portals are usually small, and each is closed immediately after the wraith passes through. If another wraith is very close behind or attached in some way (either by holding hands or some other means), the other wraith can pass through the portal with the wraith who opened it.

System:To open a Nihil, the wraith must make a Static Physical Challenge. At tie means she can try again at the same place, while losing a challenge means that the wraith must wait one minute before trying again.

Basic



Enshroud:

To avoid the hazards of the Tempest, those with Argos learn first how to hide themselves from unfriendly eyes. This art allows the wraith to pull shadows around herself, making herself unseen in both Tempest and Shadowlands. When first activated, Enshroud causes the wraith to suddenly vanish. She is thereafter cloaked in shadows.

System:After spending a point of Pathos, the wraith makes and Extended Static Physical Challenge to see how long she remains Enshrouded; each successful Extended Challenge allows the wraith to remain Enshrouded for two more minutes. Enshrouded wraiths can act on others, even violently, without being revealed, though they must win a Static Mental Challenge before the action to do so. Wraiths who are Enshrouded must cross their arms across their chests to indicate that they are invisible.

Phantom Wings:

A wraith using this art may fly in both the Tempest and the Shadowlands. Flight is not terribly fast (resembling gliding more than anything else), but can be a convenient way of getting around. Wraiths may hover using this art, but can never accelerate to more than walking speed.

System: The wraith makes an Extended Static Physical Challenge to see how long (two minutes per success) he is able to remain in flight. A Narrator may call for another Extended Challenge to maneuver through or stay aloft in particularly difficult situations, such as a cramped room or windy conditions. Wraith who are flying can be engaged in ranged combat and spoken to. Unless close to the ground, however, they cannot be engaged in hand-to-hand combat. If a wraith is using Phantom Wings to escape combat, she must win a Physical Challenge against her opponent to avoid being attacked as she flies away. Wraiths who have Phantom Wings should receive a card indicating this ability at the start of the game from the Storyteller. While flying, they should display the card prominently, so as to make other aware of their airborne status. If the card isn’t displayed, the wraith isn’t flying.


Intermediate



Flicker:

A wraith with Flicker can harness the natural distortions of the Tempest to quickly travel from one place to another in either the Tempest of the Shadowlands. These mini-jumps are only good for short distances, generally line of sight. Flicker is also a good way to blindside opponents in combat.
Optional: Flicker can also be used to rapidly travel to any of the wraith’s Fetters, riding secret pathways to the familiar destination. She may Flicker any distance to a Fetter, but only to a Fetter. Her familiarity with her Fetters allows her to instantly recall their location in the spatial relationship between the wraith and her Fetter in either the Shadowlands or the Tempest. This rule is optional, as Fetters may be moved during gameplay, and it is simply impossible to expect the Storytellers to know the exact location of all Fetters at all times. If, however, the player and the Storyteller have made suitable prearrangement (“One of my Fetters is at my house, and I intend to use Flicker to get to it.”), then this art can be used. However, if, say, a wraith’s Fetter is a vampire character, it is unreasonable to expect gameplay to halt temporarily while the wraith searches the area and disrupts the action in order to find her Fetter.

System:With the expenditure of a Pathos point, the wraith may make an Extended Physical Challenge to reduce travel time by a couple of minutes upon each successful challenge for the normal use of Flicker. In order to Flicker to a Fetter, a wraith must spend one Pathos point and make an Extended Physical Challenge to shorten the time needed to travel to her Fetter. Flicker does not require the use of Tempest Threshold.


Advanced



Oubliette:

This art is the terrifying ability to cast other wraiths directly into the Tempest. By focusing his will, the wraith may either hurl others into the Tempest, or hold them in one spot, preventing them from escaping into the Tempest or Shadowlands.

System:A wraith first spends two Pathos points and gains one Temporary Angst point, which should be marked on his Shadow Sheet (see Chapter Six). He then needs to make a Physical Challenge against his opponent to see if he can throw her into the Tempest, where normal Tempest travel rules apply. The target may use any Argos abilities she has in order to get around once in the Tempest, but she is in serious trouble if ignorant of such secrets. The sheer force of the banishment tears a Corpus Level from the target, in addition to the other effects. A wraith attempting to hold his target in place needs to make an Extended Physical Challenge against his opponent to see how long he can prevent her from moving. The imprisoning wraith must maintain some minimal concentration to keep his victim in place, and cannot use any other Arcanoi while maintaining the Oubliette. Any use of another Arcanos ends the imprisonment.


Harbingers Guild: Argos Arcanoi

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