Dark Release

{Prerequisite Arts, *** Pardoning, *** Defy}

Wraiths who perform the Art of Pardoning store the Tainted Essence in a "Shadow Pool," within themselves - keeping the dark energy away from their own Shadow. Dark Release allows them to siphon that energy away from themselves, though their Shadow always gets a little of it on the way out.

The Tainted Essence has to be placed in something that can hold it, however. It can be given to another Wraith, placed in a special Artifact designed to hold or dispose of it, or - as if often the case - dumped into one of the Damned. Many groups of Pardoners have a near-lobotomized "reservoir" chained up in their main Haunt, existing only to serve as waste disposal.

Giving it to a Wraith who doesn't want it, or doesn't know you're doing it, gives more to the Shadow due to psychic feedback.

Storm Armor

{Prerequisite Arts, **** Demand, **** Ward of the Damned}

Normally, walking into the Storm would be an act of suicide for a Wraith, but the Damned are able to thrive in that hostile environment. This Crossover Art lets the Pardoner "convince" her Shadow to give her a measure of protection against the Storm, so she can walk within it undetected, and undamaged. It requires Essence, and gives Tainted Essence in return for the Shadow's "help."

The protection created by Storm Armor makes the Wraith look as though she's in Shadowstate - with a vengeance. It is usually employed to perform tactical strikes or espionage upon the enemy during a Storm, or to just "get some" against the Damned when they're not expecting any real trouble. However, it can only protect the Wraith, herself, so there will be no tag-alongs on these missions.

Bulwark

{Prerequisite Arts, **** Purging, **** Ward of the Damned}

The Path of Warding contains an Art - Ward of the Damned - that allows a Pardoner to keep the Damned at bay, but only during a Storm. However, once this Art's understanding is combined with Purging, it becomes possible for a Pardoner to create the same zone of clarity without a Storm - keeping the Damned from entering the space created by the Art.

The procedure to start it is pretty much the same. And, as with Ward of the Damned, the strength of the zone determines how powerful the Damned have to be to break through. Also, Dark Walkers are unaffected by the Bulwark, breaching it with contemptuous ease.

Parting the Clouds

{Prerequisite Arts, ***** Purification, ***** Windweave}

One of the more miraculous uses of Castigate is the ability to push the Storm back where it came from, or stop it from erupting at all. It works by transforming the dark energies of the Storm into their opposite, which both cancels out the forward motion and knocks it back a bit.

Such an effort requires that many Pardoners - who must all know this Art - join forces to walk the Storm back to its starting point, or else sit around its promised point of origin and deny it entry. The more people involved, the greater the chances of success {and the less Essence and Willpower spent by all involved}.

Nothing can stop the high amount of Tainted Essence to be gained for the effort, but the Pardoners view this as a worthy sacrifice.