You embrace the epitaph of “fanatic.” You are devoted to your fervor and your sect. You fight to protect and cure those you can. But sometimes, the only solution is to obliterate the infection. Those of the other Sworn might whisper “zealot” behind your back, but you understand that destroying the Contagion before it spreads is the most important thing. If that makes you a zealot, so be it, but occasionally, you must put your sinful life on the line to attempt some good. The only purity that can be sought is that which comes from the cleansing flame.
The implementation is simple — share a horrible truth with one of the members of your faction and draw their hate, ire, pity, or disgust. Then, you cast your gaze upon the target, and invoke the vector in question, fueled with the disgust in the hearts of others for your monstrous nature. The result is dramatic. The target bursts into flame, burn- ing with blue fire — the more they are infected, the more intense the flame. It is not a subtle power, but you don’t care. Results are all that matter.
The demon chitters, enumerating the true name of God in binary. The changeling calls upon the intense might of Arcadia, giving a mortal a glimpse into the chaos of the realm of the True Fae. The hunter offers a simple prayer over the torpid body of the vampire at her feet. The Beast horrifies their fellow Sworn with tales of torment and nightmare, only to channel their loathing into righteous fire.
System: The fanatic with this vector must be able to communicate with a fellow member of the Sworn and reveal one of their sins, crimes, or deepest, troubling secrets. A basic emotional response is all that’s required to stoke the fires of purification. The fanatic gazes on her target and speaks, prays, or chants to invoke her fervor. If the roll is successful, the target is wreathed in blue fire and takes one lethal damage. Creatures with a weakness to flame take aggravated damage instead. This damage is increased by one for every Contagion Condition the character has — Infected counts as one Condition for each stage (so Infected Stage 3 would add three lethal damage). The flames then turn on their wielder in their hunger to burn away impurities, and in turn inflict one lethal damage regardless of any resistance the fanatic has to fire, with an additional one damage added for each Contagion Condition she possesses, following the same guidelines as damage inflicted on the target.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Requirement: To prepare the power, the user must confess a sin to at least one other member of the Sworn. The user of the cleansing flame must be able to communicate with and naturally perceive her target.
Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation vs. victim’s Resolve + Composure
Action: Instant; takes one scene to confess and then wield
Edges
Changelings, Demons, Deviants, Sin-Eaters, Werewolves: Pain is a good teacher. Perhaps better than most. And you understand the lessons of agony. If the fanatic has this edge, any target of a successful roll also gains the Beaten Down Tilt, in addition to any damage.
Beasts, Hunters, Mages: Fire is the ancient weapon of humanity, and you know how to wield it. Fire not only purifies; it also illuminates. Any fanatic with this edge will learn all Conditions on the target as well as inflicting damage.
Mummies, Prometheans, Vampires: You know the kiss of fire. Maybe you haven’t experienced it directly, but you’ve heard the screams in your mind as soon as you come near. Now you can spread that fear to others, just as you understand it. If the fanatic has this edge, any target of a successful roll also gains the Shaken Condition, in addition to any damage.
Specializations
Elementals: Some changelings are the very manifestation of smoldering rage and resentment. Elementals using this vector may burn out any single Contagion Condition the target possesses, but may only do so by swearing an oath or sealing a statement of future purity, without the need to spend Glamour. The Cleansing Flame works the same as before in terms of damage, but if the target ever falls victim to Contagion again, the damage is revisited on the Lost who formed this contract.
The Lucifuge: The Lucifuge understand fire in a way that no one else can. Fanatics who are members of the Lucifuge do the damage listed, and their Cleansing Flame vector is considered a “cure” for the purposes of resolving any single Contagion Condition the target possesses, chosen by the hunter. This hunter cannot cure this individual of any other Contagion Conditions for the remainder of the chapter.