The need to protect one's Anchors from harm is one of the chief concerns of all Wraiths. Those who study this Path of Anchorage can rest assured that their Anchors are more secure than others. They can also rest assured of having a secure source of income, as Wraiths are willing to pay well for such protections: the Shieldwraith of any town is a wealthy one, indeed.

All the Arts on this Path can be used on another Wraith's Anchors, but the Wraith who owns those Anchors must be present, and willing to have them done, when the Art is used.

** Early Warning

This gives the ability to place an 'early warning system' on an Anchor, thus alerting the wraith if a clear danger is looming. Ideally, the warning gives them at least enough time to teleport back to the Anchor, and possibly even time to activate Anchorsense, and then Distant Presence. The Art also allows the Wraith to place Willpower and/or Essence into the Anchor as a "down payment" on a future teleport.

System: If making a "down payment" on a future teleport, the Wraith need only be in physical or spiritual {Anchorsense} contact with her Anchor. She may either place a Willpower point into the Anchor, or three Essence, in order to charge a future teleport to that Anchor. A charge may be redeemed at any time within a Lunar Month of its being placed in the Anchor - after that, it dissipates. An Anchor can have no more charges than it has dots in rating.

As for the early warning, the Wraith must place a point of Essence within the Anchor, and then spend another point of Essence, rolling Intelligence + Wits + Anchorage: Path of Protection. Each success past the first grants the Wraith a turn's warning that the Anchor may be in danger, though she will have to use Anchorsense - or go back to the Anchor - to determine exactly what is wrong. This effect lasts for up to a Lunar Month, and then dissipates, and must be recharged.

*** Cloak of Concealment

Any Wraith with sufficient Anchorage might be able to sense the location and strength of another's Anchors. This Art partially shields an Anchor from such deliberate viewing by Wraiths, and also partially blocks their Deathsight and Lifesight viewing as well. The Art completely negates the ability of The Damned to find these Anchors, as well, even with a single success. {It does not, however, lessen the power of Echoes}

System: The Wraith must be in physical or spiritual {Anchorsense} contact with the Anchor in order to use this Art. She places two Essence into the Anchor, and rolls Dexterity + Composure + Anchorage: Path of Protection. Each success negates any successes on others Ping, Twang, Lifesight or Deathsight rolls to detect the Anchor, or learn anything about it. The effect of the Art lasts for a week, and must then be renewed.

**** Shield of Self

This Art allows a Wraith to create a "physical" connection between herself and an Anchor, so that any physical damage done to it is done to her, instead. This is meant to be more of a guard against sudden and accidental damage, so that fragile objects are not broken into pieces - and people killed - before the Wraith can get back to them. However, the Wraith can place her body between the Anchor and sustained, heavy damage, so long as she's willing to take the pain, or can heal it.

System: A Wraith must be in physical contact with the Anchor to initiate the use of this Art. The Wraith must place three Essence, one Corpus and one willpower into the Anchor. She then rolls her Resolve + Stamina + Anchorage: Path of Protection. Each success past the first grants a week in which the Wraith and the Anchor are physically connected to one another {one success gives a day}. She can then go as far away from the Anchor as she'd like, and the effect will hold.

One of the advantages of this state is that the Wraith need not spend Essence in order to use Anchorsense on the Anchor. She needs only concentrate for a turn, and then make the roll as normal. This also allows her to use Anchorsense on the Anchor of the other Wraith, using her own Wits and the Anchor's rating for the roll. Further, the doing of any damage to an Anchor protected by this Art immediately plunges the Wraith into Anchorsense - as though she'd Succeeded on a roll - so that she may see what is happening.

So long as the Art is in effect, any damage done to the Anchor that exceeds the Durability Rating, or Defense, will be done to the Wraith instead: point for point, type for type. Note that Aggravated Damage will supersede the Durability of an object as normal, and the Wraith may not use her Defense to escape the damage.

The Wraith may spend Essence to heal herself, of course. However, she may not end the Art on her own, unless she's protecting her own Anchor. If she lays herself down on the line for another, she's stuck with the decision for as long as the effect holds out.

***** Shield of Will

A further improvement on Shield of Self, and the highest pinnacle of the Protection Path, allows a Wraith to create an unseen shield around an Anchor. This shield will deflect a certain amount of damage, or at least make it more difficult to damage something, or someone. However, it isn't completely invulnerable.

System: A Wraith must be in physical contact with the Anchor to initiate the use of this Art. The Wraith must place five Essence and two Willpower into the Anchor. She then rolls her Stamina + Manipulation + Anchorage: Path of Protection. Each Success acts to negate a Success from an otherwise-Successful roll to damage that Anchor, and such is the strength of the Shield that it may even be used to block Aggravated damage. Once each Success is used, it goes away, reducing the supernatural shield around that Anchor.

Example: Valerie has gained four successes on her Shield of Will roll, and is using it to defend her beloved bicycle, which would normally have a Durability of three. A vandal is trying to break the bike by slamming it up against a wall, and gets five successes. That would normally be enough to harm it, but two of Valerie's four successes are activated, inexplicably protecting the bike from harm. Valerie's bike now has two successes left.

Valerie also rolled three successes to protect her kid brother, Billy, who's made some enemies at school. The bully trying to punch him out at class change has an attack pool of five, and Billy only has a Defense of three. The bully rolls both remaining dice, and succeeds with both, but these Successes are removed by the Shield of Will - for some weird reason, the punch misses. Billy now has one success left to protect him.

The protection lasts for a Lunar Month, at which point any unused Successes dissipate, and the Art must be renewed.