Ancient Arts
As the Returned rise and once again enter the world, they bring with them knowledge and powers that no longer exist in the modern world. Those seeking different paths to power have since found them, and the magic of a bygone age has not been discussed in millennia. However, this re-birth into the world has not left their memories and past lives intact, and the experiences that shaped who they once were are gone. The Returned must reshape their abilities through deeds and actions, adopting moral codes of their previous lives to help them codify their magic. These Heroic Codes allow the hero to once again regain a part of her former life, and to once again perform the miraculous feats of the past.
Ancient Arts are separated into three paths. The Path of the Warrior, The Path of the Wise-man, and The Path of the Trickster. Each Path starts with one (1) overarching category, in which a player may select one (1) of three (3) powers. Each category leads to two (2) other categories, each with two (2) other choices. No matter what choice a player picks, that category always leads to two (2) other categories. To select a power further down in a category, the player must possess abilities from the parent categories. However, if player wishes to pick powers down each Path, she is welcome to do so; she just starts at the top and works her way down each time. If she wanted to, she could select both powers from a category as two (2) purchases, or pick a different category for which she qualifies. A player only receives a maximum of six (6) possible abilities.
Heroic Codes are tenets from the hero's former life. Remembering and re-adopting these tenets brings the hero once step to regaining full knowledge of who they once were. Heroic Code adoption is not mandatory. Each Heroic Code costs ten (10) character points to adopt, and allows the player to select one (1) Ancient Art. Heroic Codes modify the role-playing of the character, and conflicting Heroic Codes may not be adopted. A player who breaks her Heroic Codes loses the powers granted by her Heroic Codes, and all benefits gained by adopting Heroic Codes, such as the removal of make-up restrictions. The first time this occurs, the player loses access to powers and benefits for the rest of the current event and the entirety of the following event. Heroic Codes should not be adopted lightly, as they have a significant impact on the actions of a character.
You can learn more about Ancient Arts in Chapter 13 of the Rulebook, or look individually at the Warrior, Trickster, and Wise-Man pages.