The mystical power of fraternity.

Nickname: bros

The Sigma Chi Rho fraternity, University of Ohio chapter, found that their hazing rituals were growing more intense, more amoral, and, quite to their surprise, more powerful.

Brotherhood became fraternity and fraternity became mastery and mastery became ascendancy. The most fanatic members of the brotherhood were shocked to discover that their rituals were creating genuine magical power, and that this magical power was making them stronger.

The President of Sigma Chi Ro began to get in touch with the Occult Underground as a whole through a fraternity alumnus who had become a dipsomancer. When he learned that different schools existed, with different names, he had planned to call his house’s school “fraternomancy,” but he changed his mind after a particularly powerful dream, and named this new school Chi-Rho-Mancy, after his own fraternity’s name.

Chi Rho Mancy bros gain their power together in a ritual. Each ritual has a “heel” who is ritually humiliated. The “heel” must be a Chi Rho Mancer, but they lose all charges instead of gaining them. It takes a little work to keep the “heel” from leaving, but peer pressure, stressing loyalty, and promises that someone else will come along to replace the “heel” usually prevent too much defection. Furthermore, the role of the “heel” is often used as punishment: if a Chi Rho Mancy shows weakness or failure or disloyalty, the other brothers will surely be eager to put the wrongdoer in the “heel” position for a while.

Generate a minor charge: Participate in a two hour long fraternity ceremony. This ceremony must involve at least four Chi Rho Mancers, all participating voluntarily, and at least one must be ceremonially humiliated during the ceremony. Others may participate as well, but there must be at least four Chi Rho Mancers, and at least one willing Chi Rho Mancer humiliated.

Chi Rho Mancy is a minor school and cannot generate significant or major charges.

Taboo: Any Chi Rho Mancer who is humiliated during a fraternity ceremony loses all charges and gains no charges for the ceremony. Getting humiliated during any other formal ceremony – even a ceremony like graduation day or a criminal court trial – will also cause a loss of all charges.

Blast: Chi Rho Mancy has no blast.

Symbolic Tension: Chi Rho Mancers are devoted to unity and brotherhood, but spend their time dominating and humiliating each other.

Random Effects: Brotherhood, competition, loyalty, and dominance.

Charging tips: As long as you’ve got your brothers, and a willing “heel,” you can charge two or three times a week — more during emergencies. If you leave your fraternity, you need to find another brotherhood and start training new apprentices before you can make the magic work again. And if you’re the heel? Sorry, chump, no charges until you can get another Chi Rho Mancer into the loser’s chair.

Starting charges: 5 minor

Minor formulas

Victory
2 minor charges
You must boldly proclaim to a group of your peers (at least four) some task that you’re going to accomplish. For the next 24 hours, you get a +30% to one Body-based skill related to your boast, such as Struggle, General Athletics, Distracting Physique, or Drink You Under The Table. This can bring your skill above your usual Body skill.

Smear the Queer
1 minor charge
Only makes sense during combat. Affects one target – the “queer.” Anyone who would be willing to attack that target (but not those who see the target as an ally and who wouldn’t indiscriminately kill allies or neutral parties) and who was going to attack someone else, attacks the “queer” instead. Lasts about ten minutes. Despite the homophobic language of the formula, anyone of any gender or sexuality can be the target of this formula, whether friend or foe.

Cowboy Up
4 minor charges
Fills the subject with a sense of invulnerability that can have lethal consequences. The target ignores all his present Wounds for an hour, treating them as if they don’t exist. New wounds will still have full effect, however, and after that hour, the Wounds all come rushing back, and in fact become twice as bad.

Boys Will Be Boys
1 charge per target
Use after you’ve been caught for a crime, but before formal judgement proceedings begin. Authority figures (one charge per individual authority figure, up to five individuals) will overlook the crime as innocent shenanigans and be willing to let you and any companions off the hook. The authority figures must be present and see your face.

Help A Bro
1 minor charge
You can use the one skill of an ally who is physically present, or one ally can use one of your skills. Lasts for a single skill use, up to an hour’s time.

What You’ve Heard

The Sigma Chi Rho fraternity is waging a secret three-way war against other factions for dominance over the University of Ohio Occult Underground scene.