Example Adept, from an OCR so expect typos: The Merchant (or Salesman, in a mo~ modem imerprttation) fucilir.ucs lhe Iransfc:r of goods bcN.·ttn [hose who hnC' lhnn and wan! them-while raking link c;ut be positive llgurc, when he brings IOgether two people with complemt:ntary nttds, borh. Mercham can also be a chC'al or d('C("iver, selling worthless goods., acting as a needless middIC1T13n, or managing to rob both parries. ~vC'r gelS a deal. Any avatar who gets fooled or taken advantage of 10 archerype. type. Nole thern lillie TO them for a ful1Jre sale is nOt selfless.) You C:ln be as selfless as you wam caring. ,:Ill'r goods, sh:Jme abom Chrisnnas. Symbols: Merchant s,1rchel wares-mendicanfs a case, A perperual insincere grin is typical, as are broad geslUres spcuh. gi~'esom Oxun·Man: Candomblc), Mephistopheles (European), Aison (Voudun) Suspcoed A\'atars CSOI'enc economistS (okay, aboul four CSOI'Cfic economists) see the COntestS of -barons- cenrury :as oocult contesl Strongest If they'n: righi, J.P. Andw.v Carnegie's resulled m:Jgicbl Ihe COntest. Channel: I°k_50%: At this b'e!. )'011 can coovince others to see there's little (kC'mon m:Jn, it's Pimo! scn:ams power!~) Alternately, ignore thaI's ("I'll you this huge, round nickel for thaI riny lillie dime!~) With an ordinary, successful roll you can get a deal that's good, bur com'emional; buy din some· one to pay full price for a display model, maybe fool someone kcollectibles. ~ If thai's Ih3n target's into tt3des. ("How jXIy rh31 i[-2oo be Sllre shOO( )'ou ha~ Ir's profitn fi()( to obey, it just m:Jkes it seem like a good idea, Resisting such it's not lrigger 1e\~1. nor creatures.. fine 00 adepls., Ihough, 51 %-70%: empowe'red 10 trade' C'Xchange in\'olved successful roll) )·ou can facilitare exchanges of immaterial Wam someone', As lhey to il. il. to scll years off his person Bhas lhe money ro If )'ou BfiVe" YC31'$ youngCL (A doesn'l he JUSt fi~~ )~ars sooner,) en:n fi\'t momhs ...j. to [his Ihal bolh muSt flttly Ihe doesn'l if you\'e I%-50% physi, cal coercion to gel them ro S:lY )'CS, If:lll [he involved panics frecly agree (and you make your roll) you can make the poilUS, stats---cven faelors Meter. [0 ro characler, (-Ihat rubber chicken!") 71 %-90%: Wilh ~tercham 3nd \\ilh ir. cannor )'OU that's jXIrt can'r agrttlIlCll. )'our memori(s, skills., you','e gonen b'd han lhe ro gi\'e rhem inexrricably 10 it particulars. 91 %+: Every time someone wants 10 harm you with ha~'e you It doesn't ha~'e be lot money---a penn), bucks., doesn't maner. ha\'e to negoliable correnc)'. 'em, simpl)' shool. much [hey roo Trade' don't work-it be currency nation's mint,) to t3ke quarrer a[ [hey nexi aelion. anack be sep;lra[e!y. can', jusl tOSS at fl.'t't twent)' tinles ollee those pa)'ment olle he again. evro iI's jusl srrange Ihis lhal anyo~wanrs to )"ou insrinctively rhl.')· musl rhe pri"ilege, •• 00' THE MERCHANT Auributes: Merchant more modern interpretation) facilitates the transfer berween those have them those who want them—taking a little cut for himself. The Merchant can a figure, together two complementary needs, helping both. On the other hand, the Merchant cheat deceiver, goods, middleman, parties. Taboos: The Merchant archetype never gets the worse of weakens his connection to the archetype, The Merchant never gives anything away; any purely selfless giving is contrary to type, (Note that giving someone an incentive or doing them a little favor to soften thern up future not can want with your time and caring, but you can't give away physical goods. Damn shame aboue Christmas. Symbols; The Merchamt always has a satchel for his wares—from a mendscant’s sack to briefcase or sample case. perpetual gestures and rapid, eloquent speech, The Merchant frequently imbibes or gives out alcohol, and is known for giving away free gifts of little value. Masks: Yankee Jonathan (American), Oxun-Mare (Candomble), Voudun) Suspected Avatars in History: Many esoteric economists about esoteric cconomists) contests the “robber barons” in 19th-century America as an occult contest to become the strongest Merchant. they're right, J.P. Morgan probably won. Andrew Carnegic’s sudden burst of charitable giving probably resulted from the magickal backlash of losing the contest. Channel; 1%-S0%: Ar level, you convince to value where there’s littl or none. (“C'mon man, it’s a Pirto! The very name screams manly pewwer!”) Altermarely, you can convince someone to agNOre value that’s apparent. (“I'll give that tiny litth dime!”) that’s but conventional; you can bay a car dirt cheap, convince someone moxlel, into paying inflated prices on worthless “collectibles.” [f you get a successful roll chat’s higher than your target’s Mind score, you can talk them mto abysmally stupid trades. (“How much did you pay for the bullets in that gun? I'll triple ir—and you can sure I won't shoot you because I don't have a gun. It’s pure profit!) This does not compel people makes idea. a reasonable request (or realizing it’s not so reasonable) may trigger a Self or Unnatural check of some level. ELEVEN: This ability does not work on supernatural creatures. It works just on human adepts, though. $1%-You are now empowered to make Faustian bargains: as long as trade and exchange is involved (and a you facilitate commodities. Want to buy someone's soul? long as they agree ro sell it, you can do it. Is person A willing to sell five yeaofrf hsis life, and B has the monctyo pay? both sides agree, you can make B five years younger. A doesn’t get any older; be just dies five years sooner.) You can even negotiate a cut from both sides for yourself (say, $5000 and five months... .). The key co this power is thar both sides must freely agree to the bargain; the power doesn't work you've used supernatural power (like your |%-channel) or physical get to say yes. If all the parties freely deal happen. Using this power you can buy and sell wound points, transfer skills and stats—even broker psychological factors like failed notches on the Madness Meter, You do need to find a way to express this in character, however. (“I'll trade you my sense of life's meaninglessness for that chicken!™) 71%-M%: With a successful Avatar: Merchane check you can summon up a demon and make deals with it. The demon cannot harm you (unless that’s part of the deal) and you can safely get rid of it if the two of you can’t reach an agreement. If you offer it immaterial things in your possession (like your memories, your skills, or something you've gotten with the previous level of channel) you have the power to give them up to it. Once the deal is agreed upon, both sides are inextricably bound to obey i in all 91%4: ro magick or with a conventional weapon, they have to pay some money. doesn’t have to a Jot of money—a penny or a million bucks, doesn’t matter. They just have to give you (or throw at you) some kind of negotiable currency. If they don't have any cash on “em, they simply cannot shoot, kick, or stab you, no matter how mach they want to, (Trade goods don’t work—it has to valid curreney presently circulated by a nation’s mint.) Even if they're well supplied with money, they have to take an action to toss a quarter at you; then they can shoot you on their next action. Each attack has to paid for separately. Your assassin can’t just toss a billfold with twenty bills in it ar your feet and shoot you rwenry times (once for each bill); these bills are considered payment for one attack. If he wants to attack you again, be has to pay again, even if it’s just a nickel. A strange thing about this ability is that anyone who wants fo injure you instinctively knows they must pay for the privilege.