The “Knife of Mithras” is the dark blessing granted to the true sons of Mithras by Ahriman. Each level of Culter Mithras makes attainment of the next level of Mithraic power easier. Facili decensis Averno, after all.
That said, a postulant cannot purchase a new Mithraic Discipline dot until after purchasing the equivalent new Mithraic Status Merit dot and completing the initiatory task. Unlike Coils of the Dragon dots, each Mithraic level — and the various effects and powers associated with them — must be learned in order. A Mithraist may not “substitute” a similar Discipline or Devotion for those dots — even one with the exact same game effect. Also unlike dots in Coils of the Dragon, a Mithraist vampire must have the same level of Mithraic Status that he does of Culter Mithras. For example, a Miles (Mithraic Status •••) initiate may not purchase a fourth or higher Culter Mithras dot until he raises his Mithraic Status to four dots. In fact, he may not even know what that power is. Storytellers are encouraged to make up wild rumors about what the new power, initiatory task and so forth for the higher grades are. (Some such misinformation may be inspired by the earlier discussion of the Mysteries in this section.) Should a Mithraist somehow lose dots in Mithraic Status (to represent being thrown out of a mithraeum or stripped of grade by an angry Pater), the Mithraist may not use the “excess” dots in Culter Mithras — Ahriman withdraws his bargain until such time as the postulant sees the error of his ways (or claws his way back up the tree in another fashion). However, upon regaining Status (by in-game action or experience point expenditures), the reinstated Mithraist can resume use of the higher arts without needing to re-purchase them.
Every Culter Mithras ability requires the expenditure of one Vitae in advance, except as noted in the specific descriptions below.
Characters purchase new dots of Culter Mithras similar to an out-of-clan Discipline. Thus, increasing a Kindred’s grade in the Mysteries of Mithras costs an experience point total of nine times the new grade to be achieved. For example, a Miles initiate wishing to achieve the next degree, Leo, must spend 36 experience points to do so: 8, or 2 x 4 (for Mithraic Status ••••) plus 28, or 7 x 4 (for Culter Mithras ••••). Similar to the Coils of the Dragon, Culter Mithras Abilities are not limited by Blood Potency Trait maximums. A Kindred need not have a Blood Potency of 4 to become a Leo grade Mithraist, for example.
The bright eyes of Corax pick out the glimmer of silver.
Action: Contested action (resistance is reflexive)
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Culter Mithras against the target’s Resolve + Blood Potency
The target need to give the caster a coin. (If the target has no coin on him at the time, this success is useless.) As long as the Mithraist holds that coin, the target loses one Willpower dot. That dot returns to the target if the caster returns the coin, if the coin is destroyed or upon the caster’s True Death. This Discipline can only be used once per target. At the Storyteller’s option, holding someone’s coin may make using Glance of Weakness (below) or other Disciplines (especially Dominate) against the target easier by +1 or +2.
The Bridegroom knows her secret sin.
Action: Contested action (resistance is reflexive)
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Culter Mithras against the target’s Composure + Blood Potency
Trigger a target’s Vice. At the next possible moment, the target will pursue her Vice regardless of cost or circumstances. This spasm of sin will last for at least a scene, until the target either succeeds at a degeneration roll (such as that likely brought on by a violation of her Morality during the pursuit of her Vice), until sunrise or until further pursuit of her Vice is impossible (no food left to eat for a Glutton, for example).
The Soldier wields his blade with cruelty.
Action: reflexive
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: This power involves no roll
With a reflexive action, the Mithraist can imbue a sword (or any bladed weapon, such as a bayonet, dagger, etc.) with occult energy. The weapon will do aggravated damage for the remainder of the scene.
The sign of the Lion is the sign of fire.
Action: Instant
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult + Culter Mithras
Transform normal fire into balefire. Balefire burns with a nitreous green glow, and does only lethal, rather than aggravated, damage to Kindred. (Balefire damages mortals as normal fire.) Balefire cannot induce fear frenzy. For each additional success after the first, the caster can sorcerously hurl balefire at a target (treat as a standard thrown weapon attack) as follows:
Successes — Distance
1 success — 0 yards
2 successes — 1 yard
3 successes — 2 yards
4 successes — 5 yards
5+ successes — 10 yards
The caster can also spend additional successes increasing a balefire’s size or heat; one success increases either factor by one on the chart on p. 172 of Vampire: The Requiem. For example, a Mithraist who rolls six successes with Fire of Nergal could transform the flame of a torch (a small, normal fire) into a balefire (one success), blow it into a very hot (two successes) bonfire (one more success) and throw that bonfire for one yard (last two successes) at a foe.
The Fire of Lies requires an existing natural fire, and cannot be performed during fear frenzy, during the rolls to resist fear frenzy or upon any fire actually threatening the caster. In other words, characters cannot get out of fire attacks or incipient frenzies by transforming the flames into balefire — Ahriman doesn’t grant defenses, he grants attacks. Balefire may not be “switched off” or transformed back into normal fire; when the scene is over, the fire simply gutters out.
The Persian fires poisoned shafts.
Action: Instant;resistance is reflexive
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Culter Mithras in a contested action against the target’s Stamina + Blood Potency
The target must already be wounded and bleeding. The target “bleeds out” one dot of his highest Discipline (in addition to his normal Vitae losses, if any, from the wound) for a number of turns equal to half the caster’s dots in Culter Mithras (round down). The specific Discipline lost does not change, even if the bleeding process lowers it below the level of another Discipline. For example, if a Kindred with four dots in Obfuscate and three in Vigor was hit with an Arrow of Thirst by a Heliodromus initiate, all three dots the target loses would be dots in Obfuscate. Lost dots “heal” the next night, beginning when the target next gains Vitae. Thus, a captive Kindred can be bled completely dry of all his Disciplines over time.
The Courier of the Sun gains admittance to his golden realm.
Cost: One Vitae per dot of the caster’s Blood Potency
The caster may exist in open sunlight without taking any damage. While in sunlight, the caster may not use any vampiric powers or Disciplines, including Culter Mithras.
She may not expend or drain Vitae.
Finally, all her physical Attributes (though none of her Skills) function as if they were half their normal level. This immunity from sunlight lasts until sundown.
The Father makes the rules for all of the house.
A Storyteller character Pater should be a mysterious, powerful being with all sorts of horrible powers and dark arts ascribed to him. Storytellers need never decide which of those powers exist, much less which specific one is the culmination of the Culter Mithras. If a player’s character is advancing to the level of Pater, this should be the center of a storyline, or even of a whole chronicle.
In such an event, the Storyteller should come up with a suitably dramatic ability that fits the ongoing theme of the story, taking suitable inspiration from the myths of Mithras, Aion and Ahriman discussed above.