Gruagachan

Story Seeds for Ritual Items

Covenfolk Rebellion

A remote covenant is found, by a Redcap, to have been devastated in a rain of fiery, molten metal; he presumes that all of the magi are dead. The Tribunal sends a group to investigate the ruin, and it becomes apparent that the devastation was caused by a powerful ritual cast from within the covenant itself. Some of the covenfolk are found hiding in the hills nearby. The investigators may eventually determine that the covenant was destroyed by a revolt of the covenfolk, whom the magi had foolishly armed with powerful ritual items. It is possible that the covenfolk were encouraged by enemies of the covenant.

Towers of War

On the Rhine Tribunal side of the Rhine/Novogorod border, a number of featureless towers are rapidly erected, each warded by powerful castings of Aegis of the Hearth. The towers are raised almost on top of known vis sources, and the Rhine magi soon find that their vis sources are warded against them. Early attempts to communicate with the inhabitants of the towers are unanswered, but a Quaesitor eventually recognizes in all the effects the sigil of a single powerful Novgorod archmagus. However, when questioned the archmagus in question claims no involvement — and he was provably well away from the area as the towers appeared. In fact, a small number of freshly Gauntleted magi, wielding a set of charged, ritual wands created by the archmagus, are behind the attack on the Rhine tribunal. The young magi may have stolen the wands, or they may be acting with the blessing of their Novogorod elders. In any case, the two Tribunals are now at the brink of war due to the reckless use of ritual magic.

New Virtue: Ritual Items

Minor Hermetic Virtue

The magus may make charged items that incorporate ritual effects. Each charge requires the same number of pawns of vis that casting the effect normally would otherwise cost. For example, a wand that produced an effect similar to Curse of the Unportended Plague (PeCo 55; ArM5, page 133) would require 11 pawns of Perdo or Corpus vis per charge. The number of pawns of vis that the magus may use in a season is limited in the usual way, and the number of charges is also calculated in the normal manner.

The gruagachan (pronounced: GROOuh-guk-an, singular: gruagach, pronounced: GROO-uh-guk) are a tradition of hedge wizards descending from ancient Pictish priests of the god Gruagach. The Picti were a people native to what is now Scotland, described by invading Romans as fierce barbarians covered in tattoos. Gruagach — the Pictish god of the sun, plants, and animals — has been all but forgotten outside of the gruagachan, whose numbers are dwindling. But they secretly worship the deity, maintain a cult in his honor, and take their name from him.

The gruagachan act as Gruagachs judges, granting blessings and inflicting dire curses with the aim of achieving poetic justice. Gruagach also grants them an external soul that prevents death from physical injury, as well as tattoo magic, the ability to shapechange, a talent for creating illusions and receiving premonitions, and invisible animal companions called fetches. The hedge wizards pay a price for these favors, though, as Warping slowly transforms every gruagachan intoa troll.

The gruagachan are found primarily in the Loch Leglean Tribunal, but also exist in

the Stonehenge and Hibernian Tribunals. The gruagachan have a long history with the Order of Hermes. They were bitter rivals of the tradition that would become House Diedne, both before and after they joined the Order, and because of that animosity joined with the wizard Damhan-Allaidh against the Order. After the Schism War and the destruction of House Diedne, the relations between the Order and the gruagachan warmed slightly. Some gruagachan have even joined the Order, but the vast majority remain independent.

There are both Gifted and unGifted gruagachan. An unGifted gruagach is treated as a companion character when assigning Virtues and Flaws, while a Gifted gruagach may be treated as either a magus or a companion character, at the discretion of the troupe.

Gruagachan receive experience points using the normal character generation rules before apprenticeship. Gifted gruagachan are usually taken as apprentices as adolescents, at about the same time a mundane child might begin an apprenticeship, anywhere from age 10 to 15. The gruagach apprenticeship generally lasts for 10 years.

After some initial training in the Pictish language, the gruagach master performs the ritual necessary for Opening of The Gift. This season-long ritual grants the gruagach apprentice a score of 0 in the following Arts: Give, Take, Blessing, Curse, Shape, and Vision. The gruagach master's Opening Total is his Give Vision Lab Total, described later. This total only matters if the student has preexisting Supernatural Abilities. The process for Opening of The Gift is described in the Introduction of this book.

The gruagach is able also to perform any of the laboratory activities described in this chapter. After the gruagach's Gift is opened, the player may spend experience points on any of these Arts, and the player need not purchase any of the corresponding Virtues. The gruagach apprenticeship grants the character 160 experience points for any Abilities, including Arcane ones or the gruagach Arts, and 80 levels of spells. After the gruagach apprenticeship, the character accumulates experience using the standard rules.

UnGifted gruagachan are generally not taken as apprentices during childhood. They often do not begin training in gruagach magic until much later in life. UnGifted gruagachan may only gain experience points in Arts for which they possess the corresponding Virtues. Sometimes gruagach masters find individuals born with the required Virtues and train them in their magic; however, this is a rare occurrence. More often, a potential student who exhibits the proper temperament and possesses the Giant Blood, Large, or Shapeshifter Virtues — which are regarded as favors granted by Gruagach — is recruited by a gruagach, who then Initiates him into the tradition. UnGifted characters who become gruagach through Initiation must also take the Flaws inflicted by the Ordeals associated with each ritual. Because the gruagach Techniques are Major Virtues, no gruagach may be a grog character.

The unGifted gruagach apprenticeship is shorter, and often apprentices do not receive Initiation in all of the gruagach Arts. Because unGifted gruagach remain members of their communities, they receive their training while maintaining their normal vocations. The un-Gifted apprenticeship generally lasts three to five years. For each year of training, the player may spend 16 experience points in Abilities or gruagach Arts and take 8 levels of spells.

New Virtue: Gruagach

Free, Social Status

The character is a member of the gruagach magical tradition. The character may perform gruagach laboratory activities and is a member of a gruagach collective. This Virtue is compatible with many other Social Virtues and Flaws, and with Wealthy and Poor. A normal gruagach must spend time supporting himself. UnGifted gruagachan usually do this by performing their normal vocations, but more-powerful Gifted gruagachan may perform services for the community, provide services to local lords, or receive rewards for enforcing justice — these services are usually arranged for by unGifted gruagachan, who interact with the general populace.

The magical tradition of the gruagachan is largely an oral one, and there are few known texts on the Arts of the gruagachan. Gruagach masters initially train their students one-on-one. If a gruagach no longer has access to a teacher, he must then improve his abilities through the study of vis, exposure, or adventure. Abilities may also be raised by practice, but gruagachan may not improve their Arts through practice.

Typical Gruagach Abilities

A Gifted gruagach out of her apprenticeship must have a score of 2 in Pictish and Gruagach Lore, as well as scores of 1 in all of the gruagach Arts. Beyond those requirements, the gruagach may have any Abilities appropriate to the character concept. Common skills include Concentration, Faerie Lore, Finesse, Folk Ken, Magic Lore, and Penetration.

Gifted gruagachan are capable of learning greater magic than their unGifted counterparts. They are able to obtain the Fetch and External Soul Virtues, but may only do so after they are able to take unGifted students of their own. This requires that the gruagach have a score of 2 in both gruagach Techniques, a 4 in Pictish, a 5 in all four gruagach Forms, and a Gruagach Lore score sufficient to Initiate unGifted students. The Scripts to grant the Fetch and External Soul Virtues are listed in the "Gifted Gruagach Initiation" section.

Gruagach Abilities

Gruagach Lore: This is the (Organization) Lore of the gruagachan. A character with this Ability has knowledge of the general types of things gruagach magic can do, the identities of other powerful gruagachan, and the secrets of the tradition. Gruagach secrets include knowledge of Gruagach — the patron deity of the gruagachan — the rites necessary to call upon Gruagach, and the rituals to Initiate another in the powers of the tradition. Because unGifted gruagachan play such an important role in the gruagach collectives, this Ability is studied extensively.

Pictish Language: This is a dead language in Mythic Europe, and it is only known by the gruagachan. For the gruagachan it is a sacred, magical language for learning and using their magic. Pictish is the gruagach equivalent of (Hedge Magic) Theory, and it provides the gruagachan with the same type of information that Magic Theory provides magi. It is especially useful in inventing new spells, avoiding the effects of Warping, and in creating gruagach inscriptions.

A gruagach's magical ability is limited by his knowledge of Pictish. With a Pictish score of 1, a gruagach's Arts may not exceed a score of 5. With a score of 2 in Pictish, the gruagach's Arts may not exceed 15. At a score of 3 in Pictish, the gruagach may have Art scores not exceeding 30. With a score of 4 in Pictish, there is no limit on the gruagachs Art scores.

In addition to the Non-Hermetic Virtues listed in the introductory chapter, gruagachan may have the following Virtues and Flaws. An unGifted character must possess one of the Giant Blood, Large, or Shapeshifter Virtues and at least one gruagach Technique and Form pair to gain access to the abilities of this hedge tradition.

Gruagach Virtues

With the exception of the Fetch Virtue, the list of Virtues below is only suitable for gruagach characters or characters froma related magical tradition.

Cailleach Magic
Major, Supernatural

The character's gruagach tradition has incorporated aspects of the followers of Cailleach, the Pictish earth goddess and companion to Gruagach. When the character casts a spontaneous spell, the lowest applicable Art is doubled before the casting total is divided by two.

External Soul
Major, Supernatural

This Virtue prevents a character from dying because of physical injury. A gruagach may only gain this Virtue through Initiation, as described later. As part of the Initiation process, the character and his mentor place the character's soul in a separate object. The character must guard this object closely because any damage to it, even so much as a single scratch, kills the character.

While the character's external soul is intact, he can't be decapitated or have any limb severed. No magic or physical force can dismember the character, and he cannot receive any wound that would result in Incapacitation or Death. If the Damage Table indicates that the character would suffer death or an Incapacitating Wound, the storyguide should distribute the amount of damage among multiple Wound Levels until all of the damage is applied to the character.

For example, Dombnall the gruagach suffers a devastating spear attack in which the Damage Total exceeds his Soak Total by 30 points. Normally this would mean immediate death for Dombnall, but the gruagach has an External Soul, so the storyguide consults the Damage Table (ArM5, page 171) and notifies Dombnall's player that his character has suffered a Heavy Wound and a Medium Wound (18 + 12 = 30, and Dombnall is Large).

Every time a Wound to the character must be redistributed in this manner, the character suffers a Warping Point unless the player succeeds in a stress die roll of the character's Stamina + Pictish against an Ease Factor of 9.

If, in a single battle, a character suffers Warping Points that exceed the character's Pictish score, the player must roll for negative Warping effects at that time. Warping effects are described in the Magical Dangers, Warping section of this chapter.

External Soul also confers the benefit of Unaging on the character. A character with the External Soul Virtue suffers Warping of 1 point per year because of the continuing mystical effect; see ArM5, page 168. The process of extracting a character's soul is irreversible.

Give
Major, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Technique of Give. It is a Difficult Art that advances as an Ability. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses one of the Forms in this chapter.

Take
Major, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Technique of Take. It is a Difficult Art that advances as an Ability. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses one of the Forms in this chapter.

Gruagach Master
Minor, Social Status

The character is the leader of a gruagach collective. The character has unCifted students who provide him with many of the necessities of life. In exchange for these necessities, the character must spend one season per year training those students. If the character is Poor, he only has a few followers with relatively few resources, so he must spend a normal amount of time every year on supporting himself, in addition to the time spent teaching. If the character is Wealthy, he has many apprentices or a few of means. The troupe should determine the level of experience of the students and their identities.

Blessing
Minor, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Form of Blessing. The Form advances as an Art. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses a Technique from this chapter.

Curse
Minor, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Form of Curse. The Form advances as an Art. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses a Technique from this chapter.

Fetch
Minor, Supernatural

Gruagachan utilize their fetches in their magic, and need not possess this Virtue to do so, but other characters may also have access to a fetch. Fetches are essentially invisible, non-corporeal, magical animal companions. A fetch does not interact with its surroundings and may only become solid if necessary to warn its master of imminent danger; a fetch might bump its master or trip him to prevent him from stepping in a trap or falling to his death, for example. Fetches often embody some aspect of their masters' personality — a deceptive character might have a fetch of a wolf, while a wise character might possess the fetch of a raven or owl, for instance.

This Virtue grants the character constant access to her fetch. The fetch has the Supernatural Ability Second Sight with a score of 9, and it is very vigilant. The fetch warns the character when it senses danger. It is nearly impossible to lure the character into an ambush or any form of trap without the fetch warning the character. The warning may be difficult for the character to interpret, and sometimes may be unwarranted because the fetch only has the Cunning of a very bright animal. A gruagachan without this Virtue may only utilize his fetch through Vision magic, and may not even know the shape it takes.

Flexible Gruagach Magic
Minor, Supernatural

The gruachach’s Formulaic spells are more versatile than most. Instead of being able to vary the Range, Duration, Target, or size of a known spell by 2 magnitudes, the gruagach is able to vary the spell by 3 magnitudes.

Shape
Minor, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Form of Shape. The Form advances as an Art. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses a Technique from this chapter.

Tattoo Mastery
Minor, Supernatural

A character with the Tattoo Mastery Virtue is more adept at creating gruagach tattoos than others. The gruagach may reduce the vis cost of a tattoo by his score in Pictish, but the cost may never be less than half the usual cost.

Vision
Minor, Supernatural

This Virtue gives the character the Form of Vision. The Form advances as an Art. It is described more fully later in this chapter and is useless unless the character also possesses a Technique from this chapter.

Well-Trained Gruagach
Minor, Supernatural

Due to the skill of the gruagach's master or his extensive time studying under his master, the character may spend an extra 50 experience points on gruagach Arts and take an extra 25 levels of spells. This Virtue may be taken multiple times.

Gruagach Flaws

The list of Flaws below is only suitable for gruagach characters or characters from a related magical tradition.

No Tattoo Magic
Major, Supernatural

The gruagach is unable to understand tattoo creation. The character may not create or investigate a gruagach tattoo.

Transformation Prone
Major, Supernatural

The character is especially prone to undergoing transformation, the gruagach equivalent of Twilight. The player must roll to resist transformation on a single magical botch, rather than on a double botch like most gruagachan.

Incompatible Hedge Arts
Minor, Supernatural

The character is unable to use a single combination of one Technique and Form. The character must possess the ability to use the Technique and Form. For example, a character could be unable to use Give Blessing charms, but would still be able to use Take Blessing, Give Curse, Give Shape, or Give Vision spells.

Inflexible Magic
Minor, Supernatural

The gruagach’s Formulaic spells are not as versatile as most. Instead of being able to vary the Range, Duration, Target, or size of a known spell by 2 magnitudes, the gruagach is only able to vary his spells by 1 magnitude.

Poorly Trained Gruagach
Minor, Supernatural

Due to the incompetence or negligence of the gruagach's master, the character must spend 50 fewer experience points on gruagach Arts and take 25 fewer levels of spells than normal. This Flaw may be taken multiple times, but may not reduce the gained experience to 0.

Weak Tattoo Magic
Minor, Supernatural

The gruagach is not able to fully understand tattoo creation. Halve the character's Lab Total whenever the character creates or investigates a gruagach tattoo.

Hermetic Virtues and Flaws for Gruagachan

Gruagach characters may possess the equivalent of a number of Hermetic Virtues and Flaws; however, some of the following are only appropriate for characters with The Gift.

Major Hermetic Virtues: Flawless Magic, Gentle Gift, Major Magical Focus, Secondary Insight.

Minor Hermetic Virtues: Adept Laboratory Student, Affinity with Art, Cautious Sorcerer, Deft Form, Fast Caster, Free Study, Harnessed Magic, Inventive Genius, Life Boost, Minor Magical Focus, Magical Memory, Personal Vis Source, Puissant Art, Side Effect, Skilled Parens, Special Circumstances, Subtle Magic.

Major Hermetic Flaws: Blatant Gift, Deficient Technique, Necessary Condition, Painful Magic, Restriction, Short-Ranged Magic, Waster of Vis.

Minor Hermetic Flaws: Careless Sorcerer, Creative Block, Deficient Form, Deleterious Circumstances, Disorientating Magic, Incompatible Arts, Infamous Master, Offensive to Animals, Susceptibility to Divine Power, Susceptibility to Faerie Power, Susceptibility to Infernal Power, Unimaginative Learner, Unpredictable Magic, Warped Magic, Weak Magic, Weird Magic.

Gruagach may only take Hermetic Virtues or Flaws on the above list, unless the troupe decides otherwise, but if the troupe decides a gruagach character may have Quiet Magic, it should be treated as a Major Virtue. The troupe may add Virtues and Flaws to this list from other Ars Magica Fifth Edition books if they are appropriate. Un-Gifted Gruagachan should never have the Flaws Dwarf or Small Frame, as these Flaws are regarded as antithetical to Gruagach and a sign of his disfavor.

Gruagachan are able to combine their Arts to compel characters to fulfill certain orders and prohibitions or suffer dire consequences. They can also grant characters Blessings of Virtues or Ability bonuses, or curses of Flaws and Ability penalties, which last as long as certain conditions are unmet. Gruagachan may also transform themselves or others in appearance and form. The most powerful gruagachan are able to grant their targets a glimpse into the future.

To cast any of these spells, the character must possess knowledge of the applicable Technique and Form, which is represented by a score of 0 in the applicable Art. An unGifted character who does not possess a Virtue for a particular Art may not utilize the guidelines listed here regardless of his knowledge of other Techniques or Forms.

Techniques

Give

This Technique governs a gruagach's ability to grant blessings, inflict curses, impart shapes, and provide visions. It does not have a close Hermetic equivalent, but encompasses aspects of most Techniques. It can also inflict curses and geasa (singular: geas) on a target.

Take

This Technique allows a gruagach to remove something from a target. A Take spell might eliminate an aspect of a target or merely acquire a component of it. This Art covers nearly every Hermetic Technique. It can allow a person to recover from hostile magic, and it can acquire information about a target. Take spells can also remove a character's Virtues and reduce his Abilities.

FORMS

Blessing

This Form grants the gruagach the ability to confer Virtues, grant bonuses to Abilities, and improve the Characteristics of other characters. In all instances, the gruagach must balance the benefit with a specific prohibition on the target's actions, which if violated causes the benefit to disappear. The more powerful the benefit granted, the more difficult the spell. Take Blessing spells allow the character to nullify certain Virtues or Abilities a character possesses. This Form cannot affect some Virtues — Social Statuses and Divine, Infernal, Hermetic, and Faerie Virtues, for example. Virtues that affect the accumulation of experience points, give access to specific Abilities, or grant physical objects may not be affected.

Curse

This Form allows the gruagach to inflict Flaws on a target or to reduce his Characteristics and Abilities. All Give Curse spells must contain a condition that, if the target fulfills it, removes the curse. Take Curse spells allow the caster to remove her own curses or the lingering effects of magic, hexes, or other spells cast upon an individual.

Shape

This Form allows the gruagach to change the shape of another or herself. A Give Shape spell will only work on a willing target, and the caster can grant aspects of another creature to the target or allow the target to take on other forms. Take Shape forces another to change from his current form into another. A Take spell can return the target to his original form or force him into a foreign form.

Vision

This Form allows a caster to manipulate a subject's perception of the world. This Form not only governs a gruagach's use of illusions, but also allows a character to perceive things beyond his normal senses, including the detection of vis. At its most powerful, it can grant the target a glimpse into a possible future.

A gruagach casts spells in a manner nearly identical to his Hermetic counterparts. Gruagachan are able to cast Spontaneous spells, but they must always expend Fatigue when casting them. The gruagachan are able to learn and cast Formulaic spells, also, and this is where they excel. Their Formulaic spells are much more adaptable than those of Hermetic magi. But this adaptability comes at a price, and the gruagachan are neither able to conduct Ceremonial castings nor perform Rituals.

A gruagach uses the following formulae in casting his spells:

CASTING SCORE: Technique + Form + Stamina + Aura Modifier

FORMULAIC CASTING TOTAL: Casting Score + Die

SPONTANEOUS CASTING TOTAL: (Casting Score + Stress Die) / 2

For Formulaic spells, the caster is successful and he loses no Fatigue if the Formulaic casting total is greater than or equal to the level of the spell. When the Formulaic casting total is less than the spell level, but within 10 of the spell level, the caster loses one Fatigue level but the spell is successfully cast. If the difference between the spell level and the Formulaic casting total is greater than 10, the spell fails and the character loses 1 level of Fatigue.

Gruagachan are able to vary the effects of their Formulaic magic to a certain extent. They may cast any of their known spells with a different Range, Duration, Target, or size. They may only vary one parameter in a single casting. The final spell must be within 2 magnitudes of the original spell and the new Range, Duration, Target, or size must be one that is available to the character. Casting success, Fatigue loss, and Penetration are all calculated based on the casting level of the final spell. This works the same as the Hermetic Virtue Flexible Formulaic Magic, but allows the gruagach to alter 2 magnitudes of spells.

Spell Mastery

Gruagachan may master their Formulaic spells as Hermetic magi do (see ArM5, page 86-87). In addition to the Mastery Abilities listed in Ars Magica Fifth Edition, the gruagachan may use any other Mastery Ability the troupe decides is appropriate. The one exception is that in no case may a gruagach ever have the Mastery Ability: Quiet Casting. The following Mastery Ability is also available to gruagachan.

Flexible Casting

For every full five points in the gruagach's Mastery Score, add one to the number of magnitudes by which he can vary the Range, Duration, Target, or size of a known Formulaic spell.

Ranges, Durations, and Targets

Like Hermetic spells, the spells contained in this chapter must all have a Range, Duration, and Target. Only the parameters listed below are available for use in gruagach spells. The base parameters for Shape and Vision spells are Personal, Momentary, and Individual. The base parameters for Blessing and Curse spells are Conversation, Momentary, and Individual. Spells that vary from these parameters are more difficult to cast, and the level of the spell is increased with the more-powerful parameters.

All gruagach spells require vocalization. A gruagach may never silently cast a spell, unless the Range is Personal, and he may not have the Quiet Magic Virtue. A gruagach need not sense the Target of his spell if the victim can hear the sound of his voice and the gruagach is able to describe the Target, even in very vague terms.

For example, a gruagach who believes someone may be eavesdropping on his conversation could cast a geas against "anyone not minding their own business." If there were someone within the sound of the gruagach's voice who fell within this description, the geas could affect that person.

Appropriate Ranges, Durations, and Targets

Range: Personal, Conversation (0/+1), and Voice (+1/+2)

Duration: Momentary, Diameter (+1), Sun (+2), Moon (+3), and Geas/Limit (see later)

Target: Individual, Group (+1), and Bloodline (+2)

The Range Conversation is equivalent to the Hermetic Range: Touch/Eye. The gruagach may only utilize this Range if he is engaged in a conversation with the intended Target, the Target must actually hear the caster verbalize the spell, and the caster must be within about three paces of his Target.

A gruagach may create spells that last until they are broken when some condition is fulfilled using either the Geas (Condition) or Limit (Condition) Durations. The condition must be specified when the spell is cast and cannot change during the duration of the spell. These Durations are described more fully later in this chapter.

Although gruagachan use the same basic mechanics as Hermetic magi for their laboratory activities, they are much more limited in scope. They may only conduct four activities: inventing spells, enchanting tattoos, vis manipulation, and creating Laboratory Texts. Gruagach "laboratories" are simple affairs, very different from the Hermetic equivalents. A laboratory for a gruagach consists of little more than writing material and any Lab Texts the character might possess.

A gruagach's Lab Total is determined the same way as a Hermetic magus' is, except Pictish Language is substituted for Magic Theory.

LAB TOTAL: Gruagach Technique + Gruagach Form + Intelligence + Pictish Language + Aura Modifier

Learning and Inventing New Spells

Gruagachan can learn spells from teachers and invent them exactly as their Hermetic counterparts do (see ArM5, page 95).

Enchanting Tattoos

Gruagachan may enchant tattoos that impart magical effects on their bearer. The gruagach uses the same rules as those for Hermetic magi to create a Lesser Enchantment. See ArM5, page 96. The gruagach substitutes his Pictish Language score for Magic Theory in determining her Lab Total. A gruagach may not create invested devices or charged items.

A gruagach may use any combination of Techniques and Forms he knows to create a tattoo. Grant Blessing tattoos are handled differently. Blessing spells must always use the Limit (Condition) Duration, but an enchantment that grants a Blessing may utilize any of the gruagach Durations. Furthermore, a gruagach may enchant a tattoo that grants a Blessing on himself.

A tattoo has a base material score of 2, multiplied by a size modifier. A tiny tattoo, approximately the size of an ear, has a multiplier of 1. A tattoo the size of a palm or forehead has a multiplier of 2. A tattoo that covers an entire limb or the scalp has a multiplier of 3. A tattoo that covers the back or front of a torso has a multiplier of 4.

An enchanted tattoo must be specifically designed for the recipient, and, therefore, does not cause Warping when created, nor if it briefly affects the recipient with a powerful mystical effect. Tattoos that put the character under a long-term mystical effect do, however, cause Warping. In addition, a tattoo cannot be recreated from a Lab Text, unless it is being granted to the same recipient for some reason. Because a tattoo becomes an integral part of the recipient, it utilizes the gruagach Range of Personal and Individual Target. Tattoos gain material bonuses based on the minerals or plants used in the dyes, and shape bonuses based on the shape of the tattoo.

The gruagach tattoos are usually in the shape of animals and mimic the shape of Pictish carvings. Because of the pagan heritage of their tattoos, gruagachan usually tattoo areas not readily visible.

Example: Boar Tattoo

Dombnall wants to create a tattoo to grant him a bonus with his Single Weapon Ability. He decides that a boar is the most appropriate shape. Dombnall has a score of 2 in Give, 14 in Blessing, and 3 in Pictish Language, an Intelligence of 2, and works in a level 3 Magic aura, which gives him a Lab Total of 24. He also knows a similar level-25 spell, which adds +5, and the shape bonus of the boar adds +3, for a total of 32. If Dombnall's Pictish Language score were one higher, be would get the full +4 bonus for the boar shape. Dombnall may create a single effect of no more than level 16.

A Grant Blessing spell of level 15 provides +2 to a single Ability score for Diameter Duration (level 10, +1 Diameter). Because Dombnall has 1 level to spare, he may only use the effect twice per day. The tattoo takes one season to create, requires two pawns of Animal or Corpus vis, and need be no larger than a buman ear.

Gruagach Shape Bonuses

Bear: +3 Strength, +5 defense vs. attacks

Bird: +5 magical flight

Boar: +3 ferocity, + 4 attacking

Bull: +3 Stamina

Crow: + 3 Communication, +5 granting knowledge or wisdom

Dove: +6 granting visions or premonitions

Eagle: +7 improving eyesight, +3 Perception

Goat, Wild: +3 Dexterity

Hawk: +3 Quickness

Horse: +3 Stamina, +5 magical movement

Lion: +3 Presence, +5 bravery Partridge: +6 concealment

Salmon: +4 granting longevity

Stag: +5 improving hearing, +6 virility

Swan: +4 granting luck

Wolf: +6 improving smelling, +7 ferocity

Vis

Gruagachan may utilize raw vis in casting spells. The casting score modifier, botch modifiers, and vis limit are the same as those for Hermetic magi (see ArM5, page 82-83). Gruagachan may also study from raw vis using the normal rules (see ArM5, page 165). The tradition's knowledge of its Arts does not mesh perfectly with the Hermetic Arts. The storyguide should use common sense in allowing vis to be studied or used in casting spells. If a spell's effects could be duplicated by a Hermetic spell, any vis that could be used to assist that spell should benefit the gruagach. The gruagach may study from different types of vis in the same season, as long as all of the types could be used by a single gruagach Art.

Spells using the Give Art generally correspond with Rego or Creo vis, and those that use the Take Art are generally able to use Intellego, Rego, or Perdo vis, depending on the specific spell. In general, Blessing and Curse spells are each able to benefit from the use of vis of Corpus, Mentem, or the Form of the target of the spell. The specific effect may allow them to utilize additional Forms. Shape spells can always use the Forms appropriate for the target of the spell and the shape into which the target is transformed. All Shape spells may also use Muto vis to assist in their casting. Vision spells are augmented by Imaginem vis where they affect appearances, and Vim vis when visions are granted.

A gruagach may extract a number of pawns of Vim vis from a magical aura equal to one tenth of her Take Vision Lab Total. The gruagach may also move raw vis from one physical form to another in one day's time, which uses the same rules as for Hermetic magi (see ArM5, page 94). The gruagach is limited in the number of pawns he may use in a single season to twice his score in Pictish Language. Gruagach must mark the new physical form into which the vis is transferred with intricate Pictish drawings, making their vis containers quite distinctive.

Laboratory Texts

Gruagachan create and use Laboratory texts in the same basic manner as Hermetic Laboratory Texts (see ArM5, page 102). The one difference is that Pictish is the magical language of the gruagachan, and it replaces Latin to determine the number of levels that may be written per season.

The gruagachan do not use the Latin alphabet for their texts, but use the Pictish script of Ogham. Gruagach carve their texts into stone, wood dowels, or other durable media. A character with a score of 1 in Artes Liberales may be literate in Ogham, if he can find a teacher. There are very few people in Mythic Europe who are literate in Ogham outside of the Gifted gruagachan. Most un-Gifted gruagachan are not literate in Ogham, and even among Gifted gruagachan Ogham literacy is uncommon and extensive libraries are rare, which makes those laboratory texts that do exist very valuable.

Because teaching new Supernatural Abilities once the Arts have been opened is largely impossible, the gruagachan must Initiate their students in these additional abilities. The following Scripts are only available to gruagachan with The Gift and must be completed in the order presented.

GRUAGACH INITIATION TOTAL: Presence + Gruagach Lore + Script Bonus

Although the typical path of Initiation is for a senior gruagach to act as a Mystagogue and Initiate his apprentice, this is not the only path. Written Initiation Scripts do exist, but these Scripts are exceedingly rare and are often recorded on large stones in Ogham script in dangerous or nearly inaccessible locations. Where the gruagach has a Mystagogue to Initiate him, the Mystagogue's scores are used. If a gruagach must Initiate himself in an Virtue, his scores and the moredifficult Initiation Ease Factor are used.

Ritual of Calling the Fetch

Initiation Ease Factor: 15/18
Script Bonus: +13 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +1 Sympathetic)

The gruagach must travel to a special mountaintop within a powerful Magic aura. Starting on the night of a full moon, the gruagach fasts until he discovers his fetch. The player must succeed in a Stamina + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 9 on three consecutive attempts. Each attempt takes six hours of time. After one day without water, the character begins to suffer deprivation (see ArM5, page 180).

The fetch is a magical spirit that is an aspect of the character's personality and an extension of his soul. A fetch is always a noble animal and should be selected using the guidelines presented in the "Choosing the Heartbeast" section of the Bjornear chapter of Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 19. Noble animals are neither domesticated animals nor vermin. Wild equivalents of domestic animals are available; a wild boar is suitable, but a common pig is not. At the end of the fast, the character gains the Virtue Fetch and the Flaw Restriction. The character may never use magic on whatever type of animal his fetch is. For example, if the character's fetch is a wolf, she may never use magic on canines, whether wild or domesticated.

Spirit Magic

The magic of the gruagachan cannot affect the dead or their spirits. However, some gruagachan are able to contact, summon, and command spirits using other sources of power. Should a player wish to create such a character, he should consult the rules for Ars Goetica (Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 114.)

Extractions of the Soul from its Husk

Initiation Ease Factor: 21/30
Script Bonus: +22 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, + 3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Quest, +3 Mystagogues Time, +1 Initiates Time)

Before Initiation, the character must perform several tasks. He must locate a Gifted person who is suitable as an apprentice. The gruagach must swear a solemn Vow to properly train all of his apprentices, which requires that he possess the necessary Ability and Art scores to train an apprentice without imparting Flaws, and spend enough time training so that the apprentice's scores are sufficient to train apprentices of her own. The gruagach must also locate a perfect magical stone that will serve as the vessel for his soul. The stone is generally one bearing vis and possessing some mystical significance. The Mystagogue and Initiate then spend one season together completing the ritual to extract the Initiates soul and place it in the stone. At the end of the season, the gruagach gains the External Soul Virtue and the Blatant Magic Flaw, or loses the Gentle Gift if the character possessed it.

Story Seed: Ouest to the Wizard's Tower

A gruagach who is estranged from his master wants to gain the Fetch and External Soul Virtues through self-Initiation. The gruagach discovers that the Scripts are inscribed on a set of standing stones under the control of the characters. How do the characters react when the gruagach and his allies attempt to gain access to the stones? The gruagach does not explain his true reason for seeking the stones, and does not want them to remain in the hands of the Order. The characters may be unwilling to give them to the gruagach because they are important for access to a regio or part of a vis source. If the stones disappear, the characters investigate. Did the gruagach take them, or did his master take them to cause problems for the disgruntled apprentice?

UnGifted gruagachan are incapable of gaining Supernatural Virtues through teaching, as Gifted individuals may. Each of the unGifted gruagachs Arts must be gained though an Initiation Script. Each gruagach Initiation Script is independent of the others, and a gruagach master may Initiate the Arts in any order or omit certain Arts entirely. UnGifted gruagachan Initiate in the gruagach Arts using the general rules given in the Introduction of this book. As stated there, an unGifted gruagach may not self-Initiate any Arts.

The gruagach master usually trains an unGifted gruagach in Pictish and Gruagach Lore before her first initiation. During this time, the gruagach tests his apprentice to unsure that she has the proper temperament to become a gruagach. Once the gruagach undergoes Initiation in a Technique and Form, other gruagach consider her a full member of the tradition. Most gruagachan remain with their masters for a much longer period, and continuing learning as long as their masters have something to teach them.

The usual progression for an unGifted gruagach is to acquire Give and Blessing or Curse. If the gruagach master believes that the student will be unable to fulfill the Blessing and Curse Scripts because of the candidate's immaturity, a gruagach master may Initiate the student in Give or Take and Shape. There is no fixed order, and because the Ordeals inflicted do not carry over from one Initiation to the next, the gruagach master is free to Initiate the student in any order.

Initiation into the Give Technique

Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +17 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)

The Initiate must perform a quest where he ensures that justice is done. This could be exonerating a wrongly accused man, bringing a criminal to justice, or defending the defenseless. The act must suitably impress the master with its danger and whether the character went against popular opinion to ensure that justice was served. The character then spends « two seasons with his master, one in his service and one learning the new Technique. The Initiate gains a score of 1 in Give. The character also gains the Flaw Restriction, which prohibits the gruagach's use of magic while bald.

Initiation into the Take Technique

Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +17 (+3 Special Place, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Sacrifice, +1 Initiates Time)

The Initiate must travel to a place of worship to the god Gruagach and perform oblations to him. The sacrifice must be something of value to the gruagach, roughly equivalent to one month's income. The Initiate then spends two seasons with his master, one in his service and one learning the Take Technique. The character also acquires the Flaw Dark Secret and a score of 1 in Take. If religious authorities discover the character has performed a pagan ritual, the character possibly suffers harassment, embarrassment, and excommunication. If the character is not particularly devout or elects to renounce Christianity, substitute Pagan as the Flaw.

Initiation into the Blessing Form

Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +11 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogues Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)

The Initiate must seek out and assist a truly disadvantaged person who is without hope of escaping his crisis without the assistance of the gruagach. The gruagach must offer assistance in the form of a permanent solution to the victim's problem. Simply giving alms to a beggar would not suffice, because it is merely a temporary solution to his vagrancy. The assistance provided must suitably impress the Mystagogue. The Initiate then spends a season serving his master and a season training, after which he acquires the Flaw Weird Magic and a score of 1 in the Form Blessing.

Initiation into the Curse Form

Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +11 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)

The Initiate must seek out and punish a truly wicked individual who committed some heinous act that went unpunished. The gruagach must select a target, who is powerful enough to suitably impress his master with his dedication to serving justice, and he must devise a poetically just punishment, rather than merely seeking retribution. The Initiate then spends a season serving his master and a season training, after which he acquires the Flaw Vow and a score of 1 in the Form Curse. The gruagach's Vow requires him to fight injustice wherever possible.

INITIATION INTO THE SHAPE FORM

Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +11 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)

The Initiate must find and defeat a creature with the power to change shape. The Initiate need not perform the deed alone, but his efforts must be integral to the creature's defeat. The creature could be a werewolf, faerie, or other shapechanger. The gruagach provides his master with the vis from the shapeshifter's corpse. The master then transforms the Initiate into the shape of the creature defeated. The Initiate must remain in that shape from one full moon until the next. The Initiate then spends a season learning the new Form and the character acquires the Flaw Weak Tattoo Magic and a score of 1 Shape.

Initiation into the Vision Form

Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +17 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)

The Initiate must travel to an ancient Pictish site of worship to the god Gruagach. There the gruagach must fast and meditate until he receives a vision. The player must succeed in a Stamina + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 9 on three consecutive attempts. Each attempt takes six hours of time. As described above, the character may begin to suffer deprivation; however, any penalties because of deprivation add to his Concentration roll for the purposes of receiving this vision. The Initiate then spends a season serving his master and an additional season learning the Form Vision. The character acquires the Flaw Transformation Prone and a score of 1 in Vision.

Gruagachan receive a Magic Defense against certain Form-specific magical effects. The specific defenses they possess are listed below, and their mechanics are described in the Introduction to this book. If a character does not possess a particular Form or Supernatural Ability, she gains no defense.

Give

Magical Fortitude: Defense against Corpus effects.

Take

Accelerated Expiry: Defense against Mentem effects.

Blessing

Confounding Magics: Defense against Corpus or Mentem effects.

Curse

Immovable Object: Defense against Mentem or Corpus effects.

Shape

Strength of Form: Defense against Corpus or Animal effects.

Vision

Confounding Magics: Defense against Imaginem effects.

Story Seed: Poetic Justice

One of the characters severely mistreats the peasants of a village and a gruagach learns of it. The gruagach decides that he can complete the Curse Initiation by punishing the character.

Story Seed: Shape and Form

An unGifted gruagach witnesses a Bjornaer magus transform into his Heartbeast. The gruagach and his allies begin tracking the magus with the intent of fulfilling his Shape Initiation.

The Geas and Limit Durations are similar to the Until (Condition), While (Condition), Not (Condition), and If (Condition) Durations of House Merinita; see ArM5, page 92, and Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 100. The gruagach Durations never require a Ritual and, unlike the Merinita Durations, the difficulty of casting a Geas or Limit Duration spell varies based on the breadth of the prohibition imposed on the Target of a spell or the ease with which the spell may be ended. A geas that places a sweeping prohibition on a victim's actions is more difficult to cast than one more narrowly defined, and a curse that the victim may easily counteract is relatively easy to cast. In any event, the prohibition must be achievable by the target of the spell, and a condition that does not limit the character is never appropriate.

Geas and Limit Duration Magnitudes

SPELL DURATION	SWEEPING PROHIBITION	GENERAL PROHIBITION	SPECIFIC PROHIBITION
Geas (Condition)	+4 magnitudes	+2 magnitudes	+1 magnitude
Limit (Condition)	+1 magnitude	+2 magnitudes	+4 magnitudes

Geas (Condition) Duration

A geas (plural: geasa) is a magical prohibition or command that carries grave consequences if the target does not act within its bounds. An expansive prohibition on the target with a powerful curse is difficult to cast, but even if the wizard can create such a geas, it must be appropriate to the situation and should enforce poetic justice, otherwise the target is likely to resist easily. Geasa come in the following three varieties: sweeping prohibitions (+4 magnitudes), general prohibitions (+2 magnitudes), and specific prohibitions (+1 magnitude). The troupe should use common sense in determining the level of any prohibition. A prohibition against using weapons has a much greater impact on the captain of the turb than it does on an elderly scholar confined to his bed, and should be a higher-magnitude spell for the former, for instance.

The caster must verbalize the condition the geas prohibits and the consequences of violating the geas. The wizard and victim need not share a common language, and the victim doesn't need to hear or understand the terms of the geas. The caster need not be specific about the consequences of violating the geas, either, and so gruagachan often couch the terms of punishment in flowery language or irony. If the caster does not perform this requirement, the geas always fails. It is not required that the target understand the specific terms or conditions of a geas or curse.

A geas is essentially a threat that if the victim does not avoid some activity, he will suffer serious consequences. As such, the Geas Duration is only appropriate for Give Curse, Take Blessing, or Take Shape spells. The effect that follows from violating the geas has a Limit Duration. When calculating the Duration of a geas, the player must determine the specificity of both the Geas and Limit Durations, and only the larger of the two Durations is added to the magnitude of the spell. Geas (Condition) Duration spells are permanent and last until the relevant condition is fulfilled or the spell is dispelled.

Limit (Condition) Duration

All Blessing and Curse spells must use the Limit (Condition) Duration. The duration is available for the other Forms as well. This requirement includes geasa that inflict curses on victims when their conditions are violated. Therefore, geasa have two Durations and conditions. A geas must have a condition that triggers the effect and a condition that lifts it.

Curses and blessings are defined by the ease with which a victim may lift them. The easier it is to stop the spell, whether the victim desires the spell to be lifted or not, the easier it is to cast. Limit (Condition) Duration spells have three varieties: sweeping prohibitions (+1 magnitude), general prohibitions (+2 magnitudes), and specific prohibitions (+4 magnitudes). The troupe should use common sense in determining the level of any prohibition. A blessing that ceases when a magus issues an order is easier to cast than one that ends when a new recruit to the turb issues an order, for instance.

Sweeping Progibitions

A geas with a sweeping prohibition forces the victim to restrict his actions in some way that is nearly impossible to avoid. A curse or blessing with a sweeping prohibition is lifted when some easily fulfilled criterion is met. Troupes can use the Flaw Restriction as a guideline for sweeping prohibitions; a sweeping prohibition has broader or more expansive restrictions than the Flaw Restriction would have. Minor Personality Flaws that are particularly appropriate for a character can offer appropriate guidance for determining a sweeping prohibition, such as Noncombatant for a grog. Examples of sweeping prohibitions include: eating any animal flesh, speaking, wearing clothes, raising your voice in anger, using a particular Hermetic Art for a magus, or using any weapon for a warrior. Sweeping prohibitions for geasa are the equivalent of Year Duration and add +4 magnitudes to the level of the spell. Blessings and curses with sweeping prohibitions are the equivalent of Diameter and add +1 magnitude to the level of the spell cast.

General Prohibitions

A general prohibition is roughly comparable to the limitations enforced by the Flaw Restriction. These prohibitions should be uncommon, but difficult to avoid completely. Any prohibition that the troupe considers appropriate for the Flaw Restriction should fall under the general prohibition category. Minor Personality Flaws can also offer appropriate guidance for determining a general prohibition. For example, for a Temperate character, over-indulging in any sensual behavior — such as drinking or eating too much, or sleeping too late — could be a general prohibition. Suitable examples of general prohibitions also include: eating cooked meat, sleeping under a roof, telling a lie, repeating a rumor, or using a sword for a warrior. General prohibitions are the equivalent of Sun Duration and add +2 magnitudes to the level of the spell cast.

Specific Prohibitions

A geas with a specific prohibition is relatively easy to avoid and only constrains the target's actions in a narrow field of activities. A specific prohibition should be narrower in nature than would be allowable for a character to have for the Flaw Restriction. Suitable examples include: eating the meat of a cow, striking a member of your family, saying a specific word, or using an ancestor's sword. Specific prohibitions for geasa are the equivalent of Diameter Duration and add +1 magnitude to the level of the spell cast. Blessings and curses with specific prohibitions are the equivalent of Year Duration spells and add +4 magnitudes to the level of the spell.

Poetic Justice

A geas or curse is most effective when its terms fit the previous events of a story. A character may attempt to inflict a geas or curse on anyone, but if the geas is not appropriate to address the victim's specific acts, it is less likely to affect him. The troupe should discuss whether the prohibition and resulting effects are appropriate to the story. If they are not, the victim receives a bonus to his Stamina check to avoid the effects of the geas or curse.

For example, a gruagach negotiates with a Hermetic magus to harvest a Mentem vis source. If the magus reneges on the promise, the gruagach character could receive a bonus to a geas if it relates to speaking the truth, keeping bargains, or the contested vis source. A geas that penalizes the magus for collecting other vis sources or for using his Mentem Art would be mildly inappropriate, and provide the magus with only a small bonus. If the gruagach attempts to overreach by prohibiting the magus from using his Ignem Art, which had no role in the events, the magus would enjoy a significant bonus to his Stamina roll to resist the geas.

MODIFIER	SITUATION
-6	The geas and/or curse are perfectly appropriate to address some past event
—3	The geas and/or curse are appropriate to address some past act of the victim
O	Either the geas or curse, but not both, are only mildly appropriate to address the previous events
+3	Both the geas and the curse are mildly inappropriate to address the previous events
+6	Either the geas or the curse, but not both, are inappropriate to address the previous events
+9	Both the geas and the curse are inappropriate to address the previous events

Geas and Limit Durations in Play

All spells that use the Geas or Limit Durations must have articulated conditions that trigger the punishment in the case of geasa or end the spell in the case of blessings and curses. The actual condition of a spell is dependent on the circumstances confronting a caster. For instance, Geas for the Narcissistic Maiden, described below, allows the gruagach to afflict a victim with the Minor Flaw Disfigured. As written below, the spell is cast with a Geas Duration with a general condition trigger (it affects the victim if she acts without humility) and a general condition on the Limit Duration of the geas (it lasts until she acts with humility). A gruagach could freely substitute other terms for the triggering event and limit on the geas, though.

For example, a gruagach seeing a nobleman spit on a begging street urchin could cast a geas on the lord stating, "If you are ever rude again, may your visage become as ugly as your soul." The spell would inflict the Disfigured Flaw on the noble if he is rude to someone beneath him (general prohibition) and would last until the noble makes a genuine gesture of charity (general prohibition), which is a +2 magnitude and keeps the spell at the same level.

Because gruagach magic is very flexible, a typical gruagach may alter freely the Range, Target, or Duration of a spell by 10 levels. Therefore, a gruagach could change the base Duration for the Geas for the Narcissistic Maiden from a general Geas and Limit, to one with specific or sweeping prohibitions. Most gruagach choose to learn spells with general prohibitions (+2 Duration) because their flexible magic allows them to cast either +1 Duration or +4 Duration spells without a problem.

For example, a gruagach encounters a highwayman and drives him off, but as the robber flees, the gruagach states, "May your quarry be warned of your evil ways." The victim is stricken with the Flaw Disfigured if he ever attempts to steal from someone again (sweeping prohibition) and the Flaw remains until he gives up thievery (specific prohibition). Because the victim is a highwayman, these prohibitions are especially punitive toward him, a trigger of thievery would be a specific prohibition against most honest characters and a sweeping limit on a curse or blessing for only a + 1 Duration. The geas trigger of a sweeping prohibition (+4) increases the level of the spell by +2 magnitudes, because only the larger magnitude is added to the final level of the spell. Because the final spell is within 10 levels of the original, the gruagach may cast it as if she knew it as a Formulaic spell.

A spell with Geas Duration does not count as an active supernatural effect until the character breaks the prohibition, and thus a character who respects a Geas is not Warped. A spell with Limit Duration is an active supernatural effect until the character violates the limit, and thus causes Warping.

Gruagach Alternative

Under the standard rules, only Blessing and Curse spells are required to use the Geas and Limit Durations. To make the gruagach even more exotic, the troupe may decide that all spells and Laboratory effects by gruagachan must use the Limit or Geas Durations. This complicates matters slightly, but adds to the flavor of the gruagachan and distances them further from standard Hermetic magic.

The following spells and guidelines are designed for Gruagachan characters.

A gruagach with knowledge of this Art can temporarily grant Virtues, bonuses to Abilities, and improvements to Characteristics. Take Blessing spells remove certain Virtues that a character might possess. The prohibition must be appropriate for the situation, the character affected, and the circumstances of the story.

Give Blessing

Give Blessing Guidelines

This Form cannot affect some Virtues — Social Statuses and Divine, Faerie, Hermetic, or Infernal Virtues, for example, are unaffected. A Blessing may not grant Virtues that affect the accumulation of experience points, allow specific types of Abilities to be learned, provide the character with benefits from a third party, or grant a physical object. Where a Supernatural Virtue is granted that has a corresponding Ability, the character is able to perform the Ability at a level of 4. The prohibition placed on the Virtue must be related to the Virtue, the character, or the story. A gruagach may never cast a Give Blessing on himself.

Sweeping prohibitions are those that are very easy to fulfill and relate to the Virtue granted, making the Virtue only useful in relatively few situations. For example, if a spell grants a character Toughness that is only useful until the character attacks another, this would be a sweeping prohibition.

General prohibitions are relatively easy to fulfill and relate to the Virtue granted, which prevents the Virtue from lasting without restriction. For example, if a character receives a Blessing of Toughness that only works until he takes a Medium Wound, this would be a general prohibition.

Specific prohibitions are restrictions that barely limit the use of the Virtue granted. For example, if a character receives the Toughness Virtue with the restriction that it only last until the character takes a specific form of damage such as fire, it would be a specific prohibition.

Give Blessing spells are cast with the Limit (Condition) Duration, which determines how long the magical effects last. Spells with Limit (Condition) Duration are permanent unless the character fulfills the prohibition of the Blessing. A different Blessing exists for each possible Virtue, but a gruagach is able to alter the specific conditions of the Duration to fit the circumstances without learning a new spell. The base level of all Blessing spells includes the Range of Conversation.

A single Give Blessing spell affects one specific Ability or Characteristic, or grants a particular Virtue.

Level 5: Provide a bonus of +1 to a single Ability roll.

Level 10: Grant a Minor General or Supernatural (Magic) Virtue.

Level 10: Provide a bonus of +2 to a single Ability roll.

Level 15: Provide a bonus of +3 to a single Ability roll.

Level 15: Provide a bonus of +1 to all Ability rolls using a single Characteristic.

Level 20: Grant a Major General or Supernatural (Magic) Virtue.

Level 20: Provide a bonus of +2 to all Ability rolls using a single Characteristic.

Level 20: Increase one of a person's Characteristics by one point, to no more than 0.

Level 25: Provide a bonus of +3 to all Ability rolls using a single Characteristic.

Level 25: Increase one of a person's Characteristics by one point, to no more than +1.

Level 30:Increase one of a person's Characteristics by one point, to no more than +2.

Blessing of Urban Wisdom for the Rustic
GvB1 Level 20
R: Conversation, D: Limit, T: Ind

This spell grants the target the Virtue of Clear Thinker with a General Limit. Although this spell grants the Virtue Clear Thinker, other spells exist that could be used to grant other Minor Virtues.

Example: The spell could be limited until the target himself dissembles or participates in some form of subterfude.

(Base 10, +2 Limit (general))

Blessing of the Swordsman's Expertise
GvBl Level 20
R: Conversation, D: Limit, T: Ind

This spell gives the target +2 to his score in the Ability Single Weapon. Although this spell grants a bonus to Single Weapon, different spells could grant bonuses to different Abilities.

Example: The spell could be limited until the target suffers a Medium Wound in combat.

(Base 10, +2 Limit (general))

Take Blessing

Take Blessing Guidelines

Take Blessing spells nullify the Virtues, Abilities, or Characteristics of a character until the spell expires or the prohibition placed on him is fulfilled. Any Virtue removed must meet the guidelines discussed before. The caster need not know the Virtues, Abilities, or Characteristic scores of the victim to cast a Take Blessing spell. The gruagach casts the spell at the level desired and informs the storyguide of how he wishes to harm the Target. The storyguide then selects the most appropriate Virtue, Characteristic, or Ability score to nullify. A spell that targets a Major Virtue, if none are available, can affect a Minor Virtue, Characteristic, or Ability. If multiple things fulfill the requirements of the spell, the storyguide selects the one that best fits the story. The prohibition that accompanies the spell must be tied to the character, the Characteristic, the Virtue, and the story.

Sweeping prohibitions are those that are simple to fulfill and are related to the Virtue, Ability, or Characteristic, making the curse easy to lift. For example, if a character is cursed with weakness and his Strength is reduced to 0, but the curse is lifted when the player adds the character's Strength score to an Ability, this would be a sweeping prohibition.

General prohibitions are are uncommon, but not terribly difficult to fulfill and are related to the Virtue, Ability, or Characteristic, making the curse relatively easy to lift. For example, a character may be cursed with weakness and his Strength reduced to 0, which only remains in affect until the character bests another in a contest of Strength.

Specific prohibitions are those that require unusual circumstances to fulfill, are related to the Virtue, Ability, or Characteristic, and make the curse difficult to lift. For example, if character could be cursed with weakness and his Strength reduced to 0, which is only lifted after the character suffers from a botch involving his Strength score.

If the Take Blessing spell overcomes the target's Magic Resistance, the target has the opportunity to resist it with a Stamina check against an Ease Factor of 9. The troupe then decides the appropriateness of the Virtue taken and the prohibition on it, and the victim's Stamina roll is modified according to the Poetic Justice modifiers listed before.

All Take Blessing spells are cast with the Limit (Condition) or Geas (Condition) Duration. Those cast with Geas (Condition) Duration must also have a second Duration, as noted before, for the length of time that the penalty endures. A Take Blessing cast as a geas uses the greater of the two Duration modifiers in determining the spell's level. Spells with Limit (Condition) Duration are permanent unless the character fulfills the prohibition of the Blessing. The base level of all Blessing spells includes the Range of Conversation.

An individual Take Blessing spell affects a particular area of endeavor, such as combat, negotiation, craft-work, athletics, and so on. This is broader than Give Blessing, but the caster cannot control exactly what is taken from the target.

Level 10: Take a Minor General or Supernatural (Magic) Virtue.

Level 10: Reduce the score in a single Characteristic to 0.

Level 10: Reduce the score in a single Ability to 0.

Level 20: Take a Major General or Supernatural (Magic) Virtue.

Strike the Proud Low
TaBl Level 25
R: Voice, D: Limit, T: Ind

This spell reduces a single Ability of the victim to 0. The Ability must be related to martial prowess, and the storyguide selects the Ability affected at the time of casting.

Example: A gruagach witnesses a haughty noble humiliate one of his vassals for making an honest statement to his lord. The wizard casts the spell to punish the lord until he acts with humility by admitting that he was wrong and apologizing to someone beneath him in station. The storyguide elects to reduce the lord's Ability in Great Weapon to 0 for the duration of the spell. The lord resists the spell with a Stamina check against an Ease Factor of 9, but the roll is modified by -3 because of the appropriateness of the limitation.

(Base 10, +1 Voice, +2 Limit (general))

Make the Miser Generous
TaBl Level 30
R: Conversation, D: Limit, T: Ind

This spell eliminates a Major General or Supernatural Virtue from the victim. It must have something to do with the ability to negotiate with others, and the storyguide selects the affected Virtue at the time of casting.

Example: While bartering with an unscrupulous merchant, a gruagach notices the merchant has weighted scales. He decides to punish the merchant by reducing the merchant's ability to barter. The storyguide sees that the merchant has Communication +3, a Barter score of 3, and Affinity with Ability (Bargain), but no Major Virtue. The storyguide elects to reduce the merchant's Barter score to 0 for the duration of the spell. The gruagach states that the merchant can't regain his Ability in Barter until he behaves honestly, for example by making his scales true. The merchant is able to resist the spell with a Stamina check against Ease Factor 9, but because the condition and spell effect are particularly appropriate to the situation, the merchant has a -6 to his Stamina roll.

(Base 20, +2 Limit (general))

Gruagachan are able to inflict certain Flaws on a target to reduce his Characteristics or Abilities, inflict him with supernatural problems, or alter the character's personality temporarily. Take Curse spells allow the caster to remove his own curses, either from Give Curse or Take Blessing, and to eliminate the lingering effects of magic, hexes, or other spells cast upon an individual.

Give Curse

Give Curse Guidelines

This Form cannot affect some Flaws -Social Statuses, Story Flaws, and Hermetic, Divine, Infernal, or Faerie Flaws, for example, are unaffected. A curse may not inflict General Flaws that affect the accumulation of experience points, restrict specific types of Abilities from being learned, or relate to the character's wealth. The prohibition placed on the curse must be related to the Flaw, the character, or the story. Although the guidelines list Curse effects that do not require a prohibition, they are illustrative only. A curse without an accompanying prohibition may only exist as the punishment for violating a geas, because the geas provides the prohibition itself.

Sweeping prohibitions are those that are simple to fulfill and are related to the Flaw, making the curse easy to lift. For example, if a character is cursed with Mute, but the curse is lifted the first time someone says the character's name, this would be a sweeping prohibition.

General prohibitions are those that are uncommon, but not terribly difficult to fulfill and are related to the Flaw, making the curse relatively easy to lift. For example, if a character is cursed with a Mute Flaw that only remains in affect until the character hears the caster's name, this would be a general prohibition.

Specific prohibitions are those that require unusual circumstances to fulfill, are related to the Flaw, and make the curse difficult to lift. For example, if a character is cursed with a Flaw of Mute that can only lifted after the character hears someone express extreme gratitude for the character's selfless act, it would be a specific prohibition.

If the Give Curse spell overcomes the target's Magic Resistance, the target has the chance to resist it with a Stamina check against an Ease Factor of 9. The troupe then decides the appropriateness of the Curse and the prohibition on it. The victim's Stamina roll is then modified according to the Poetic Justice modifiers listed before.

All Give Curse spells must have either the Geas or Limit Duration. Those with a Geas Duration may use any available Duration for the duration of the Curse inflicted if the geas is broken, in the normal way. In particular, the curse may have a Limit Duration. All Guidelines are for a Range of Conversation.

An individual Give Curse spell affects a particular Ability, disease, Flaw, sense, and so on. Spells to curse Intelligence and Perception are different spells, and must be learned separately.

Level 5: Modify the score in a single Ability by −1.

Level 5: Inflict Minor General, Supernatural (Magic), or Personality Flaw.

Level 10: Inflict a minor disease.

Level 10: Modify the score in a single Ability by -2.

Level 15: Cripple a limb, making it unusable (but still capable of healing as a Medium Wound.)

Level 15: Disable one of a person's minor senses. It heals as a Medium Wound.

Level 15: Inflict a serious disease.

Level 15: Modify the score in a single Ability by -3.

Level 15: Modify the score in a single Characteristic by -1.

Level 15:Inflict Major General, Supernatural (Magic), or Personality Flaw.

Level 20: Disable one of a person's major senses. It heals as a Heavy Wound.

Level 20: Inflict a major disease.

Level 20: Modify the score in a single Characteristic by –2.

Level 25: Modify the score in a single Characteristic by –3.

GEAS FOR THE NARCISSISTIC MAIDEN
GvCu Level 15
R: Conversation, D: Geas, T: Ind

The spell inflicts the Minor Flaw Disfigured on a victim. Although this example grants the Flaw Disfigured, other spells exist to grant other Minor Flaws.

Example: To punish a vain maiden for spurning his advances, the gruagach casts a geas that commands her act with humility or she will regret doing so thereafter. The curse that accompanies the geas gives the target the Minor Flaw Disfigured until the victim makes a heartfelt apology to someone (general prohibition). The target must make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9 with a modifier of -6 because of the appropriateness of the geas and curse.

(Base 5, +2 Geas (general, Limit (general))

Geas of Retribution for the Unthinking Slap
GvCu Level 25
R: Conversation, D: Geas, T: Ind

The spell cripples one arm of the target if he breaks the geas, until it heals normally. The caster chooses which arm the spell affects at casting time.

Example: When words become heated between a gruagach and magus, a shield grog raises his hand as a threat against the hedge wizard. The gruagach casts a geas on the grog and warns him, "If you raise your hand again at me, you will lose it." The curse accompanying the geas causes the victim to lose all use of his sword arm. The grog may resist the geas with a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9, with a modifier of -3 because of the appropriateness of the geas and curse.

(Base 15, +2 Geas (general, Momentary)

Curse for the Spied Spy
GvCu Level 35
R: Voice, D: Limit, T: Ind

The spell blinds the target until the Condition of the spell is fulfilled or it heals normally.

Example: While the covenant's scout is investigating the gruagach's camp in a fen, the bedge wizard notices the interloper and curses him. The victim is struck blind until be leaves the fen, or the Wound beals. The troupe decides the punishment fits the crime, and the scout must succeed in a Stamina check against an Ease Factor of 9 with a -6 to the roll.

(Base 20, +1 Voice, +2 Limit (general))

Curse for the Unjust Justice
GvCu Level 25
R: Conversation, D: Limit, T: Blood

The spell curses a bloodline with the Minor Flaw Judged Unfairly for the duration of the spell. This spell grants Judged Unfairly, but other spells exist for other Minor Flaws.

Example: A local lord ignores the evidence presented to him and rules an innocent man a felon so that his property is forfeit. The gruagach witnesses this and curses the lord and his entire line with the Flaw Judged Unfairly until the innocent man's family's property is returned. Because this is a sweeping prohibition, the gruagach casts the spell as if it were 5 levels lower. The lord is able to resist the spell with a Stamina check against an Ease Factor of 9, but because the punishment fits the crime, the lord makes the roll at -6.

(Base 5, +2 Limit (general), +2 Bloodline)

Take Curse

Take Curse Guidelines

Take Curse spells are dangerous to cast. If a gruagach fails to remove a curse, the caster suffers the effects of the curse also. If the caster botches while attempting to remove a curse, he is afflicted with a morepowerful version of the curse that is specifically tailored to him. The base parameters for Take Curse spells are Conversation, Momentary, and Individual.

Hermetic magic may dispel curses using the normal guidelines in ArM5, page 160. A magus must have some knowledge of gruagach magic to invent a specific Perdo Vim spell to dispel it. The storyguide determines when the magus has sufficient knowledge to invent a spell to counteract gruagach magic. Several encounters with gruagachan magicians should be sufficient knowledge, but also Area Lore (Scottish Highlands) 2 or Magic Lore 5 would be appropriate. Perdo Vim spells designed to dispel all magic can be used without knowledge, but they are substantially weaker at the same level.

General: Determine the terms of a curse and the prohibition it carries.

General: Remove a curse the caster has inflicted on someone.

General: Remove a curse, hex, or continuing spell cast by another.

Question the Cursed
TaCu Level Gen
R: Conversation, D: Mom, T: Ind

If the level of the spell plus a single stress die meets or exceeds the level of the spell targeted, the gruagach learns who cast the curse, what spell level it is, the duration of the curse, and the Limit on it. If the Target is under a geas, the caster learns the terms of the geas and the curse it carries.

(Base)

Lift the Unfair Curse
TaCu Level Gen
R: Conversation, D: Mom, T: Ind

If the level of the spell plus a single stress die meets or exceeds double the spell level of the spell targeted, she removes it. To determine the spell level equivalent of a Supernatural Ability, use the Ability score x 5. See Houses of Hermes: Societates, Ex Miscellanea, page 104. A gruagach need only meet or exceed the spell level of a curse she cast to remove it.

(Base)

This Form allows a gruagach to alter the physical shape of another or herself. Give Shape spells add features of other creatures or completely transform a willing target. Take Shape spells forcibly seize someone's form and can force the Target to take a foreign shape or allow the caster to mimic his shape. All Shape spells also affect the items carried by the Target, incorporating them into the new form.

Give Shape

Give Shape Guidelines

Give Shape spells are only effective on a willing recipient. Any target may decide to refuse the change as the spell begins to take effect; in general, this gives the target a general idea of the final form, but it may be slightly misleading. For example, a spell to grant wings would be easy to confuse with a spell to turn one into a bird, unless the target had experience of both. Once the target has decided to accept the change, he cannot change his mind later, nor dispel the effect before its duration ends.

Level 1: Change someone to give them a minor ability derived from another creature's shape, such as eyes of cat to allow night vision or eyes of an eagle to grant Keen Vision. While the transformation is in effect, the character suffers from the Flaw Social Handicap because of her obviously unnatural appearance.

Level 2: Increase a human's Size to no more than +3.

Level 3: Turn a human into a land animal.

Level 3: Turn a human into a land animal. Level 4: Give someone an aspect of another shape that grants a significant ability, such as the strength of a bear or the wings of a bird for flight. While the transformation is in effect, the character suffers a –6 penalty to all rolls involving trust because of her monstrous appearance.

Level 5: Turn a human into a bird or fish. Level 5: Change an animal into another animal.

Level 5: Increase a human's Size to no more than +5.

Level 10: Turn a human into a solid inanimate object.

Level 10: Turn a human into a plant.

Level 15: Turn a human into an insubstantial object.

Borrow the Nose of the Hound
GvSh Level 3
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind

The caster's nose turns into that of a hound. The gruagach gets a bonus of +6 to all Perception rolls associated with smelling. The character receives a -3 modifier to all rolls involving interaction with individuals who aren't frequently exposed to the effects of magic.

(Base 1, +2 Sun)

Borrow the Wings of the Eagle
GvSh Level 10
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind

The caster's arms turns into giant wings. The gruagach is able to fly as quickly as a normal horse gallops. The character receives a -6 modifier to all rolls involving trust.

(Base 4, +2 Sun)

Assume the Form of the Ancestors
GvSh Level 15
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind

For the duration of the spell, the caster grows to giant size. The character's Size increases by +5, but to no more than +5, and for each point of Size the character gains, adjust his Strength by +2 and his Quickness by -1.

(Base 5, +2 Sun)

Take Shape

Take Shape Guidelines

Take Shape spells allow the caster to assume the form of creatures in her presence or to force another to take some foreign shape. If a Take Shape spell overcomes a character's Magic Resistance, the character may still resist the effects with a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9. The Stamina roll is modified by any appropriate Personality Trait. For example, a greedy or gluttonous character is transformed more easily into a pig or wolverine, both known for their voracious appetites. Similarly, it is more difficult to turn a very brave character into a mouse, rabbit, or other skittish creature. For example, if a gruagach cast a spell to transform a character with the Personality Trait of Brave +3 into a mouse, the player would need to succeed at an Ease Factor of 6 to resist, while a character with the Personality Trait of Brave –3 would resist the transformation against an Ease Factor of 12.

General: Cause someone to revert to his true form at Conversation Range.

Level 5: Turn a human into a land animal.

Level 5: Perfectly mimic the appearance

Level 5: Perfectly mimic the appearance of another person.

Level 5: Change one animal into another. Level 15: Turn a human into a bird or fish.

Level 20: Turn a human into a solid inanimate object.

Level 20: Turn a human into a plant.

Level 25: Turn a human into an insubstantial object.

Return the Lycanthrope to his Native Form
TaSh Level Gen
R: Conversation, D: Mom, T: Ind

If the level of the spell plus a single stress die meets or exceeds double the level of the spell causing the transformation, it is removed. To determine the spell level equivalent of a Supernatural Ability, use the Ability score x 5. See Houses of Hermes: Societates, Ex Miscellanea, page 104. A gruagach need only meet or exceed the spell level of a spell he cast to cause the target to revert to his native form.

(Base)

Turn the Man into his Appropriate Form
TaSh Level 20
R: Conversation, D: Sun, T: Ind

The gruagach is able to turn a human into a land animal with characteristics that most closely mirror the Personality Traits of the Target. A liar might turn into a snake, a traitor might turn into a rat, a glutton might turn into a pig. The caster does not know into what form the target will change before casting the spell.

(Base 5, +1 Conversation, +2 Sun)

Skin of the Doppleganger
TaSh Level 20
R: Conversation, D: Sun, T: Ind

A target of this spell is granted a Stamina roll versus an Ease Factor of 9. If the Stamina check fails, then for the duration of this spell the caster may assume the form of the victim. The physical appearance is a perfect duplication of the victim, and any clothing the victim was wearing is also replicated. If the victim changes clothing during the spell, the caster's clothes do not change.

The spell does not allow the caster to mimic the victim's voice or mannerisms. Anyone who knows the victim may make a Perception roll versus an Ease Factor of 6 to notice that something is peculiar or off about the target. Observers receive a bonus to their Perception roll based on their familiarity with the mimicked character: a casual acquaintance (+1), close friend (+3), and family member or lover (+6).

(Base 5, +1 Conversation, +2 Sun)

Gruagachan Form & Technique Story Seeds

THE MAKER OF MAGICIANS

Apowerful gruagach loses his mind and builds an army of gruagachan, using Give Blessing to give his minions the gruagach Techniques and Forms. Other gruagachan see this as an affront to their tradition, but because of the size of his army, they are powerless to stop him. These gruagachan approach the characters for help.

Cursed If You Do ...

A gruagach curses an ally of the covenant, who then asks the characters for assistance. The curse is too strong for the characters to dispel with general Perdo Vim, so if the characters are unfamiliar with gruagach magic, they must acquire some knowledge of it before removing the curse. If the characters remove the curse, the gruagach discovers their actions, devises a more punitive curse for their ally, and seeks revenge against the covenant for allowing their ally to subvert "justice."

Pig in a Poke

An apprentice gruagach transforms into fine specimens of various animals, and has his father sell him at market. The gruagach later escapes his purchasers and returns to his father. A character visits the market and purchases the apprentice, believing the transformed gruagach to be a magical animal suitable as a familiar or for extracting the vis that he believes the animal to possess. When the apprentice does not return, his father reports the absence and the gruagach's master investigates.

Gruagachan using Vision spells are able to control a person's perception of the world. This Form allows the creation of simple illusions and can grant invisibility. Vision magic also allows a character to send his fetch out before him to gather information. Vision magic spells are available to a gruagach whether he possesses the Fetch Virtue or not. At its most powerful, Vision magic grants a character a glimpse into the future.

Give Vision

Give Vision Guidelines

Unlike Hermetic Imaginem spells, Give Vision spells only affect sight and sound. At their lowest levels , they are relatively simple by Hermetic standards. Complex illusions — those going beyond simple images or sounds — require an additional magnitude. Images that move or change at the direction of the caster are 2 magnitudes higher. In general, the effects of Give Vision spells are governed by Creo or Rego Imaginem spells, and those guidelines apply here.

Grant Vision spells granting Visions or Premonitions are more focused than the respective Flaw and Virtue. The caster must select a specific issue or question to which all the visions must relate. Appropriate subjects include: the target's true love, the target's sworn enemy, a person's journey, or the like.

Level 1: Create an image that affects sight or sound.

Level 2: Create an image that affects sight and sound.

Level 2: Make an object appear or sound like it is up to one pace away from its actual position.

Level 3: Make objects appear to move rapidly in a disorienting way.

Level 5: Grant a person the Flaw Visions, which only applies to a single question or topic.

Level 10: Grant a person the Virtue Premonitions with an Ability score of 4, which only applies to a particular type of danger.

Grant a Glimpse of the Future
GvVs Level 30
R: Conversation, D: Moon, T: Ind

When this spell is cast, the recipient receives hints, visions, and images that relate to a specific topic for the duration of the spell. Example topics include: the recipient's future bride or groom, the sex of a future child, or the dangers encountered in an upcoming trip. As with the Visions Flaw, all images, visions, and hints come at the storyguide's discretion and reveal only what she wants to reveal.

(Base 10, +1 Conversation, +3 Moon)

Create the Hunter's Blind
GvVs Level 10
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group

This spell covers a small group of people with an illusion of boulders, bushes, or other objects appropriate to the particular locale. The spell allows those covered by the illusion to see out. It does not affect any of the senses other than sight; a bush does not rustle in the wind or have any feeling if touched. Those inside the illusion may still be heard, smelled, or touched.

(Base 1, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 Group)

Take Vision

Take Vision Guidelines

Take Vision spells are governed by the guidelines covering Intellego and Perdo Imaginem spells. Like all Vision spells, they only affect sight and sound. For spells that allow a character to use a sense at a distance, the gruagach sends out his fetch to reconnoiter. This has little effect on the practical application of the spell, except that any character with Second Sight sees the gruagachs fetch.

General: Discern illusions caused by spells of equal or lower level than the level of this spell (Vision Target).

General: Dispel illusions caused by spells with a level less than or equal to the spell's level + a stress die (Voice Range).

Level 1: Use one sense at a distance.

Level 1: Detect the presence of vis.

Level 2: Use two senses at a distance.

Level 3: Destroy an object's ability to affect hearing.

Level 4: Destroy an object's ability to affect sight.

Eeavesdrop with the Eyes
TaVs Level 10
R: Per, D: Diam, T: Vision

This spell allows the gruagach' fetch to relay the contents of any conversation by participants who are within the caster's field of vision.

(Base 1, +1 Diameter, +4 Vision)

Track the Presence of Vis
TaVs Level 5
R: Per, D: Diam, T: Vision

The spell allows a gruagachs fetch to identify the location of nearby vis. If there is any vis of which the gruagach is unaware, her fetch goes to the vis and vocalizes in whatever manner it can for the duration of the spell. Only the magician casting the spell is able to hear the fetch's barking, growling, cawing, or other vocalization.

(Base 1, +1 Diameter, +3 Sound)

Cloak for the Thief in the Night
TaVs Level 25
R: Conversation, D: Sun, T: Ind

When the caster hangs a cloak on the target, he becomes incapable of producing sound and has no image. The target still casts a shadow and leaves footprints. If the Target removes the cloak, the spell ends.

(Base 4, +1 Conversation, +2, Sun, +1 changing image, +1 extra effect)

Gruagachan expose themselves to various magical dangers every time they cast a spell.

The botches of gruagachan are similar to those for Hermetic magi, and the general guidelines one would use for Hermetic spells are applicable here. Botches involving Blessing and Curse spells may cause the intended target to act in opposition to the intended restriction, or the spell may be cast on an unintended target. Shape spells may cause the target to take an incorrect form, change the shape of a different target, or have a wildly different duration than the caster intended. Vision spells have the potential of providing false predictions. Although all botches have the potential to expose the character to Warping, Vision spells are even more likely to do this, and every Vision botch inflicts double the normal Warping Points (ArM5, page 167).

Transformation

Both Gifted and unGifted gruagachan suffer from the effects of Warping. Transformation is the gruagach equivalent of Wizard's Twilight, and replaces the normal rules for Warping. This transformation is referred

to as the Curse of Gruagach, which, it is said, he inflicts on wizards who overuse the gift of his magic. A gruagach who suffers the Curse of Gruagach can lose his humanity, and as the gruagach accumulates Warping points he slowly, inexorably becomes more a creature of magic and less human until finally the character becomes a troll.

As a gruagach accumulates Warping Points, he steadily acquires the mental and physical characteristics of a troll until he becomes one. Whena gruagach receives two or more Warping Points from a single botch, or suffers any other powerful magical effect that the storyguide determines is appropriate, he may suffer a transformation. The gruagach has one opportunity to avoid the effect.

TRANSFORMATION AVOIDANCE: Stamina + Concentration + Vision Magic Defense Bonus + stress die vs. Warping Score + Number of Warping Points Gained + local aura + stress die

If the character avoids transformation, nothing negative happens. The character merely concentrates and focuses his attention on his body momentarily. However, if the character cannot avoid transformation, he moves closer to his magical heritage in either positive or negative ways.

Effects of Transforamtion

A gruagach who undergoes a transformation may develop a deeper understanding of his magic or acquire some attribute of a troll. If he succeeds at his Understanding Transformation roll, the experience is good. If he fails, the experience is bad. The storyguide should select an appropriate effect from those given later in this section.

UNDERSTANDING TRANSFORMATION: Intelligence + stress die vs. Warping Score + stress die

When a character reaches a Warping Score of 10, the transformation to a troll is complete. Trolls are monstrous creatures that devour humans; few gruagachan are willing to risk that fate befalling those close to them. Once a character fully transforms intoa troll, the storyguide controls the character's actions. Most gruagachan retire to the wilds or destroy their own external souls before they are in imminent danger of the final transformation.

Good Experiences

Gruagach Magic Virtue: The gruagach acquires knowledge of a Gruagach Art or the gruagach equivalent of Major Magical Focus, Secondary Insight, Affinity with Art, Cautious Sorcerer, Deft Form, Fast Caster, Free Study, Harnessed Magic, Minor Magical Focus, Magical Memory, Personal Vis Source, Puissant Art, Side Effect, Special Circumstances, or Subtle Magic

Troll Virtue: The gruagach acquires a Virtue that would be appropriate for a troll. Examples include: Large, Sharp Ears, Giant Blood, Tough, or Reserves of Strength.

Increased Knowledge: The gruagach acquires Experience Points in a pre-existing Art equivalent to the character's Warping Score + simple die.

Bad Experiences

Gruagach Magic Flaw: The gruagach acquires the gruagach equivalent of Blatant Cift, Deficient Technique, Necessary Condition, Painful Magic, Restriction, Rigid Magic, Careless Sorcerer, Deficient Form, Deleterious Circumstances, Disorientating Magic, Incompatible Arts, Warped Magic, Weak Magic, or Weird Magic.

Troll Flaw: The gruagach acquires a Flaw that would be appropriate for a troll. Examples include: Disfigured (Blue Skin), Magical Air, Nocturnal, Greedy, Wrathful, Offensive to Animals, or Repellent* (Horns, Fangs, Claws, or Scales).

Decreased Knowledge: The gruagach loses Experience Points in a pre-existing Art equivalent to the character's Warping Score + simple die.

* A character with the Repellent Flaw (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 89) suffers a –6 penalty to all rolls requiring trust. The character gains some small benefit to accompany his monstrous appearance. Scales grant +3 Soak, and horns, fangs, and claws can be used in combat and have the same initiative, attack, defense, and damage modifiers as daggers.

The gruagachan can play a variety of roles in an Ars Magica saga. For sagas set in Loch Leglean, Stonehenge, and Hibernian Tribunals, gruagachan are particularly suitable for characters as either magus equivalents or companions. The gruagachan have a history of antagonism toward the Order, and provide suitable opponents for junior magi. Finally, gruagachan can be good subjects of study for magi to improve Hermetic magic.

Gruagachan have a great deal of interaction with the Order of Hermes where they are found. These encounters are not always peaceful, and gruagachan and magi often compete for magical resources. The gruagachan are not as powerful as Hermetic magi, but they often have more support in the community. Gruagachan offer access to their powers to local rulers, and gladly serve as advisors in exchange for protection. The negative effects of The Gift force the most powerful gruagachan to remain in the shadows, but their minions often swear allegiance to local rulers. A few Gifted gruagachan, each with several unGifted students and a few warriors from allied clans, are sufficient to provide a challenge to a spring or even summer covenant of magi.

The gruagachan are descended from the ancient Picti. The Picti were a fierce people native to Caledonia, the Roman name for the area north of Britannia — modern Scotland. The Picti are first mentioned in 297 by Roman writers who described them as ferocious barbarians covered in tattoos who fought against the Roman invasion. There is no record of what the Picti called themselves, or even if they recognized such a concept, but the Latin name has been used ever since.

Priesthood of Gruagach

The Picti worshipped a number of gods, but the two most powerful deities were Cailleach, the mother of all, and Gruagach, "the long-haired one." Cailleach usually appears as an old crone with the teeth of a bear or boar tusks. She was able to cast very powerful spells, and her priestesses possessed great power as well. Gruagach was her male equivalent and god of the sun, plants, and animals. Legend tells that Gruagach taught his most senior priest the secret of gruagach magic. Other Picti gods included Toranos, the thunder god; Shoney, god of fish; Muireartach, the goddess of sea storms; Fionn, protector of man and destroyer of giants and monsters; and Sluag, the lord of the dead, holder of secret knowledge, and creator of the written word.

The priests or priestesses of each god performed various services for the Picti people. These included ensuring peace in the afterlife, granting protection from storms, providing bountiful catches, or healing the sick and wounded. The priests of Gruagach ensured that the Picti crops prospered and cattle herds increased. In addition, the gruagachan, as the priests of Gruagach were known, arbitrated disputes between the Picti and dispensed justice when Pictish laws were broken.

Alliance with Damhan-Allaidh

Although some Picti priests practiced a form of magic similar to the magic practiced by the druids who would form House Diedne in 767, the Pictish priests frequently clashed with druids of House Diedne over magical resources and apprentices. In addition, the two were often on opposite sides during inter-tribal conflicts. When the Roman maga Pralix came to the British Isles on a mission to murder Damhan-Allaidh for his refusal to bow to the Order of Hermes, the gruagachan quickly rallied to his side. Together with Damhan-Allaidh's followers and a group of Anglo-Saxon rune wizards, the gruagachan were eager to fight what they saw as another Roman invasion. The gruagachan and other Picti priests also sought the magical resources held by their longtime rivals in House Diedne.

Unfortunately for the gruagachan and their Pictish allies, Pralix's army was too powerful and they were defeated after a monumental battle. The gruagachan believe Pralix had Diedne allies in her army, who cast a powerful spell that erased the Pictish language from the memory of everyone except a few Gifted Picti. With their ability to cast spells in Pictish removed, the unGifted gruagachan were easily defeated. When the Gifted gruagachan saw their numbers dwindle many fled, chased by the allies of Pralix. The gruagachan who survived the Battle of the False Sun retreated to the most isolated areas of Scotland to recover and rebuild their collectives.

The current gruagachan are unaware whether any of the other Pictish priesthoods survived the battle, and most Hermetic scholars are unaware of their presence at the battle and only identify the gruagachan as allies of Damhan-Allaidh.

Assimilation of the Picti

With the near-universal destruction of their language and the decimation of their priesthood, the Picti ceased to exist as an independent tribe after the Battle of the False Sun. The gruagachan did what they could to recruit and train their Pictish brethren, but their numbers were too few. Many Picti spoke Gaelic or the other languages of their neighboring tribes, unaware that they had ever spoken Pictish. The priesthood was the repository of much of the Pictish culture, and with it gone or in hiding, the Picti adopted the religion and culture of their neighbors. Christianity had already made deep inroads into Scotland and most of the Picti converted.

After the Battle of the False Sun, when the gruagachan realized the fate that had befallen their people, the remaining gruagachan swore that they would have revenge on the Diedne. They gathered to collectively curse the Diedne, and swore terrible oaths that the Diedne would be wiped from the face of the earth as the Picti were.

Schism War

The gruagachan had to wait two centuries for their wish to come true. When the gruagachan first learned that the Diedne had been expelled from the Order and were being hunted by the Romans, the gruagachan harried the Diedne wherever they could find them. The gruagachan often took the shape of giants and hurled boulders and trees at the Diedne and their allies to bypass the terrible Parma Magica behind which they hid.

Although the gruagachan were a shadow of their former size, with the Diedne gone they experienced a rapid growth, and expanded to take and hold many of the magical auras and vis sites that the Diedne had previously controlled. This growth slowed as Hermetic magi later moved into the areas vacated by the Diedne. Although the two sides shared a common enemy in the Diedne, they did not begin to trust one another. The gruagachan still harbor resentment against the Order for the Battle of the False Sun, and against the Roman traditions for their role in supporting Rome's many attempts to conquer the ancient Picti.

Current Status

There exists an uneasy détente between the gruagachan and the Order of Hermes. Some gruagachan have seen the benefit of belonging to the Order and enjoying the miracle of Parma Magica. But the numbers who have joined the Order remain small. Those who do join are often seen as traitors or are hounded by their gruagach allies to teach them the secret of Parma Magica. Some gruagachan have made it their mission to proselytize, and they seek out fellow gruagachan to teach them the bare minimum about the Code and Order, so that they may swear the Hermetic Oath and learn Parma Magica. These gruagachan see this tactic as the only possible way to ensure the gruagach tradition survives.

Despite the destruction of their people, the gruagachan have managed to maintain much of their former culture and traditions.

Traditions of the Gruagachan

The priests of Gruagach were the judges of ancient Pictish society. The priest adjudicated disputes between parties and ensured that justice was served. If a litigant engaged in inappropriate behavior, the priests of Gruagach would place a geas on that individual to prevent him from engaging in the behavior again. This ethic remains with the gruagachan today, and they see themselves as arbitrators of disputes and enforcers of justice. The gruagach care little for the civil or canon law, and instead they seek to resolve disputes based on equitable considerations. The most important factor is what is fair regardless of whether a party has the legal right to something. Gruagachan often go to great lengths to clear an innocent person's name, or if that is impossible, to ensure that a guilty party is properly punished, especially when the conventional authorities have failed to do so. Rather than being merely vengeful, the gruagachan seek to ensure poetic justice is achieved. Naturally, the gruagachan believe themselves better able to make such judgments than anyone else, and many take criticism of their judgments very poorly.

Because the gruagachan are descended from the priesthood of the god Gruagach, they still maintain some vestiges of that worship, even though many gruagachan, especially the unGifted members, have no knowledge of the source of these rites. Gruagach is the god of the sun, plants, and animals. As such, observant gruagachan do not harm any living being, plant, or animal needlessly. The most devout gruagachan are vegetarians. Gruagach is often depicted as having long, flowing hair radiating from his head, like beams of light. Many Gifted gruagachan emulate this appearance and do not cut their hair.

Most Gifted gruagachan are pagan and secretly worship Gruagach and the gods of the Picti. For unGifted gruagachan, there is a wide degree of religious variance. Some pay lip service to the veneration of Gruagach, while maintaining their Christian beliefs, to gain access to more magical training. Others recognize that the Dominion aura interferes with their magic, and abandon the Church completely to follow the Old Ways. Gruagachan are sensitive to the teachings of the Church regarding magic and do their best to hide their pagan ways. Devout individuals, even those with an aptitude for gruagach magic, are seldom approached for fear of raising the interest of local religious authorities.

The God Gruagach and the Faerie Gruagachan

When the Picti people encountered Gruagach, he was a magical entity concerned only with the sun, plants, and animals. The Picti worshiped Gruagach in hopes of gaining favorable weather for their crops and increasing the fecundity of their herds of cattle. The Picti eventually came to consider Gruagach the god of cattle and agriculture, and provided oblations in the form of sacrifices of milk and cattle.

It is possible that this increased emphasis on human affairs created a Faerie version of Gruagach. As Christianity overtook the pagan religions and the Picti ceased to exist as an independent people, the god Gruagach was forgotten, but the practice of sacrificing milk in his name remained.

In Mythic Europe, many Scottish dairy farms have indentations chiseled out of stone where a farmer pours a small amount of milk for a "gruagach." The Scots believe that the gruagachan are small faeries, about the height of a man's knee, with long hair and dressed in gentleman's clothes. The faerie gruagachan can cause milk to curdle or cows to go dry, if they are not given proper respect. If the farmers offer the faeries milk daily, they ensure that the cream rises and the farm's cows are productive.

The exact nature of Gruagach, his relationship with the gruagachan faeries, and his degree of interaction with the gruagach wizards in the saga is left to the discretion of the troupe.

Oorganization of the Gruagachan

The typical collective of gruagachan consists of one to three Gifted gruagachan. The social effects of The Gift prevent larger groups from forming. The most senior Gifted gruagach is usually the master of the other gruagachan in the collective. Unlike Hermetic apprentices, gruagachan often remain with their masters long after apprenticeship has ended. There is no stigma in this, and Gifted gruagachan often continue to study with their masters after passing out of the apprentice stage. The gruagachan also know that there is strength in numbers, and making friends outside of the collective is difficult given the social effects of The Gift.

Upon the death of the eldest gruagach, a collective tends to disintegrate into smaller groups. While a gruagach with his own students is often willing to follow the instructions of his master, few are willing to obey another gruagach. Gruagach collectives often compete fiercely with each other for vis, Gifted apprentices, and other magical resources, but they tend to cooperate when faced with a common enemy.

Most gruagachan are unGifted and introduced to their magic through Initiation. A gruagach master often has three or more such gruagach students and other followers. Un-Gifted gruagachan remain a part of their clans or society even as they learn their magic. This close integration provides the gruagach masters with a great deal of information about mundane society. UnGifted gruagachan also serve in the role as emissary to local rulers, offering magical services and advice often surreptitiously provided by their Gifted masters.

In addition to playing a gruagach character, gruagachan can be involved in a saga as allies or adversaries to a covenant. If a gruagach is not a member of the Order, then the character should be generated as described earlier. If the gruagach is a member of the Order, follow the guidelines provided later under "Hermetic Gruagach." Gruagachan outside of the Order can create Boons or Hooks for a covenant.

Major Covenant Boon: Friendly Gruagach Collective

This is a variant of the Hedge Tradition Covenant Boon (see Covenants page 21).

The covenant has significant control over a nearby gruagach collective. The collective uses its close ties to the community to provide useful information to the covenant about events in the countryside, trades vis with the covenant, and warns the covenant of magical events in the area. Its members also provide minor magical aid on a regular basis, and fight for the covenant if there is a crisis.

Major Covenant Hook: Hostile Gruagach Collective

Take this Hookif the troupe would like to experiment with gruagach magic before any of the players decide to create a gruagach character.

The covenant is in conflict with a nearby gruagach collective. The collective uses it close ties to mundane society to spread vicious rumors about the covenant and turn the local nobility against the characters. The gruagach collective harvests the covenant's vis sources whenever possible, and attempts to foment trouble with the covenant's magical and faerie neighbors.

Minor Covenant Boon: Gruagach Ally

Take this Boon if the troupe wants to limit the stories about the existence of the gruagach ally.

A single gruagach lives near the covenant. He assists the magi where possible and may share resources with them. Other gruagachan who learn of this cooperation may investigate to ensure that he is not collaborating too closely with the Romans.

Minor Covenant Hook: Gruagach Resident

Take this Hook if the troupe wants to tell stories about the fact that a gruagach lives with the magi.

One or more gruagachan live in the covenant. Unless the covenant hides the gruagachan's existence from Hermetic visitors, the covenant receives a visit from a Quaesitor. Magi pursuing gruagachan for Insight into research projects may also visit the covenant. Any gruagachan who discover their fellows are living with the Romans may become suspicious and cause trouble for the covenant or the gruagachan.

Hermetic Gruagachan

Some gruagachan are nominally members of the Order of Hermes. They continue to practice their geas magic, but have joined the Order to avoid persecution or enjoy the benefits of Parma Magica. A nominal Hermetic gruagach character should take the Flaw Hedge Wizard and the Virtue Arcane Lore. The 50 experience points from the Arcane Lore can be used to learn any Arcane Abilities, but the character should have minimum scores of 1 in Code of Hermes and Parma Magica. Otherwise, the player generates the gruagach exactly as described earlier.

Domhnall the Gruagach Master

Characteristics: Int +2, Per 0, Pre +2, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex 0, Qik 0

Size: +1

Age: 31

Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 1 (2)

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Gruagach, Gruagach Master; Gentle Gift; Flexible Magic, Improved Characteristics, Large, Minor Magical Focus (self-transformation), Warrior, Envious, Waster of Vis, Careless Sorcerer, Close Family Ties, Pagan

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Proud +2,

Reputations: Wise beyond his years 3 (local)

Combat:

Cudgel (normal): Init 0, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +8

Cudgel (giant form): Init -3, Attack +8, Defense +2, Damage +16

Soak: +4

Fatigue Levels: OK, $O_1$ , -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties (normal): -1 (1-6), -3 (7–12), –5 (13–18), Incapacitated (19– 24), Dead (25+)

Wound Penalties (giant form): -1 (1-10), (31-40), -3 (11-20), -5 (21-30), Incapacitated (31-40), Dead (41+)

Abilities: Animal Handling 2 (cattle), Athletics 1 (running), Artes Liberales 1 (Ogham), Brawl 2 (punches), Charm 2 (ladies), Folk Ken 2 (nobles), Gaelic 5 (curses), Great Weapon 3 (cudgel), Gruagach Lore 2 (Initiations), Guile 2 (pretending to be ignorant), Highlands Lore 2 (legends), Magic Lore 2 (auras), Pictish 2 (religious), Thrown Weapon 1 (spear), Village Lore 2 (history)

Arts: Gv 2, Ta 2, Bl 14, Cu 14, Sh 9, Vs 5

Equipment: Partial heavy leather, survival kit, and cudgel.

Encumbrance: 1 (2) (in human form; none in giant form)

Spells Known:

Blessing of the Swordsman's Expertise (Great Weapon) (GvBl 20/+18)

Blessing of the Swordsman's Expertise (Single Weapon) (GvBl 20/+18)

Geas of the Narcissistic Maiden (GvCu 15/+18) Assume the Form of the Ancestors (GvSh 15/+15

Create the Hunters' Blind (GvVs 10/+9)

Vis: 2 pawns of Animal vis in the form of a deer's pelt thrown over his shoulder.

Appearance: Domhnall is a large man with sandy brown hair and green eyes. He is fit and wears his leather armor whenever he expects trouble. He carries a large wooden cudgel with metal shanks on the end. He speaks with a booming voice and is quick to laugh. His tanned skin is starting to wrinkle.

Domhnall was born and raised in a small village in the Scottish highlands. He was discovered by his master when he was 10. After his apprenticeship, Domhnall was conscripted into a local army to fight the English. Although he excelled at fighting, he didn't have a taste for it and returned to the highlands soon as he could. When he came back, Domhnall discovered his master and fellow gruagachan were missing. Domhnall pines for a better life where he can use his magic to provide for himself and others, but he's unwilling to leave his village and his family to seek more students to assist him. Domhnall has had trouble convincing the few potential members of the community to become his students, and is considering asking Conall to leave with him to establish a new collective elsewhere.

Conall the Gruagach

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +3, Pre -2, Com -2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +2

Size: 0

Age: 25

Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Gruagach, Peasant; Give, Shapeshifter, Take, Shape, Warrior, Dark Secret, Restriction (cannot use magic while bald); Judged Unfairly, Mentor, No Magical Defenses, Unimaginative Learner, Weak Tattoo Magic

Personality Traits: Loyal +2, Brave +1 Reputations: Unlucky 3 (local)

Combat:

Short Bow: Init -1, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +6

Claws (in bear form): Init 0, Attack +13, Defense +9, Damage +10

Soak: +3 (+10 in bear form)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, Unconscious

Wound Penalties (normal): -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Wound Penalties (bear form): -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (15-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)

Abilities: Athletics 1 (climbing), Awareness 3 (highlands), Bows 4 (shooting from cover), Brawl 3 (dodging), Gaelic 5 (defending himself), Gruagach Lore 1 (history), Hunt 5 (deer), Magic Lore 1 (animals), Pictish 2 (traditions), Shapeshifter 4 (bear), Stealth 3 (ambushes), Survival 4 (highlands), Village Lore 2 (game trails)

Arts: Gv 1, Ta 1, Bl (n/a), Cu (n/a), Sh 10, Vs (n/a)

Equipment: Partial heavy leather armor, short bow, arrows, and survival kit.

Encumbrance: 2 (2)

Spells Known:

Borrow the Nose of the Hound (GvSh 3/+12)

Borrow the Eyes of the Cat (GvSh 5/+12) (Voice Range)

Borrow the Wings of the Eagle (GvSh 10/+12)

Turn the Man into his Appropriate Form (TaSh 20/+12)

Appearance: Conall is a medium-built man with long, unkempt black hair. His pale blue eyes are barely visible behind the falling hair. Conall frequently dresses in his leather and seldom is far from his bow. He shifts nervously when talking.

Conall was born in the same village as Domhnall. Ever since Conall can remember, people have blamed him for every mishap, accident, or stroke of bad luck. Conall need not be anywhere near the accident, and he still receives the blame. Conall dealt with this by spending as little time around people as possible, wandering the highlands looking for game. When Conall grew lonely he sought out Domhnall, who was one of the few people willing to talk to him. When Domhnall returned from his conscription, they began to spend more time together. Domhnall has been instructing him in the ways of the gruagachan for five years. Conall was never very devout and was willing to learn the ways of the gruagachan. He took to Domhnall's teaching quickly, and was inspired by the gruagach ethic to fight injustice. Conall yearns to prevent people from being falsely accused as he so often is.

There are several groups in Mythic Europe that use magic similar to that of the gruagachan. The trollsynir and kolduni are two such traditions.

Required Virtues and Flaws: Giant Blood, No Tattoo Magic

Arts: All Gruagach Arts

The Norse stories tell of a time before men when the primordial giant, Ymir, formed from the ice. He spawned an entire race of giants, called the Jotnar (singular: Jotun), and other creatures. The Jotnar were plentiful and threatened to overwhelm the gods. Odin and his brothers killed Ymir and used his corpse to create the world of men. The blood of Ymir flooded everything and drowned most of Ymir's progeny, but some Jotnar survived.

In Norse mythology, there are many types of giants. Giants range in size from the colossal ones that combat the Norse gods, to trolls and ogres barely larger than normal men. All possess magical powers. Some giants are evil and are the sworn enemy of the gods and men, but others are known for their wisdom and occasionally befriend humans. From these Jotnar, the gods and men sometimes take brides.

History and Culture

The trollsynir are usually the children or grandchildren of a Jotun. A female Jotun who has taken a human as a husband is called an etin bride. Etin brides teach magic, "Trollskap" as they call it, to their children and grandchildren. These trollsynir grow up in the wild and are often rough in appearance, uncultured, and ignorant of the ways of men. A single, male practitioner of Trollskap is called a trollson, and a single female is called a trollsdottir. For unknown reasons, a trollsdottir often has the Gentle Gift and trollson rarely will.

The trollsynir are most common in Iceland. But they do also live in other areas, such as Ultima Thule, the northernmost areas of the Novgorod Tribunal, or other places where giants can be found, especially areas with powerful Magic auras or regiones.

Not all trollsynir are born with The Gift, but all unGifted trollsynir are born with the ability to perform some aspects of Trollskap. Because family members teach the trollsynir their magic, the social effects of The Gift have less of an impact on the training than in some hedge traditions. Their family members have years to become accustomed to The Gift.

Trollsynir do not seek out apprentices and rarely train anyone outside of their immediate family. Occasionally an etin bride will take in an orphaned trollson or trollsdottir rather than allow the orphan to become easy prey to the enemies of the trollsynir and Jotnar. Although any individual with The Gift can learn Trollskap, trollsynir and giants rarely teach its secrets to those without Giant Blood.

The social effects of The Gift do limit the size of trollsynir groups. While trollsynir maintain close relations with their extended family, they interact rarely with other trollsynir. A group of trollsynir relatives can exceed a dozen individuals, including brothers, sisters, and cousins. The familial ties of the trollsynir make them very closely knit groups, and when combined with the power of their Jotnar relatives, they are formidable opponents.

Magic

Trollskap is performed in the same manner as gruagach magic, with two exceptions. Any requirement for a score in the Pictish language is replaced with the Jotnar language, which is the ancient language of the giants. Norse giants speak it as their native tongue, and it is the magical language of the trollsynir. Trollsynir do not practice the tattoo magic of the gruagachan; therefore, all trollsynir have the Flaw No Tattoo Magic.

Although the blood of the giants powers the magic of the trollsynir, overuse of the magic takes away the character's humanity. As a trollson accumulates Warping Points, he acquires the mental and physical characteristics of a lesser giant, or troll, just as for a gruagach.

The Initiation Scripts for the trollsynir are similar to those of the gruagachan, except they are less concerned with having justice done and focus more on performing heroic deeds, such as defeating creatures of power. In addition, trollsynir refer to their fetches as "fylgjur" (singular: fylgja).

Characterss

There is no formal apprenticeship for trollsynir. Because trollsynir usually maintain close ties with their families, they continue learning from each other throughout their lives. There is no stigma attached to an adult trollson learning from another.

Likewise, there are no formal training requirements for trollsynir, and each family has different strengths and weaknesses. That said, there are certain Abilities that are universally taught, and all trollsynir will have some knowledge of the following Abilities: Jotun Language, Magic Lore, Faerie Lore, Penetration, Finesse, and Jotun Lore. Beyond those skills, each individual family and clan is liable to vary widely in the skills it emphasizes.

Trollsynir often possess one or more of the following Virtues: Mythic Herbalism, Ways of the (Land), or Wilderness Sense. Beyond those Virtues and the ones found in this chapter, trollsynir are not known for any particular aptitude. The Flaws of Close Family Ties, Pagan, and Sheltered Upbringing are particularly appropriate, but not required. Educated and Temporal Influence are not appropriate for trollsynir, and a player selecting them must seek approval of the troupe.

Required Flaws: No Tattoo Magic
Arts and Favored Abilities: All Gruagach Arts, Animal Ken, and Mythic Herbalism

In the wild areas of the Novgorod Tribunal, pagan wizards live on the outskirts of peasant society. These wizards exchange their services in removing curses, healing the injured, and acting as intermediaries with the Faerie world for the staples of life. These pagan wizards are known as kolduni (singular: koldun).

History and Cutlure

Peasants in the countryside throughout the Novgorod Tribunal openly worship pagan gods. Here the faerie powers are more prevalent than in the more civilized parts of Mythic Europe. The kolduni gain access to their powers from contact with these faeries and from the worship of pagan gods.

Because the kolduni do not have unGifted representatives, their relationship with mundane society is often tense. Villagers endure the presence of kolduni only ona limited basis, and the wizards are forced to live alone in the wilderness. They only venture into the village when called. Unlike the gruagachan, who are motivated by a sense of justice, the kolduni tend to be purely mercenary in their pursuits. The kolduni can remove curses, provide healing, and cast their spells for food, clothing, and other necessities. Where villagers and malicious faeries come into conflict, the kolduni can intervene to protect villagers, but they are regarded as little better than the faerie creatures themselves.

Magic

Koldun magic, called "koldovali" by its practitioners, is very similar to gruagach magic. The kolduni learn and cast spells using the same mechanics as gruagachan, except the Ability Koldovali Theory replaces Pictish Language in the relevant formulae. Unlike the gruagachan, the kolduni practice a completely oral tradition of magic, and so they may not perform any of the gruagach Laboratory activities that require literacy. The kolduni do not use the term geas, but instead refer to a geas or curse as a "kara."

Story Seed: Koshchen the Deathless

A koldun wizard abducts the fiancée of a friend of the covenant, who approaches the characters for assistance. The wizard is immune from death because of his external soul. If the characters are able to discover the location of the external soul, the magi can investigate it and determine the exact manner required for its destruction.

Koshchey the Deathless is a powerful koldun who placed his soul in an egg inside a duck inside a hare inside a chest buried under an oak at the center of an isolated island in a powerful regio. Koshchey can only die if the egg containing his soul is smashed against his forehead.

Water plays an important role in the magic of the kolduni and is necessary for their most powerful spells. When a koldun casts a Vision spell that allows him to sense things at a distance, he must do so by staring into water. The kolduni have access to the Arcane Connection Range, which adds +4 Magnitudes to a spell's level. If the wizard casts any spell with an Arcane Connection, for it to work he must submerge the Connection in an amount of water large enough to cover it completely.

Kolduni can learn to have an external soul. The external souls of the kolduni are different from those of the gruagachan. A gruagach dies immediately if his external soul suffers so much as a single scratch, but to kill a koldun his external soul must be destroyed in a very specific manner. If it is destroyed in any other manner, the koldun's soul merely returns to his body; of course, this means that the koldun may then be killed in the normal manner. This makes the koldun Virtue more powerful, and players of kolduni must purchase an extra Major Virtue (Durable External Soul) to reflect this fact. There are thus two Initiations involved; the first for Durable External Soul, which has no effect by itself, and the second for External Soul, which then gains the benefit of the Durable External Soul Virtue. If a koldun's external soul is destroyed by the wrong method, he must repeat the Initiation for External Soul. However, he may simply repeat the Initiation he performed the first time.

The koldun Warping process does not turn them into trolls, but follows a progression similar to that of the Learned Magicians (see Chapter Five). As the kolduni suffer botches and accumulate Warping Points, they spend more and more time in Faerie regiones until the faeries finally take the koldun to their realm permanently.

Characters

Kolduni use the same basic character generation rules described earlier. In addition to their Arts, kolduni often devote their time to learning Chirurgy, Herbalism, Koldovali Theory, Koldun Lore, Faerie Lore, and Magic Lore. Kolduni may possess the Wise One or Outcast Social Status. In addition to the required and Favored Virtues, appropriate Virtues and Flaws include the following: Faerie Blood, Premonitions, Second Sight, Student of Faerie Realm, Faerie Friend, and Visions. See Realms of Power: Faerie for additional Virtues, Flaws, and story ideas.

The magic of the gruagachan provides several possible avenues for magi to conduct research and expand the bounds of Hermetic theory. Three such paths of Integration are discussed here.

Gruagachan with the Cailleach Magic Virtue are able to cast Spontaneous Magic with the ease of a magus with the Diedne Magic Virtue. This provides one possible area of Integration to Hermetic research, although any attempt to introduce this ability to the Order in general might meet with stiff resistance.

Integration of the Cailleach Magic used by the gruagachan presents several difficulties to a potential Hermetic researcher. The magical language of the gruagachan is Pictish, and it is not known outside of the gruagachan. The gruagach tradition is mostly oral, and the few texts that exist are written in Ogham. A gruagach who teaches Pictish or Ogham to a Hermetic magus would be treated as a traitor to his tradition. In addition, most gruagachan are generally distrustful of the members of the Order of Hermes, and even those who are not, are fearful of attracting the wrath of their fellow gruagachan.

Suggested Breakthrough Points: 45

Integration Effects

The full integration of the spontaneous casting ability of the gruagachan allows the researcher to teach the New Virtue: Cailleach Magic to future apprentices. The Virtue Cailleach Magic is identical to Diedne Magic, except that the character does not receive the Dark Secret Flaw, but suffers from the Hedge Wizard Flaw instead.

Consequences of Integration

Because the Virtue Diedne Magic already exists, the mechanical impact on game play should be relatively minor. The Integration of Cailleach Magic into the Order, however, could have significant consequences. Because of the dearth of written material on the gruagachan, the only likely sources of Insight into this tradition are living teachers. Given the relatively low scores most gruagachan possess in Pictish, a magus should have to seek out many different gruagachan and convince each to teach him.

It is unlikely that any gruagachan would give up the secrets of their magic without learning the secrets of Hermetic magic in exchange. The longest lasting effect of the incorporation of Cailleach Magic on the Order might be the introduction of dozens of gruagachan into House Ex Miscellanea. The existence of a large contingent of these wizards, with their enhanced Spontaneous magic abilities, might allow the magi descended from House Diedne to practice their magic more openly without fear of persecution.

Gruagachan have very flexible Formulaic magic. The same difficulties described before are present for any magus who attempts to incorporate this flexibility into Hermetic theory.

Suggested Breakthrough Points: 30

Integration Effects

A Hermetic magus who successfully Integrates this aspect of gruagach magic could create a new Spell Mastery Ability of Flexible Formulaic Magic, which allows any magus to gain the benefits of the Virtue Flexible Formulaic Mastery. A magus with Spell Mastery in Flexible Formulaic Magic is able to vary one parameter of a Formulaic spell (Range, Duration, Target, or size) as long as the final level of the spell is within one magnitude for every full five points of the magus’ Mastery Score. Otherwise, it works in the same way as Flexible Formulaic Magic.

Two separate, but related, Breakthroughs could be to make Flexible Formulaic Magic a teachable Ability, similar to Parma Magica, learnable by any magus; or to increase the effectiveness of the current Flexible Formulaic Magic Virtue by by making the magnitude difference two instead of one.

Consequences of Integration

Because Flexible Formulaic Magic already exists as a Virtue, the social effects on the Order of this Integration are likely to be slight. The ability to cast spells that are close to, but not exactly the same as, those already known, without suffering the harsh effects of Spontaneous spells on the casting total, would reduce the emphasis on learning many spells. Characters might spend more time learning Arts.

One important out-of-game consideration would be for players with characters who possess the old Flexible Formulaic Virtue. Although it is a harsh reality that new developments in a field often leave previous generations lacking in skills, a player who feels he has "wasted" a Major Virtue on an ability that all characters suddenly get for free may be bitter.

Gruagachan are able to cast their curses on anyone within earshot of their voices, without regard for sensing the individual target. This is an ability that is impossible under Hermetic Theory. An Arcane Connection is necessary for a magus to cast a spell directly on an individual even if that individual is obscured by only a thin, opaque cloth and a noisy environment.

Suggested Breakthrough Points: 60

Integration Effects

The magus need not sense the Target of a spell, as long as the Target can hear the sound of the magus' voice and the magus is able to describe the Target, even in very vague terms, the spell may affect it.

For example, a magus who hears a sound outside his door and suspects an intruder could cast a spell targeting "whoever is on the other side of that door." If there were someone or something on the other side of door that could hear the magus, the spell would affect that person.

It is suggested that the magnitude for Improved Voice spells be +3, but the troupe may consider the additional benefit of affecting unsensed targets unworthy of the additional magnitude of difficulty.

Consequences of Integration

Many magi feel that the requirement to use an Arcane Connection to cast spells on unsensed targets is a flaw in Bonisagus' theory. The magus who fixes this flaw, even in such a limited context, would achieve a Hermetic Breakthrough that would likely earn him the title of the greatest living Hermetic theoretician. If the magus were a member of House Bonisagus, he would likely be the most popular candidate for successor to the current Primus.