Knacks: Arsalan, Dawna, Farzaneh, Omideh, Parshand, Salar, Shamisa, Uttalar, Vafa, Zharfa

Apprentice Degree: Boons
Adept Degree: Manifestations
Master Degree: Legacies

Ancient Crescent texts speak of righteous angels, the ahura, engaging in wars with the wicked daemons on a celestial scale. This conflict, known as the Eternal Struggle, has been going on since the dawn of time, with the victor claiming dominion of the world of Terra. While these may just be stories, there are some individuals who lend credence to these tales.

These Sorcerers use Khahesh-Ahura, literally “on the wings of the angels,” to channel the divine spirit of the ten primary ahura, the first angels, in amazing displays of power. These individuals manifest glorious wings of fire, light, steel, and other fantastic materials to take actions well beyond the abilities of the common person. A Khahesh-Ahura user can be stronger or smarter, heal from wounds more quickly, use divine words to briefly force his will onto others, and even fly overhead as if he was one of the very angels who empower his Sorcery.

While the first Khahesh-Ahura Sorcerer used her abilties to overthrow a tyrant, in modern times the goals of each individual sorcerer may not be so honorable. Once one can summon wings, the power is yours entirely, as the ahura are not known to follow up with Khahesh-Ahura users. Some of the greatest Heroes and most terrible Villains in Crescent history were empowered with Khahesh-Ahura.

Khahesh-Ahura is one of the least subtle magics in the known world. It is impossible to channel an angelic legacy without manifesting wings reminiscent of the angel empowering the Sorcerer, making it known to everyone around him.

Apprentice Degree
At this level of Mastery, a Khahesh-Ahura user gains two benefits. First, he may spend a Drama Die (and, in combat, an Action) to manifest the wings of one of the ahura who empowers his Sorcery. A Khahesh-Ahura Sorcerer may only manifest one set of wings at a time, and he must dismiss one set (requiring an Action in combat, but no Drama Dice) before summoning another. In addition, he may invoke the Apprentice-level power listed under each of the Knacks which follow, provided he is manifesting the wings associated with that Knack.

Adept Degree
At this level of Mastery, the Sorcerer may invoke the Adept level power of any of the Knacks which follow, provided he is manifesting the wings associated with that Knack.

Master Degree
At this level of Mastery, the Sorcerer may invoke the Master level power of any of the Knacks which follow, provided he is manifesting the wings associated with that Knack.

Sorcerous Knacks

There are ten primary ahura in total. Each primary ahura embodies one angelic aspect. As a user of Khahesh-ahura, you are granted a fraction of their power, which you can channel to perform incredible feats. The Apprentice, Adept, and Master abilities of these Knacks may each be used once per Scene.

Each of the following Knacks is associated with one of the five Traits. Similar to Glamour, a practitioner of Khahesh-Ahura may only have one Knack associated with each Trait, even if he has the Legendary Trait Advantage corresponding to that Trait.

Arsalan, Angel of Animals and Judgment (Brawn). Arsalan, the Angel of Animals and Judgment, is the twin brother of Zharfa. Arsalan is responsible for the life, health and growth of animals (including humans). It was only through Arsalan’s skills that Vafa healed after suffering the grievous wound when protecting their brother. It is said that any wound, no matter how dire, can be cured by a simple touch from this ahura. Many who recover from incredible injuries are said to have been “Touched by Arsalan.”

Khahesh-Ahura users empowered by Arsalan are granted the wings of beasts. While these may be reminiscent of the bird wings often associated with angels, they may also be the wings of other animals such as bats or dragonflies.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Potency. Prior to making a Brawn roll (including a Wound Check, but excluding a Damage Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to gain the power to fly until the end of the Scene.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may lay his hands on another person and suffer one Dramatic Wound to heal that person of up to three Dramatic Wounds.

Dawna, Angel of Victory (Panache). Dawna, the Angel of Victory, is the eldest of all the ahura. All of her brothers and sisters look up to her and follow her lead, for as long as she gives the command, victory is assured. Dawna was the first ahura who empowered a mortal with Khahesh-Ahura, allowing Ziba the Beloved to rise up and overthrow the tyrant Aždahâ, who had been empowered by the daemon Namirha.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Dawna are granted glorious, radiant wings. These wings appear as pure energy bursting out of the back of the Khahesh-ahura user, and can be blinding to look upon.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Majesty. Prior to making a Panache roll (excluding an Initiative Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to gain the power to fly until the end of the Scene.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power at the beginning of any Round of combat. Once it is invoked, the Master and all of his allies may Roll and Keep one additional Action Die that Round.

Farzaneh, Angel of Vengeance (Finesse). Farzaneh, the Angel of Vengeance, was the second born ahura. At the beginning of creation, Farzaneh did not heed the warnings of her sister, Dawna, and sought to destroy a powerful daemon on her own. The daemon proved to be stronger than Farzaneh, and tore the flesh from her wings before sending her back to her home, a tattered image of her former self. Rather than giving into despair, Farzaneh seized the rage within her and channeled that into a new purpose: revenge.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Farzaneh are granted wings of bone. Interestingly, these Sorcerers are the only ones who report pain, which is severe, when activating their Legacy powers, as the wings burst forth from their flesh.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Celerity. Prior to making a Finesse roll (including an Attack Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to smite his enemies, adding twice his Rank in this Knack to a Damage Roll made against an opponent. A Master who invokes this power may add three times his Rank to this Roll.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power immediately after he has been dealt any number of Flesh Wounds to inflict the same number of Flesh Wounds on whoever (or whatever) struck him.

Omideh, Angel of Hope (Resolve). Omideh, the Angel of Hope, is the youngest of the ahura. No matter the darkness surrounding them or how dire the circumstance, Omideh provides a beacon for all of her siblings. It is told that even steadfast Dawna turns to her youngest sister in the most difficult of times.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Omideh are granted floral wings. These wings may take the form of tree branches, flower petals or vines draping down the Sorcerer’s back.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Discipline. Prior to making a Resolve roll, the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to immediately heal all Flesh Wounds (but not Dramatic Wounds) that he has sustained.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to completely remove the effects of Fear (including Pack Ratings) from himself and all of his allies until the end of the Scene.

Parshand, Angel of War (Finesse). Parshand, the Angel of War, is the greatest soldier amongst the ahura. Wading into battle with a flaming sword crafted by his brother Salar, Parshand knows no equal in skill of arms. Parshand is the only ahura who has engaged in every battle of the Eternal Struggle, and few stories are told of this angel which do not involve some amount of violence.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Parshand are granted wings of lightning, which arcs off the back of the Sorcerer, seeking to be grounded on surfaces around her.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Celerity. Prior to making a Finesse roll (including an Attack Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to issue a one-word command to another character (e.g., “sit,” “jump,” or “yell”). The character completes this command to the best of his ability with his next Action. Obviously suicidal or impossible commands are ignored; if you tell someone at a ledge to “jump,” he would jump up and down rather than over the edge. A character targeted by this ability may spend a Drama Die to resist the compulsion.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to create a weapon out of thin air. This weapon is clearly supernatural, composed entirely of crackling electricity. The Sorcerer may not create a complex weapon (such as a firearm) through this ability. The weapon lasts until the end of the Scene or until the item leaves the Sorcerer’s hands, whichever comes first. This weapon is considered “magical” for purposes of overcoming any sort of damage resistance.

Salar, Angel of Metal and Rulership (Brawn). Salar, the Angel of Metal and Rulership, the smith of the ahura, brings the crown and mace. Every weapon and piece of armor used by his brothers and sisters was crafted at his forge. Salar is the ahura least likely to involve himself in the Eternal Struggle. In years past he taught humanity obedience to a chosen leader, but since then has kept to himself. While his brothers and sisters may love him, none could say they are close to Salar.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Salar are granted iron wings. These wings appear to have been created by the greatest smith in existence and are free of any imperfection.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Potency. Prior to making a Brawn roll (including a Wound Check, but excluding a Damage Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to to ask the Game Master the specific location of a person, place or thing. The Game Master must answer honestly and should be generous. For example, if the Sorcerer is trying to find the Rajah’s secret library, the GM should say, “it is on the third floor of the palace, attached to his bedroom,” rather than simply, “in the palace.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to create a metal hand-held item. This item may be unique; for example, you could create a key to unlock a specific door. The created item lasts until the end of the Scene when it dissipates into the air.

Shamisa, Angel of Light and Truth (Wits). Shamisa, the Angel of Light and Truth, is credited with having never spoken a lie or a half-truth since the dawn of time. According to legend, early on in the Eternal Struggle, a daemon had taken the form of his sister Omideh in an attempt to destroy the ahura from the inside. Shamisa, the only member of his family to see through the daemon’s lies, incinerated the imposter with his righteous flame.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Shamisa are granted wings of flame. These wings may be pure fire, flowing lava or more traditional feathery wings wreathed in flame.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Brilliance. Prior to making a Wits roll (including Perception Checks and Active Defenses), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to smite his enemies, adding twice his Rank in this Knack to a Damage Roll made against an opponent. A Master who invokes this power may add three times his Rank to this Roll.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to ask another character a question, which that character must answer truthfully to the best of his ability. The Sorcerer can tell if that character’s information is incorrect, but he will not know what the truth is. For example, if the Sorcerer asks a character where a specific treasure is and that character believes it is in the hands of the sultan, he will say, “The sultan has it.” However, if that treasure was recently stolen by a thief, the Sorcerer will know that the sultan does not have the treasure but don’t know who does. The Sorcerer may ask up to three such questions, and can choose which questions he wishes to ask using this power, but the power fades at the end of the Scene.

Utabar, Angel of Wisdom (Wits). Utabar, the Angel of Wisdom, is the most tranquil of the ahura. While many of his brothers and sisters rush off to action at the slightest provocation, Utabar stays back and attempts to collect information about the situation. This does not mean he is a pacifist, however. Once Utabar has learned as much as he can, he is swift to unleash his fury if he deems it warranted.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Utabar are granted liquid wings. These may take the form of more classical wings made of water, but others may spout small waterfalls from their back, falling to the ground.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Brilliance. Prior to making a Wits roll (including Perception Checks and Active Defenses), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to to ask the Game Master the specific location of a person, place or thing. The Game Master must answer honestly and should be generous. For example, if the Sorcerer is trying to find the Rajah’s secret library, the GM should say, “it is on the third floor of the palace, attached to his bedroom,” rather than simply, “in the palace.”

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to ask the Game Master about a specific course of action he plans to take within the next hour. The Game Master must inform him that the outcome will be good, bad, good and bad, or neither good nor bad. This ability reflects conditions at the moment the question is asked, and does not take into account any potential circumstances that may change the outcome of the intended course of action.

Vafa, Angel of Earth and Piety (Resolve). Vafa, the Angel of Earth and Piety, is the only ahura to have fought in nearly as many conflicts as Parshand. However, while his brother focuses on smiting their foes, Vafa is dedicated to the protection of his family. Vafa is most famously told to have placed his body in the way of a spear aimed at piercing the heart of Parshand and carries the scar of that injury to this day. The wound did not faze him, however, and in the next battle he returned alongside his brothers and sisters, keeping them safe from harm.

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Vafa are granted earthen wings. These may take the form of stone, crystal or sand, and it is said that many of these Khahesh-ahura users can use their wings as makeshift shields in combat.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Discipline. Prior to making a Resolve roll, the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to issue a one-word command to another character (e.g., “sit,” “jump,” or “yell.” The character completes this command to the best of his ability with his next Action. Obviously suicidal or impossible commands are ignored; if you tell someone at a ledge to “jump,” he would jump up and down rather than over the edge. A character targeted by this ability may spend a Drama Die to resist the compulsion.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to shield himself (or an ally) with his wings. Any damage which would have been inflicted is eliminated, as if the Sorcer or his ally had succeeded at an Active Defense. It does not cost an Action to use this power.

Zharfa, Angel of Death (Panache). Zharfa, the Angel of Death, is the twin brother of Arsalan. Rather than being malevolent, Zharfa takes up his responsibilities with a somber attitude. Zharfa is responsible for ensuring the souls of mortals reach the afterlife, and it is a duty he takes seriously. Mortals suffering a near death experience often report seeing a man with a gentle, yet sad, face sitting next to them. This man appears completely normal, but has dark feathered wings sprouting from his back. Such mortals report Zharfa holding their hands and, just as they came back to life, they heard him whispering, “It is not yet your time.”

Khahesh-ahura users empowered by Zharfa are granted the wings of beasts, but rather than being vibrant like those empowered by Arsalan, these wings are dying and rotted.

Apprentice: Apprentice users of Khahesh-Ahura receive the boon of Majesty. Prior to making a Panache roll (excluding an Initiative Roll), the Sorcerer may invoke this ability to add his Rank in this Knack to his roll. An Adept who invokes this power may add twice his Rank to the roll, and a Master may add three times his Rank to the roll.

Adept: An Adept user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke the power of this ahura to immediately heal all Flesh Wounds (but not Dramatic Wounds) that he has sustained.

Master: A Master user of Khahesh-Ahura may invoke this power to touch another character and inflict one Dramatic Wound on that character. Additionally, the Sorcerer will be healed of one Dramatic Wound.

Game Master’s Secrets
Khahesh-Ahura is.a counter-magic to Symvasi, handed down by the ahura to their mortal allies, who were supposed to fight the wicked Sorcerers who made pacts with daemons.

That’s what they were supposed to do. And some did, and still do. Others take their gifts and use them for personal gain and the amassing of power. No one knows if these individuals incur some sort of karmic debt to the ahura that becomes payable on their demise; the ahura are inscrutable in their methods, and work against the daemons in ways that defy mortal understanding. They may choose to invest their power in an individual who is despicable in nature, but who opposes (or is destined to oppose) the daemons or the Sorcerers they empower. Furthermore, the ahura take a very hands-off approach to the mortal world. They are so absorbed by the Eternal Struggle that they set plans in motion on Terra and let them run their course, trusting that the end result will advance their cause.

Most scholars agree that there are only ten primary ahura. However, some insist that there is an eleventh sibling: Hediyeh, the Lost Angel. How or why her family cast her out is hotly debated amongst those who subscribe to this theory, but no one is certain she truly exists. This question is exacerbated by stories of those who seem to possess Khahesh-ahura powers, but are able to perform those feats without manifesting wings. Those who believe that there is a lost ahura empowering mortals refer to those Khahesh-Ahura users as Wingless.

For Game Masters who wish to use the eleventh ahura, Hediyeh grants powers as if she were a Páthos (Passion) daemon, though the Sorcerer she empowers suffers no deleterious effects, and she does not manifest on Terra if the Sorcerer invokes all seven of her Favors. When benefitting from one of Hediyeh’s favors, the Sorcerer’s eyes glow red.