OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
We can do that. The problem is how overwhelmingly Simurghish it is.
CEREBRAL PROBE INQUISITION
Cost: 3m;
Mins: Essence 2;
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Factual Determination Analysis
The thought patterns laughably referred to as "minds" are laid bare before the Whispering Flame. Mentally framing a single question, the Infernal extends it into the mind of a character within (Lore x 20) yards with a crystalline chime only she can hear, rolling (Perception + Investigation) at a difficulty equal to the higher of her target's (Integrity or Essence). Success inflicts a vivisecting migraine that clearly stems from some outside force, provoking a burst of relevant memories in the target. For the rest of the scene, they suffer an external penalty equal to the Infernal's threshold successes (minimum one, maximum five) to any attempt to avoid answering that question (including resistance of appropriate read motive actions). If the relived memory is particularly painful, this penalty also applies to their next attempt to regain Willpower from sleep.
With Essence 3+, the warlock can spend a point of Willpower to share in those memories, thereby receiving an answer to her question as truthfully and accurately as the target could possibly have provided it, with no meaningful omissions. This also renders any relevant memory altering magic Obvious to her, though it does not convey the original memories. The target can deny the Infernal access to those memories by spending Willpower equal to the external penalty, a psychic block that lasts one scene.
