The Echo

You have been granted the power to look like whatever individual whom the viewer treasures most - whether this was in life, or post embrace. Without having to do anything, others find themselves double-taking to look at you - you remind them uncannily of someone precious to them.

Long Description: For vampires with especially strong minds, after a few moments examining you they realise it was only a peculiar resemblance. Normal humans, meanwhile, are utterly convinced by just this passing look. For most people, once you have met their eyes you are able to consciously activate your power and change your face to resemble whoever is (or has been) most important to them.

This lasts for an hour, and whilst they might be aware that you aren't truly their old childe or lover it may still be an emotional experience for them and could even reveal to others in the room the identity of the one they hold most dear. More-so given the hallucination is coupled with a queer feeling of a return of their Humanity, the essence of their human soul and life. While a victim is under the effects of your active one-to-one attention, their Humanity counts as being one level higher.

This effect becomes stronger if they were to drink your blood. (If someone does drink your blood, explain this to them off-game, or feel free to creatively inject the warning into your roleplay.) Anyone who tastes your blood will completely believe you are the person they treasure most. This effect only pauses if you are brought close to the Blank (to continue again after), or if they consume the blood of the Purge, which entirely removes it. Otherwise, it fades when they rise from slumber the next night.

These powers have left you hollow; riddled with a sort of insecurity that could only come from having your own identity constantly crushed and ignored in favour of others. You take no joy from tricking others with your appearance, you might have had to to survive; you're just tired of the sensation that your own self is slipping away. Perhaps the Blank or Trueseer might offer you some soulace... that remains to be seen.

Mechanics: To activate your power, look someone in the eyes and say "Off-game, Human Power: The Echo." Please remind them what your power does if they are at all unsure. For example: "You can have this effect removed by drinking the blood of the Purge - or unless the Blank is nearby us - but otherwise, for all intents and purpose I look like the person you've held most dear to you. You also have a level more Humanity for the night, or until this power is broken."

The effect is that you resemble that person, in face, voice etc. But this does not make the victim automatically believe that you are that person - it's just an uncanny resemblance. For them to believe you are the person you are aiming to mimic, you must use this power after they have consumed your blood - and a fair amount of it, a good half tankard or half pint.

If someone has drunk your blood freely, and you still have use of your power to activate that night (see Mechanics page for "extreme" powers) then you need only look them dead in the eyes and say "Off-game, Human Power: The Echo," and tell them that they truly believe you are the person they treasure or treasured once most.

You do not know who that is, but their mind should rationalise any disconnect between your words and their experience of you - if that person is dead, for example, it might be they truly believe something terrible (or wonderful) has occurred to bring “you” back, and this illusionary person must surely have only lost all memory of who they once were, but clearly it's them… back in the world.