Powers and Themebooks

In the world of City of Mists, supernatural abilities aren't random gifts—they're expressions of who you are, both legendary and mundane. Your powers manifest through Themes, aspects of your identity that define your capabilities, limitations, and story.

Understanding Themes

Every Rift possesses multiple Themes—distinct facets of their identity that grant specific capabilities. Think of Themes as the building blocks of your character: some come from your Mythos (legendary aspect), others from your Logos (mundane identity).

How Powers Work

Your Themes don't just list abilities—they define how your powers manifest narratively:

Power Tags

Each Theme contains Power Tags—specific abilities or qualities you can invoke:

Descriptive: Clearly state what the power does
Fictional: Describe narrative capability, not mechanical effect
Flexible: Can be used creatively in different situations

Examples:

"Scales harder than steel" (Bastion)
"Vanish into shadows" (Subversion)
"Sense lies and deception" (Divination)
"Command flames" (Expression)

Statuses

When you use your powers, you can create Statuses—temporary conditions that affect the scene:

Applied to enemies: "Frozen solid", "Terrified", "Disarmed"
Applied to yourself: "Positioned perfectly", "Disguised as the guard", "Burning with power"
Applied to environment: "Plunged into darkness", "Walls of ice", "Floor covered in oil"

Statuses represent the lingering effects of your actions, shaping the narrative and providing tactical advantages.

Story Tags

Beyond mechanical power, each Theme has Story Tags—narrative prompts that suggest plot hooks and character development:

Mysteries: Questions your Theme raises
Identities: Roles or titles your Theme suggests
Purposes: Goals or drives your Theme implies

These Tags remind you that powers aren't just about what you can do, but about what you should do and who you're becoming.

The Iceberg: Power and Identity

Your relationship with your Themes determines how powerful you are and how stable your identity remains. This is visualized as an Iceberg:

Above the Waterline (Logos)

Your mundane Themes keep you grounded, human, connected to ordinary life. Having strong Logos means:

You maintain relationships, jobs, responsibilities
You're emotionally stable and psychologically whole
You have reasons to not use your power constantly
You're still recognizably yourself

But: Your supernatural abilities are limited; you can't always save the day with power alone.

Below the Waterline (Mythos)

Your legendary Themes grant you power, purpose, mythic significance. Having strong Mythos means:

You wield incredible supernatural abilities
You understand your place in the hidden world
You can face threats ordinary humans cannot
You matter in ways that transcend the mundane

But: You risk losing yourself to your legend, becoming something no longer truly human.

The Balance

The key to surviving as a Rift is maintaining balance:

Too much Logos: You're weak, vulnerable, unable to protect yourself or others
Too much Mythos: You lose your humanity, becoming a legend rather than a person
Balanced: You're powerful but grounded, legendary but human

This balance isn't static. Events will strengthen some Themes and weaken others, pushing you toward one extreme or another.

Attention and Consequences

Using your powers isn't without cost. In Melbourne's hidden world, supernatural actions draw Attention:

Types of Attention

The Awakened

Other Rifts, Avatars, and supernatural beings notice power being used
They may investigate, form alliances, or see you as a threat

The City Itself

Powerful entities pay attention when legends walk their streets
Territories have guardians; factions have interests

The Mist

Using obvious powers in front of Sleepers strains the Mist's ability to rationalize
Repeated incidents might crack the veil entirely

Managing Attention

Smart Rifts learn to use their powers carefully:

Subtle applications: Using powers in ways Sleepers can rationalize
Controlled environments: Operating in private or supernatural-friendly spaces
Misdirection: Making your actions look mundane or coincidental
Consequences: Accepting that sometimes you must be seen

Theme Evolution

Your Themes aren't static—they grow, change, and transform as your story progresses:

Crack and Fade

When you fail or suffer consequences, Themes can be damaged:

Crack: A Theme is temporarily weakened, harder to use
Fade: A Theme is lost entirely, part of your identity destroyed

Example: A Rift whose "My Father's Taxi" Theme represents their Logos might have it destroyed in a supernatural chase. Without that anchor to mundane life, their Mythos grows stronger—but so does their isolation from ordinary people.

Develop and Evolve

When you succeed and grow, Themes can strengthen:

New Power Tags: Gaining additional abilities within existing Themes
Improved effectiveness: Your powers become more reliable or potent
Narrative significance: Your Themes matter more to the story

Theme Replacement

Sometimes a Theme is lost entirely and must be replaced:

Logos lost: Losing your job, a relationship ending, abandoning a purpose
New Logos gained: Finding new work, new love, new reasons to stay human
Mythos shift: Your legend evolves, revealing new aspects

Living with Power

Having supernatural abilities sounds exciting until you realize:

You can't always use them: Attention, consequences, moral implications
They define you: Your powers shape who you're becoming, for better or worse
They have costs: Every use risks tipping the balance toward Mythos
They're not enough: Some problems can't be solved with power alone

Your Themes—both Mythos and Logos—are the story of who you are. They're tools, certainly, but more importantly, they're questions: Who will you become? How will you use this power? What will you sacrifice to stay human? What will you sacrifice to be legendary?

The powers you wield shape Melbourne's hidden world. But more importantly, they shape you.