Hanged Man

XIII. The Hanged Man

“Look here, kid. I’m not here to make you miserable. I’m just here to make sure you do something about it.”

The Hanged Man Arcana is the Arcana of consequences, of negotiating human suffering. The Awakening of a new Hanged Man is often a cause for concern among other Persona-users: it means someone, somewhere, is going to feel hurt deeply. And while it’s no guarantee that it’s Hanged Man fault, it’s sure that he will do something about it.

Hanged Men usually have tragic pasts; the number of betrayals and suicides suffered by the members of the Arcana are second to none. As a result, they are sensitive to the nuances of pain and despair. Disturbingly, some have learned to revel in it.

The Arcana calls to it those who are capable of surviving the morass that is human suffering. Its duty is clear: to ensure the survival of the human race, it must weed out those who would be victims to the darkest of emotions. In a way, the Arcana does what other Arcana, even Justice, would not: to weed out the infirm, the weak, the spineless. They especially target the ranks of new Persona-users.

The reasons are abundant: the damage that emotionally irresponsible Persona-users can be irreparable. If allowed to grow, the destruction wreaked could be such that the emotional turmoil spills into the Fog or the Dark Hour. It is an option that no one wants to encourage. Yet the task of culling the ranks has always fallen to those dealt under the Hanged Man.

Because they are so familiar with the sense of despair and wrongdoing, most Hanged Men are grim and easily displeased by merriment. What’s there to laugh about, they grouse. In truth, they would like nothing better than to have a reason for joy. Unfortunately thanks to their duty and their own backgrounds, reasons are not forthcoming.

The other Arcana watch how they act among other Hanged Men because they know their worst feelings are watched and monitored by the grim Arcana. The so-called Arcana of Light (Star and Sun) tend to want to “fix” the Hanged, but most of their efforts are futile at best. There is no light for the Hanged while their tragedy continues. This however, does not block them from positive emotions---except that these rarely last for long. A happy Hanged Man will be guarded about his happiness at best, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The Dealer of the Hanged Man is a sharp old woman simply known as the Gardener. She is the oldest of the Dealers, claiming to have held the office for over three millennia. She certainly looks it. She is rail thin and brittle seeming. The alacrity with which she wields her shears however, is something to behold. It’s often the last thing those who make the mistake of underestimating her see.

The Gardener’s tragedy is long shrouded in mystery. What’s certain is she has mastered the aspects of her Persona more so than any other Dealer. It grants her considerable power, so much so that she has slain fellow Dealers when tasked to by her Arcana. In the few times that the Dealers gather to play or trade their Cards, she is the final arbiter of all disputes by virtue of seniority, but her reputation for ruthlessness keeps any from liking her.

Her Garden is a place to behold: what one thinks are roses are actually human faces contorted past the point of recognition. These she prunes and cares for, showing care and concern to her plants where she otherwise has none for foolish mortals.

The Powers of the Hanged Men

Hanged Man 1: Know Despair
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy + Numina.
This ability allows the Hanged Man to see the darkest part of a being’s heart.

Exceptional Failure: The power fails to function and cannot be used for the rest of the day.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The Hanged Man knows the darkest, most despairing event of his target’s life. When used against Shadows, it allows the Hanged Man to know their weaknesses.

Exceptional Success: The Hanged Man knows what act will cleanse his target of his despair.

Hanged Man 2: Torment Mind
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy + Numina vs. Resolve + Numina.
Not to be confused with the Promethean condition, this ability allows the Hanged Man to slowly crush the ego of his target.

Exceptional Failure: The power fails to function, and its effects are felt by the Hanged Man.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The target feels enervated, drained by his negative thoughts. He suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls for the next turn.

Exceptional Success: The penalty is raised to -2.

Hanged Man 3: Repel Apathy
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy. 1 Numen.
This ability allows the Hanged Man to help fellow Persona-users from succumbing to despair and numbness caused by traversing the Dark Hour.

Exceptional Failure: The power fails to function and cannot be used for another week.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The target is cleared of despair. He gets a dice bonus to resist Apathy equal to the Hanged Man Arcana rank of the Persona-user.

Exceptional Success: The target automatically succeeds his roll to resist Apathy.

Hanged Man 4: Condemned Soul
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy + Numina vs. Willpower + Numina. 2 Numina.
This ability forces its victim to live through his Vices.

Exceptional Failure: The power backfires, and affects the Hanged Man instead.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The victim is forced to live his life using his Vice. He cannot restore Willpower by acting out his Virtue while the power is in effect, though he can still restore Willpower by acting out his Vice. In addition to this, he comes more vulnerable to psychic assaults, suffering a -2 penalty to resist the powers wielded by other Persona-users. Finally, the victim radiates an aura of negativity around him, reducing his Presence rolls by 1 die. The power lasts for a day per Hanged Man Arcana rank.

Exceptional Success: The power is so potently wielded that he suffers the effects of Tormented Mind as well. The effects are cumulative.

Hanged Man 5: To Cut One’s Thread
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy + Numina vs. Willpower + Numina. 3 Numina.
This power is the most dangerous ability of the Hanged Man, forcing his opponent to terminate his own life.

Exceptional Failure: The power backfires with so much negative energy backlash that the Hanged Man receives 2 aggravated damage.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The victim starts finding ways to end his own life. He will chose the most effective way to end it (i.e., act that will cause aggravated damage) within his own means. Should he not die immediately, he will continue using the most damaging method for the duration of the power. The power lasts for 1 turn per Hanged Man Arcana Rank.

Exceptional Success: The self-loathing is so intense that the power lasts for a day. If the victim is to survive, he must be restrained from doing so or the Hanged Man relents.