Chimerstry is an art of conjuration: the vampire may draw upon her inner reserves to bring phantoms to life; these false images can confound mortal senses and sensory equipment alike. If the Cainite's power is strong enough, illusions created by Chimerstry may even baffle the heightened senses of the vampire. The Ravnos are fond of using this power to seduce, swindle or enslave mortals, effectively purchasing their victims' souls in exchange for a sack of bouillon that isn't there.
— Vampire: The Masquerade - Clanbook: Ravnos
Lamont Cranston: What did you find out about that lot?
Margo Lane: Not much. It was the site of the old Hotel Monolith. It was finished nearly 10 years ago, but it never opened.
Cranston: The Monolith. I vaguely remember that.
Margo: Seems that's the only way anybody remembers it. Before the hotel was completed, the developer went bankrupt and committed suicide. The last record is a sale to a Far Eastern buyer six years ago.
Cranston: When was it torn down?
Margo: It doesn't say. I made some calls this morning to newspapers and such. All anybody can remember is up to the time it was sold. Everyone seems to know that it was torn down, but they can't remember when or by whom.
Cranston: Or if.
(Turns out the villain has hypnotized THE ENTIRE CITY OF NEW YORK into being unable to see a hundred-story building smack dab in the middle of it.)
Margo Lane: Not much. It was the site of the old Hotel Monolith. It was finished nearly 10 years ago, but it never opened.
Cranston: The Monolith. I vaguely remember that.
Margo: Seems that's the only way anybody remembers it. Before the hotel was completed, the developer went bankrupt and committed suicide. The last record is a sale to a Far Eastern buyer six years ago.
Cranston: When was it torn down?
Margo: It doesn't say. I made some calls this morning to newspapers and such. All anybody can remember is up to the time it was sold. Everyone seems to know that it was torn down, but they can't remember when or by whom.
Cranston: Or if.
(Turns out the villain has hypnotized THE ENTIRE CITY OF NEW YORK into being unable to see a hundred-story building smack dab in the middle of it.)
With their mastery of shadows and illusion, and with their ability to divert attention, they can easily infiltrate organizations, get into and out of buildings without being seen, kill people and make it look like someone else did it, and generally confuse and perplex the public at large. The Shadowmancers are relatively few but they are effective.
It is almost impossible to identify a Magister of the Grey Order if he specifically does not want you to. That harmless old man with the travelling theatre company; the young woman who performs hackneyed illusions in the town square for money; the travel-stained Magister with the group of rowdy adventurers in the corner of the inn; the new initiate to some daemonic cult; the beggar, priest, merchant, noble, diplomat, or that battle-weary soldier — the Shadowmancers can appear as almost anyone.
It is almost impossible to identify a Magister of the Grey Order if he specifically does not want you to. That harmless old man with the travelling theatre company; the young woman who performs hackneyed illusions in the town square for money; the travel-stained Magister with the group of rowdy adventurers in the corner of the inn; the new initiate to some daemonic cult; the beggar, priest, merchant, noble, diplomat, or that battle-weary soldier — the Shadowmancers can appear as almost anyone.
— Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Realms of Magic (2nd ed)
Illusion, misdirection and terror whirl about the Shadowseer like a psychic tempest. With a subtle twist of the mind, these warrior mystics can erase the memory of the Harlequins from their enemies' thoughts, clouding their perceptions with confusion or horror. It is child's play for Shadowseers to bind their victims within the twists of their own minds, engaging them in one-sided psychic duels, or tricking their bodies into stopping hearts and choking off breath. Wherever the Shadowseer treads the battlefield, shards of illusory light and shadow blind the foe, while clouds of hallucinogenic gas send them into paroxysm of terror or bewildered joy. Discipline collapses, replaced by a bedlam of screams, gibbering and panicked, aimless gunfire. Warriors stagger drunkenly, slashing their blades and phantom foes. Through it all strides the Shadowseer - an island of sinister calm amid a raging ocean of madness, robes swirling as their faceless mask reflects naught but the emptiness of the void.
— Warhammer 40,000: Codex - Harlequins
"Everyone! Be careful! She can create illusions and trick you! Don't fall for her false reality!"
— Aelita on The Red-Haired Girl, Pokémon Rejuvenation
