You place a hand on the object, gloved or not, and glare into its figurative or literal soul. You may even sniff or lick it depending on how confident you are that it won't kill you right away. Observers to this act may feel a mild to intense discomfort depending on what item it is (pray that it's not someone's clothing, cough cough) but you can insist that this is all for the sake of science.
On testing:
Delphyrion has always wanted to know everything. However, no matter how strong one's background is in chemistry, you'd usually need equipment and time to study an object's composition. Not to mention the amount of harm it could do to the item.
On chemistry:
This gift could be groundbreaking, but only if you know what you're looking at. There's no point if you don't recognize what chemical or molecular structure you find in the item, or what you can do with it. Chemistry is all about using what you have, and what's the use of a weapon that you know nothing about?
On questionable acts:
Look, living creatures are born with five senses for a reason. Delphyrion will use all five senses if it means new knowledge can be found. Sure, they've gotten sick from licking stuff for no reason, but at least now there is a reason to do so. This will do wonders for their immune system.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You may only use this Effect once per day.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
You activate the talisman be pressing your open palm with fingers spread apart and silencing chaotic thoughts, often 'the original' (owner) would use righteous fury to summon the power of the token.
once you press down the talisman against your chest in this way the two layers of symbols align and slot together to form a single symbol and the center briefly glows the yellow of the sun on the inner sides and a burst of practically physical air descends from just above the Contractor like a whirlwind and instantly gusts out in all directions. the wind barrier 'scoops' up and pushes away all those the wearer deems to be agents of chaos.
as the wind hurls its foes away the wearers eyes also turn a solid yellow and its like looking into twin suns. As their eyes glow, drawn from their lips at any volume or language "begone chaos" is said and all those affected by it hear the words as if said next to their ear.
All those affected are then roughly 'plopped' at the edge of the talismans area of influence. Ejected from Harmony
While the wearer concentrates they stand in place and with eyes of the sun active. Air whirlwinding around them and bursting out to maintain the dome of harmony.
Everything and everyone inside the dome of harmony while it is active and during activation are completely unruffled by the physical air barrier.
In fact everything inside the dome feels like its being cradled. To all animate beings it imparts a sense of comfort in who and where they are.
Spend an Action or Reaction.
Create a repulsion field which extends out 45 feet from you in every direction, and lasts for the next 5 Rounds. Any Animate targets within the field cannot move any closer towards you. If they were within 45 feet from you when you activated the effect, they are immediately pushed back to the edge of the repulsion field.
You must maintain Concentration during this Effect.
When you activate this effect, you may designate any number of specific individuals to exclude from the Effect. Anyone designated in this way is unaffected by the repulsion field, and can approach you as normal.
You must remain standing in the same location while this Effect is active. Moving to a new location will interrupt your Concentration and end the Effect.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
The Entomancer opens up a cup full of tiny insects and releases them into the surrounding area. A minute later, they march back to inform their queen of their findings.
Activation Roll: Intellect + Entomancy
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 500 feet You must use up a cup of bugs in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
You learn the following information about the area:
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Human Stain - Your dreams are filled with humans and their evergrowing hubris. (Nightmares).
You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.
Keith Nightly starts to play a song, and the sheer awe generated by his performance makes it difficult to approach him.
Uses Music
Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. You must actively and obviously use Musical Instrument to activate this Effect. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6.
Create a repulsion field which extends out 15 feet from you in every direction, and lasts for the next minute. Any Animate targets within the field cannot move any closer towards you. If they were within 15 feet from you when you activated the effect, they are immediately pushed back to the edge of the repulsion field.
You must maintain Concentration during this Effect.
You must remain standing in the same location while this Effect is active. Moving to a new location will interrupt your Concentration and end the Effect.
Preston raises his arms, wiggles his fingers, and little sparkles fly out and woosh around the object in question. It shudders to life and follows his commands, including to do things it was not designed to do.
Exert your Mind (unless targeting a weapon or explosive) and an Action. Select a Inanimate target within arm's reach which could fit inside an SUV (4,000 liters). You must actively and obviously use a pointed hat with stars and moons to activate this Effect.
Your target will become Animated indefinitely. You may choose to end the effect at will, as a Free Action. You can maintain a max of 4 targets animated at once.
Animated Objects have the following restrictions and capabilities:
Bu Fang offers up a nice meal. Using it to lead a conversation, the meal relaxes the targets mind, so much that they start spilling their secrets without knowing. They don't even realize as they chat, Bu Fang leading them on in the coversation.
This Effect activates whenever eats a Fascinate meal. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Sapient target or a Creature within 20 feet. “Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. You must use up Trapped meal in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target resists by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
You learn all the following information about your target:
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.
Any information you gather is a dinner conversation and made publicly available.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
The Psychic can speak directly into someone's mind, engaging in an entirely telepathic conversation. While they do, they take on a blank, vacant stare in the direction of their target, and appear to be muttering gibberish to themselves under their breath.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a target any distance away from you. You must have a specific target in mind, but you require only an intuitive understanding of them, such as their name, face, or Location. This Effect cannot be used unless you can see your target.
You open up a line of communication to your target, and may converse with them as long as one of you maintains Concentration
The conversation will only be perceived by the intended recipient. You must share a common language for your target to understand the message.
This witch is a cruel and vengeful creature who works her vile arts against those she deems worthy of punishment. All she must do is point. A flash of green lightning strikes her victim and disappears. Immediately, or upon the completion of some condition, if the witch chooses, the victim's body warps and shifts into a gross mockery of its former self. Whether she's giving someone the head of a donkey or stealing their voice, the witch's enemies always get what is coming to them.
The sheer wickedness of this spell corrupts the witch, giving her a disgusting, witchy appearance.
Exert your Mind and Spend an Action. Select a Living target within 20 feet. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6. The target may roll Body, -2 dice at Difficulty 7, as a Free Action to resist.
If you succeed, the target receives a new Battle Scar of your choosing, limited by the contested Outcome:
When you activate this Effect, instead of occurring immediately, you may choose to delay its effects until the target takes a particular Action. For example: "when they fire a gun" or "when they swim in deep water."
Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: Witchy Appearance. You have a long, warty nose and chin, wrinkled skin, and a hunch back. Social rolls are at +2 Difficulty, and your free movement is reduced by 10 feet.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Compulsion for payback. You must roll Self-Control to avoid using this Gift on anyone who wrongs you in a major way.
The De-Neuralizer is a small silver device that can emanate a bright flash of light. Any being that looks into it with uncovered eyes has their most recent period of the their memory set into a highly over-writable state for a moment. While in this state, their memories may be overwritten at will.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within within arm's reach. All Sapient targets within 20 feet are affected. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is looking directly into the device with uncovered eyes. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, the most recent 1 hour from your target’s memory is either replaced with new memories or forgotten entirely. This is recorded as a Condition. The level of detail and completeness of the alteration depends on your Outcome. If you fail, the target realizes that you are attempting to alter their memories.
The period is chosen either by time (i.e. “last Friday night”) or by reference to a specific event (i.e. “when the murder occurred”).
The Skeleton Key slips easily into any keyhole and turns without a fuss.
Spend an Action.
You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, locks, or locked targets within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.
If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.
The creature's claws rip through the poor, defenseless doctor's coat, opening deep gashes in their gut. It bares its fangs to lunge for the killing blow, but the doctor looks up at the attacker. Their eyes filed not with utter terror at their imminent demise, only a look of disappointment and pity. Touched, the monster hesitates. . .
This Effect activates whenever you receive a Severity 2 or higher Injury from an attack. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Living target within 45 feet. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, for the next minute, your target will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by remorse for hurting such a pure soul. They will not necessarily display their emotions in an obvious way.
Actions they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.