Empress

VII. The Empress

“Power Controlled, Power Incarnate….what does it matter when Purpose is Withheld? Men forget that power must have meaning.”

Forget the rough power of the Emperors. True power is efficient---to get maximum results with minimum effort. Why force others into doing one’s will when one could simply persuade others to do what you like for you? Better yet, why not just do it yourself?

Persona-users dealt under the hand of the Empress wonder at the temerity of their male counterparts. They are not exclusively female---indeed, it would be impossible to call oneself a feminist if one was willing to act the hypocrite and deny rights to an admittedly barbaric sex---but they are wholly feminine. The Empresses wield incarnations of the power feminine, the Gynos Luna, the allure and mystique associated with the fairer sex.

They understand (some grudgingly) that their power comes from a stereotype but they are willing to live with it because every Persona-user must deal with an archetypical force of creation as well. They are perforce egalitarian; their purpose is to maintain a balance in the world. It was only recently that the Empress became a symbol of creative and intangible power to balance the secular power of Emperors; at least, that is what the Empresses say. The Emperors scoff at this and continue with their jockeying for authority.

Empresses awaken to their power when they sacrifice themselves for another goal. In this regard, they are much like Chariots; but the important difference is their acceptance of the situation. What brings Chariots back is that they rail against their fate and their desire to fulfill these goals serves as their impetus to return. Empresses are content NOT to return. They entered death with dignity and noble sacrifice, and accepted it with the knowledge they couldn’t do anything about it.

Now they could. The Empress Arcana is all about giving chances to those who didn’t have any before. It is the embodiment of an inner creative fire and a fertile mind. Empresses are the ones worthy of another chance. They are the soft hand of mercy to the cold sword of Man’s righteousness. They embody everything Man isn’t…but should be.

Many Empresses have a difficult time adjusting to the new realities that their Arcana introduces to their lives. Modern Empresses in particular dislike the idea that men’s and women’s roles can be so easily partitioned. This is not the case, the Arcana argues. It is too simplistic to say that Men and Women are the same. They simply just aren’t. The true power of the Empress Arcana is found in establishing that equality exists in spite of the obvious differences.

It sounds noble to sacrifice oneself with dignity, but the truth is not all Empresses are as high-minded as that. Some of them simper; some of them nag; some of them are downright nasty bitches. Some of them gave up living, and to live again is hellish punishment indeed. In truth, Empresses are comprised of the best and worst of womankind.

The Dealer of the Empress Arcana is a middle-aged high school principal named Lottie Munroe. She brooks no argument from her students, but she’s far more lenient with her Servitors. Lottie once gave her kidney to her twin sister, but something went wrong while she was under the knife. She should not have survived. To this day Lottie wonders at the prosaic beginnings of her power. She’s since concluded that a woman with even the humblest beginnings can grow to be an Empress.

Unlike other Dealers, Lottie herself is not as powerful as her Servitors. She has never seen the need to grow in strength and power. Admittedly it’s because she doesn’t like putting herself forward and the idea of exertion unnerves her. Still, she is the Dealer and her sister Empresses respect her for it.

The truth is Lottie herself is but a placeholder for a future, greater Dealer. She learned this when she accepted the job, and she knows her time will pass. She keeps it secret from the other Empresses because it is never prudent to tell one’s underlings that one is not in a secure position as one would think.

The Powers of the Empress

Lottie prefers Servitors who try to be feminists without being offensive about it. It’s been a mixed bag; and like any Dealer, she will not abrogate the precepts of her Arcana and refuse candidates with potential. Still the term “militant feminist” sounds vaguely Emperor-like to her, and she would rather the Chariot Arcana would choose such Persona-users. Still, she does her duty to the best of her ability despite her reservations.

Most Servitors are women from all walks of life, though the occasional man shows up. These few men are respected, though years of reference as a Sisterhood of Empresses has put some of these men at odds with the source of their powers.

Empress 1: Sly Speech
Roll: None. Passive.
Empresses use this power to get things done with a little verbal push. Empresses with this ability always re-roll one failed die on rolls that use Manipulation.



Empress 2: Regal Demeanor
Roll: Manipulation + Presence. 1 Numina
An Empress will never be caught socially unawares while using this ability.

Exceptional Failure: The power backfires; the Empress gets a -1 penalty to all rolls using Presence.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The Empress’ personal aura magnifies such that it is difficult to think ill of her. She might be wearing rags but she gives off the impression of being the best dressed woman in the room. For the duration of the scene, she adds her Numina to rolls involving all Social rolls.

Exceptional Success: As Success.

Empress 3: Juno’s Promise
Roll: Manipulation + Resolve + Numina vs. Manipulation + Numina. Contested (see below)
The use of this power makes Empresses the go-to Persona-user to ensure that promises are kept. Unlike most contested rolls, the target must be willing to enter a compact using Juno’s Promise.

Exceptional Failure: The power fails to function.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The Empress is able to bind another to Juno’s Promise. Characters who break the Promise suffer 1 point of lethal damage for every success the Empress garners. When broken, the Promise dissipates. Empresses always know the moment a Promise is broken.

Exceptional Success: As Success, but the Empress also knows the reasons why a character would break a Promise.

Empress 4: Strike the Irons
Roll: Manipulation + Resolve vs. Resolve + Numina. Contested.
Striking the irons frees a target from mental compulsions.

Exceptional Failure: The Empress cannot break the mental compulsions, and cannot use this ability for another day.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: Characters affected by Strike the Irons are freed from any mental adjustments done to them unnaturally. Brainwashing, suggestions, psychic domination etc. are erased. The character is restored to a mental state prior to his mind getting altered.

Exceptional Success: Empresses who score exceptional success are able to send the condition back to whoever altered their victim’s minds in the first place. They suffer the remaining duration of whatever effects they placed on their victim.


Empress 5: Defeat Me? I Think Not.
Roll: Manipulation + Resolve + Numina vs. Resolve + Numina. Contested.
This ability gives Empress the power to reduce an opponent’s confidence in himself. It is used to “psych” opponents out and buffets at their self-esteem.

Exceptional Failure: The power backfires; the Empress loses one dot of Willpower.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The target is so rattled that he loses a point of Willpower.

Exceptional Success: The target is so shaken that he loses a dot of Willpower. In addition, he suffers a -2 penalty to all Resolve related actions that target the Empress who affected him so badly.