So, if we use the hunger track, what feeds it? That is, what recovers the stress? Breaking the Law? That seems too easy. - InFerrumVeritas
Making someone else do it? That puts McCoy in a dangerous position as a mentor (and elevates him some, seeing as he seems to have been a good one). Or maybe it's more like a spiritual stress track and needs cleansing rather than sating.
Namely the fact that WC didn't create it and that who/what/where they got (or stole) it from REALLY wants it back. - tymire
Ooh, that's interesting. Does that mean it's not specifically about magic in how it works? Would that imply that it could protect against crossing other spiritual lines (could a White Court Virgin or Red court Infected make a first kill without turning - could a changeling "choose without choosing" so long as they carry it)?
'K my take: The Blackstaff is a fragment of power from a greater entity, the one that the sineaters of folklore drew upon (which might make it an aspect of God or "God") - as might be expected, when attuned to a user, it eats the sins of their Lawbreaking magic - it's not a dark power, rather it's a light one that's perhaps used too lightly (in a different connotation of the word). "Attunement" however requires that carrying the Blackstaff become part of the identity of its wielder - so they have to replace or rewrite an Aspect to include it. Once they do, it protects from three Lawbreaks per scene - the good as well as the bad, you're unaffected or you're not - more Lawbreaks in a scene than that can take hold, although if they don't add up into an Aspect change, they can be recovered from as mild consequences.
Item of Power. Discount +2, it's a staff and can be used as such (including as a focus item, and slots can be applied to it to protect against additional Lawbreaks as the wizard becomes more familiar with it), it's unbreakable. For the sineating, I coppied InFerrumVeritas, and made it -3; I also added a -1 Refinement cost (part of the attunement and rewriting of an Aspect involves changing a wizard's habitual and trained way of working). Final cost -2.
If the wrong wizard tries to attune to it and pushes their Refresh below zero, they get drunk on the new freedom and start using black magic willy-nilly - they might not corrupted in the usual sense, but they go off reservation just as hard. Those who tend to run close to their refresh limits - mention no one who might happen to share his initials with Hugh Dillings the accountant - should take care.
Incidentally, how does Rashid the gatekeeper get around breaking the sixth and seventh laws? I mean I know he has permission, but what about the metaphysical consequences?