Muspelli

Brother will fight brother and be his slayer, Brother and sister will violate the bonds of kinship; Hard it is in the world, there is so much adultery, Axe-age, sword-age, shields are cleft asunder, Wind-age, wolf-age, before the world plunges headlong. No man will spare another.

– Voluspa, "The Seeress' Prophecy"

The Muspelli are a tradition of wizards with horrifying ritual power at their command. Their might eclipses that of the local wizards, and is potentially the match of that of the Order of Hermes. The Muspelli hide in the dark places of the world and foment their malicious spells; in the caves in the Scandinavian mountains, in the fens of Denmark, and in the dales of the pagan Baltic. They are worshipers of the jotun giants — the implacable primal spirits who embody the powers of nature — and this worship has given them enormous power. Worse still, they are devoted to the release of their imprisoned masters and the overthrow of the current world powers — Divine, Infernal, and Faerie — in favor of a realm under the rule of the jotnar. In short, they seek to cause Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods.

Before there was land and sea, there was a seething cauldron of ice and venom in the north called Hvergelmir. It was matched in the south by a boiling fountain of fire called Urdarbrunn. Where the two forces of fire and ice met, the first living being formed. This was Ymir, the progenitor of all life and the world as it is now known. His limbs begat offspring on each other. From his arms were born his elder brood — a brother and sister named Mimir and Urdur. And from his legs were produced his younger brood — three sons named Gymir, Aegir, and Surtur.

Urdur was the mother of Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur, who were themselves the progenitors of the three tribes of gods: the Aesir, Vanir, and Alfar, respectively. Gymir and his brothers, in the meantime, were the progenitors of the three tribes of giants: frost, storm, and fire. In this primal age the gods and giants lived in peace, and there was prosperity and harmony. But this was not to last. The ambitious Odin slew his grandfather Ymir with the assistance of his two brothers. When they slit his throat, the blood that poured forth was of such great volume that most of the giants were drowned. At the behest of her son, Urdur wrapped the spirits of the dead giants in unbreakable threads of fate, binding them into the underworld. His aunt Mimir taught Odin how to forge the world from the corpse of Ymir, and the gods divided up dominion over the new creation.

The giant-twins Loki and Gullveig had survived the slaughter of their kin due to their fosterage among the gods. Odin believed that they could be turned to his side, but it was not to be. The brother and sister seethed in secret, working their schemes under the very noses of the gods, but they were eventually both caught. Gullveig was burned at the stake, while Loki was confined in the underworld. With his imprisonment, the power of the giants was finally broken and Odin's power was complete.

Immediately prior to his capture, Loki instructed certain humans in how to communicate with him and the other jotun giants imprisoned in the underworld, thus making the first Muspelli. He intended the Muspelli to prepare the way for Ragnarok by amassing power, recruiting others, and subtly loosening the hold that the supernatural powers have over the world. Each of the imprisoned jotnar (save Loki himself) has such servants, who wait for the day that the trumpet is sounded and war is enjoined.

The legends of the Muspelli do not necessarily match those of the pagan past of the Norse people. The Muspelli heard these stories directly from the jotun giants, and so they consider their version to be authoritative. However, the imprisoned jotnar are not necessarily the most neutral of witnesses.

As explained in Realms of Power: Magic, the jotnar are mighty spirits of magic (called kosmokrators) that administer the running of God's creation. At some point in the distant past, faeries — empowered by the prayers of man — overthrew these primal spirits, took their places, and ruled as gods. Since the birth of Christ the power of the faerie gods has diminished, and the primal spirits are testing their bonds, eager for the day that they will be free. The Muspelli seek to aid them in this task.

According to the prophecies of Urdur, mother of Odin, there will come a time of winter and war that heralds the coming apocalypse. The strife sown by the twins Loki and Gullveig bears fruit, and mankind degenerates, generation after generation. The sun grows weaker, and battlefields proliferate as humans numb their rising dread with bloodshed and debauchery. They abandon their gods and forget previous loyalties in the slaughter. Monstrous wolves and serpents will be seen on earth and feast on the dead.

Next, the world is covered in snow and ice as the weather rages. Giants become more numerous, and a poison-cold wind brings plague to the world. A mighty earthquake causes the World Tree to shiver and groan as Loki bursts free of his bonds, and breaks those of his kin. The primal jotnar abandon their underground prison, and the watchman of the gods blows his horn, signaling the final battle that will end all battles.

Every supernatural creature living in wood, mountain, and water fares to the battlefield to support the giants. Mankind is beset from all sides. To the north the horizon is darkened by snow and hail, and the advancing army of the giants. From the east come the swarms of monsters lead by Gullveig, and the damned inhabitants of Hel brought by Loki to the battlefield in an immense ship. The southern horizon is red with the flames of the giant-progenitor Surtur and his family. Finally, to the west is the island-sized head of the World Serpent.

The gods have not been standing idle, though. They gather their own forces: mortal men who have remained loyal; ancient heroes who have laid in their barrows awaiting this day; and the slain who were chosen for this very battle. The army of the gods streams down the rainbow bridge to support mankind on the battlefield, and it breaks under the sheer weight.

When battle is finally joined, Odin is the first casualty, perishing in the jaws of the monstrous wolf Fenrir. Thor is killed by his old adversary Jormungand the Midgard Serpent, Freyr falls to Surtur's fiery sword, and Heimdall is slain by Loki. All the gods will perish, as do all the monsters, and all men. The flames of Surtur scour the earth clean and consume the dead, a purification that returns the world to a pristine condition. The dominance of the gods has passed, and their mistakes and ambition are undone. However, the new world does not remain vacant; the gods, the giants, and mankind all have survivors, select individuals who were hidden away for this very eventuality, and a new age begins.

Loki claimed kinship to the Aesir since he, like Odin, was the grandson of Ymir; although it is not clear whether Gymir, Aegir, or Surtur was his father. Loki has opposed the gods ever since they slew his family, though. His plans were subtle at first, but he soon grew rash as his schemes were thwarted. He tried to steal the gods' treasures — Thor's hammer, the apples of immortality, even the goddess Freyja herself who was the fertility of the earth. He coordinated the foes of the gods among the giants who had survived Odin's genocide. Finally, he caused the murder of their most beloved member, Baldur, revealing his true colors

and precipitating his confinement.

Loki is the messiah figure of the Muspelli. At the end of days it is said that he will return from the underworld and lead the Muspelli, giants, and other monsters against the gods. Several usurpers have tried to unite the Muspelli under the claim of being Loki, but all have failed and been torn apart by those they tried to fool. Loki does not serve as a patron to any Muspelli; he is too closely guarded by his captors for him to channel any power to mundane servants. He relies solely on the other jotnar to marshal his forces in preparation for the Twilight of the Gods.

It is unlikely that the world of Ars Magica Fifth Edition will end with Ragnarok; that which God has wrought will not be undone by a battle between Faerie and Magic beings. All three major Divine religions have prophecies regarding the End of Days, and while they differ in the details, they concur on the main doctrinal points — the coming of the Messiah, the resurrection of the body, eternal bliss for the faithful in heaven, etc. This differs substantially from the Twilight of the Gods. It seems likely that the powers of Magic know the truth, and that Urdur's prophecy is false — or at least, falsely interpreted. The jotnar have either deluded themselves or else deliberately lied to the Muspelli for whatever inscrutable reasons. The story of Ragnarok was also recounted by the faerie gods to their followers; depending on the cognizance of these faeries for their own stories, the truth is either unknowable or meaningless, and so they believe their own propaganda. Despite potentially being based on a lie, though, the power of the Muspelli is very real, and the jotnar clearly have some purpose for them in mind.

When initiated into the ranks of the Muspelli (see Muspelli Characters, later), a character acquires one of the jotun giants as a patron. In this section, the attributes of eight jotnar are described — the ones who attract the most followers from among the Muspelli. There may be other jotnar with sufficient Might to channel power from their place of imprisonment to Muspelli, but these are left to the individual storyguide to create.

Aegir means simply "sea," but it is also connected to "aegja" meaning "terror." The awesome strength of the western ocean

The spelling of Old Norse terms in this chapter has been simplified: removing diacritical marks; replacing "þ" with "th," and "ð" with "d;" and standardizing the nominative endings of nouns. Stressed syllables are given in capitals; "ch" is pronounced as in Scottish "loch," and "ü" as in German "München." Old Norse is one of the most difficult European languages for native English speakers to pronounce, and the following is intended as an approximation only.

Word P	ronunciation M	eaning
Aegir	ACH-eer	jotun of the sea
blot	BLOAT	"sacrifice," a power modifier
draugur	DROWCH-uh	an animated corpse
Fenrir	FEN-reer	the jotun-wolf
gandur	GAND-uh	"wand," a magical talisman; plural "gandar"
gipt	GIFT	"gift," the beneficial consequences of Heipt
gleipnir	GLAYF-neer	"binding," a score representing restrictions on
		the character's magic
Gullveig	GOOL-vayg	jotun of witchcraft
Gymir	GÜM-eer	jotun of storms
hamur	HARM-uh	"shape," a power modifier
heipt	HAYFT	"deadly war," the Muspelli's form of warping
hreppur	HREP-puh	organization of Norse wizards; plural "hreppar"
jotun	YORT-oon	primeval giant of Norse Mythology; plural "jotnar"
Leikin	LAKE-een	jotun of death
litur	LEET-uh	"appearance," a power modifier
Loki	LOW-kee	chief enemy of the gods, leader of the jotnar
Muspelli	MOOSE-pell-ee	wielder of jotun magic
Nidhogg	NEETH-horg	the jotun-serpent
ond	AUND	"breath," a power modifier
orlog-thattur		ER-lorg THART-uh "thread of fate;" plural "orlog-thaettir"
Raudskinna	ROWD-SKIN-nar	"Red-Skin," the founding principles of the hreppar
sjonhverfing	SYOAN-VER-ving	"twisting the sight," illusion magic
spadomur	SPAR-DOME-uh	prophetic magic
stjori	STYOR-ee	a leader of a hreppur; plural "stjorir"
Surtur	SOORT-uh	jotun of fire
Urdur	OORTH-uh	jotun of fate
utiseta	OOT-ee SET-ah	"sitting out," ritual jotun magic
valgaldrar	VAHL-GARLD-rar	"corpse-spells," necromantic magic

is accorded much respect and fear even by a sea-going race such as the Norsemen. This brother of Gymir managed to escape the genocide of his kind by feigning peace with the gods, but he is now confined to the island of Hlesey where he plots revenge under the guise of brewing the mead and ale for the gods. Aegir has also hosted feasts for the gods at Hlesey, which is almost certainly a Magic regio, and well hidden from mortal eyes. Aegir's

hall is bedecked with the gold he has plundered from drowned ships, and his name is linked with wealth.

Aegir takes the appearance of a king, bedecked in gold. His hair and beard are long, and plaited like the currents of the sea.

Gandur: A cauldron. Aegir possesses a beer-kettle called Bodn that brews the best ale, along with storms and fate.

Closest Allies: His brother Gymir and his wife Gullveig, Loki's twin sister. Aegir

The term "jotun" means simply "giant," and is sometimes used for all Norse giants. In this chapter, the latter are referred to simply as "giants" (the Norse term would be thurs), while "jotun" or "jotun giant" is used to describe a magical primal spirit of kosmokrator caliber with a Magic Might of at least 50 (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 109 for more details). For beings with this much power the designation of "spirit" has little meaning; they are theoretically capable of forming vast bodies at will from the raw stuff of the universe, and are truly creatures of monumental power. However, they are trapped in the underworld (which is presumed to be part of the Magic Realm) and cannot manifest on earth while their chains remain intact. Until the day that they are freed, they may only interact with the mundane world by sending Aspects, spirits who are vessels for a fraction of their power, and they are loath to do this lest it warns their captors of their schemes. (For more details on the Aspects of Daimons, see The Mysteries Revised Edition, page 75, or Realms of Power: Magic, page 102.)

detests his brother Surtur, and the two are often at odds.

Followers: A follower of Aegir in the local area can mean ruin to a port as her powers can confine ships to harbor for months on end, or summon fearsome sea monsters to imperil fisherman. A community unlucky enough to be haunted by such a Muspelli often bribes her with food and gold (which they take great delight in), while simultaneously seeking heroes who are prepared to rid them of her presence. Many followers of Aegir seek the location of Hlesey in the western ocean, or an entrance to its regio that they presume is somewhere on an island.

Favored Powers: Storm's Eye, Sjonhverfing, Threads of Fate; Dowsing

Initiatory Major Flaw: Crippled; the apprentice's legs are smashed against rocks when swimming in a storm.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity to Drowning, Ways of the Ocean; Puissant Swim; Avaricious, Feud (with a follower of Surtur); Vow (dwell near sea)

Gullveig is the sister of Loki, and the Norsemen held them responsible for most of the evil and strife in the world. Her followers claim that this mischief was directed at the gods, not at mankind. For disobeying the gods and teaching witchcraft to mankind, the Aesir-gods burned Gullveig at the stake; but death could not hold her and she returned to the earth. Twice more they caught and burned her, and twice more she escaped. She is now imprisoned in the Ironwood — doubtless part of the Magic Realm or a powerful regio — to the far east, where she gathers about her the mightiest of witches while serving as mother to a fearsome race of werewolves.

Gullveig goes by many names as part of her role as deceiver. She called herself Heid ("witch") when she taught magic to women, and Angurboda when she mothered Leikin, Nidhogg, and Fenrir on Loki. As Thokk she ensured that Baldur did not return from the dead. As Aegir's wife she calls herself Ran, as Gymir's wife she goes by Aurboda, and when she beds Surtur her name is Sinmara. She can take any appearance she wishes, but always smells of burning flesh.

Gandur: The scorched heart of a magical creature (those from female wizards are deemed the most powerful). Each time Gullveig was burned, the only part that remained was her fire-blackened heart.

Closest Allies: Her daughter Leikin and her sons Nidhogg and Fenrir.

Followers: A follower of Gullveig often seeks to control other magicians, and in Scandinavia it is not unusual to find one of these Muspelli as the leader of a coven of folk witches (see Hedge Magic Revised Edition, pages 33 – 54). They believe they have natural authority over the Muspelli, at least until Loki returns. Needless to say, other Muspelli do not agree.

Favored Powers: Entrancement, Hex, Summon Animals; Magic Sensitivity

Initiatory Major Flaw: Blind; the apprentice plucks out her own eyes.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Nightwalker (see Hedge Magic, pages 103 – 119); Lesser Immunity to Poison, Skinchanger, Student of Magic; Meddler, Transvestite (for her male followers)

Gymir is the ruler of Jotunheim, a legendary land of giants in the far east (or, more accurately, the Magic Realm). He takes the form of an immense eagle, and from his perch on the edge of the world he sends his freezing winds to torment mankind. Some legends place Gymir chained in the underworld from where he directs the actions of the giants. Gymir has tried many times to wrest control of the world from the gods. He particularly lusts after the goddesses of fertility and the earth; if he could control them and subsume their power, his domination of man would be complete. On one occasion he actually managed to get his hands on Thor's Hammer — the gods' foremost weapon against his kind — but he was tricked into relinquishing it. With his wife Aurboda (that is, Gullveig), he was the father of the first generation of frost giants.

Gandur: A cloak of eagle feathers. Gymir's cloak, called Arnarhamur, grants him his eagle shape.

Closest Allies: His brothers Aegir and Surtur.

Followers: The servants of Gymir are the scions of the giants of ice and snow. Most of Gymir's followers would be happy with the extermination of humans, and with them, their gods. His more moderate followers aim to drive mankind back to the south, and leave the pristine wilderness alone. They want to control the numbers of mankind to prevent the spread of the Dominion, which is curiously resistant to their magic.

Favored Powers: Storm's Eye, Winter's Breath, Wildfire; Wilderness Sense.

Initiatory Major Flaw: Horrifying Appearance — Three Heads. This Flaw per-

sists in etin-mod (see later), because it is a Supernatural rather than General Flaw. A follower of Gymir will travel long distances on the rumor of a child being born with this Flaw. This Flaw is either present from birth or inflicted through the power of the jotun during initiation.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Giant Blood, Greater Immunity to Exposure; Great Stamina, Large, Warrior; Hatred; Mentor (a giant), Disfigured

This daughter of Loki is the ruler of Nifelhel, a dark and poisonous part of the underworld filled with unimaginable torments. She was born to Loki after he ate the heart of Gullveig, and the gods were so disgusted at her appearance that she was confined to the underworld. Nifelhel is the prison of the spirits of the giants drowned in the flood resulting from the death of Ymir, and since the giants need the permission of their gatekeeper to send power to their mortal servants, the Queen of Hel is accorded respect. Leikin — sometimes called Hel after her realm — is queen and prisoner herself; she is unable to leave her own realm, and she is reluctant to allow anyone else to leave either. Leikin resents those who have escaped her grasp, and end up in the lands of bliss or Valholl, and she is willing to send power to those of her servants who disrupt the sleep of the dead.

Leikin appears as a giant maid; half of her body is fair but the other half is that of a rotted corpse, black and fly-blown, and both her legs are broken. She rides

Each of the jotun patrons has a gandur (talismanic object, plural gandar) that enhances the power of a Muspelli during an utiseta ritual (see Trolldomur, later). These items are not necessarily enchanted, although many of them have unusual properties. Each gandur cannot be simply made; they must be quested after, although it is not unusual for a Muspelli to steal a gandur from a rival follower of the same patron.

Gandar often have magical powers, but this is not necessary: the ritual significance of the object is more important, as embodied by the quest required to obtain it. The powers of a gandur can come from spell-like vis (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 121), items made with Craft Magic (see New Virtues and Flaws, later), or some unknown artifice of the jotnar. A Muspelli typically owns just one gandur, since it is of no direct benefit to his magic to own more than one; however, the magical powers that gandar often have may make owning more than one worthwhile.

an ugly horse who drinks the blood of the dead, and she is accompanied by kveldrida — spirits of torture and death. She is implacable; her servants know that it is useless to attempt to change her mind.

Gandur: A knife forged in the venomimbued rivers of the underworld. Leikin's knife is named Sultur, meaning "famine."

Closest Allies: Her only true ally is her mother Gullveig, but she occasionally is able to coerce Urdur to do her will.

Followers: These necromancers horrify the Norsemen; through their power over the dead they can stain the good actions of a man's life with evil deeds committed after his death. Their aim is to amass an army of the dead, ready for the day when Loki appears with his ship to take them to Ragnarok.

Favored Powers: Hex, Spadomur, Valgaldrar; Second Sight

Initiatory Major Flaw: Enfeebled; the touch of Leikin inflicts a terrible disease.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Ghostly Warder (a spirit of sickness); Arcane Lore, Piercing Gaze; Blatant Gift, Plagued by Supernatural Entity (vengeful dead), Proud; Disfigured, Reclusive

Nidhogg and Fenrir are the children of Loki. Like Leikin, they were born to Loki when he devoured the burned heart of his sister. A Muspelli usually takes only one of the brothers as his patron, but as each has the same goals they are treated together here.

Nidhogg is the mighty dragon that seeks the destruction of the World Tree. His body is so immense that it is wrapped around the world, earning him the name of Jormungand ("monster of the earth"). His head rests upon the corpse-beach in Nifelhel where he devours the bodies of those consigned there. The god Thor is his particular foe, and the two have clashed on multiple occasions. Nidhogg is content with the knowledge that his victory over Thor has been prophesied, even though his own death is certain.

His brother Fenrir is a mighty wolf, restrained in the underworld by a magical cord made by the dwarfs out of impossible materials. It is the only fetter that he was unable to break, and the gods had to resort to trickery to bind him. At Ragnarok Fenrir is destined to swallow Odin Allfather, but only after he has feasted on both the

A Muspelli hears about or witnesses a magus using an invested item that takes the form of his patron's gandur. This is an excellent way to introduce the Muspelli to a saga. Depending on the personality of the Muspelli, he may offer to buy it from the character, or he may simply attempt to take it.

A Muspelli devoted to Surtur is asked to make an enchanted gandur. As well as requiring the raw ingredients, he also demands a fee: the heart of a magical serpent. He does not reveal that the serpent is the ally of a follower of Aegir.

Followers of a particular jotun sometimes refer to themselves by a distinctive name to indicate that allegiance. These names are somewhere between nicknames, family names, and titles.

Aegir: Aegisson/Aegisdottir (son/daughter of Aegir)

Gullveig: Jarnvidja (dweller in the Iron Wood)

Gymir: Gymisson/Gymisdottir (son/ daughter of Gymir)

Leikin: Draugadrottin (master of the walking dead)

Nidhogg & Fenrir: Ormsbrodir/ Ormslifra (serpent's brother/sister), Ulfsbrodir/Ulfslifra (wolf's brother/sister)

Surtur: Suttungja (Surtur's kin)

Urdur: Norn

Favored Powers: Shapeshifter, Summon Animals, Winter's Breath; Animal Ken.

Initiatory Major Flaw: Mute; either the tongue is slit lengthwise or the voicebox is torn out. These disfigurements do not inhibit the Animal Ken Ability.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Ways of the Forest; Berserk, Inoffensive to Animals, Well-Traveled; Greedy; Animal Companion, Feral Upbringing

Surtur is the son of Ymir and brother of Gymir and Aegir. He claims to have learned the secrets of smithing magic from Mimir in the days before the gods turned against the jotnar. His skin is the color of ash, but covered in cracks that reveal the molten rock that seems to make up his body. He is the patriarch of a clan of fire giants who rule the volcanoes and forest fires. Surtur's wife is Sinmara (a guise of Gullveig) who sends evil dreams out to haunt the nights of the pagan faithful.

Gandur: A fiery sword forged from iron extracted from volcanic ores. Surtur's sword, called the Surtlogi, is destined to end the world in flames, consuming creation after Ragnarok.

Closest Allies: His brother Gymir, and he can occasionally rely on Fenrir. Surtur and Aegir are actively hostile to each other, and thwart each other whenever possible.

Followers: Surtur's followers have an affinity with making magical items. For this reason they make themselves available to the other Muspelli, creating gandar and other enchantments. Many Muspelli see them as obsequious and servile, but they enjoy making themselves invaluable to the rest of their kind, for it gives them political power and a vast store of favors.

Favored Powers: Shapeshifter, Sjonhverfing, Wildfire; Lesser Craft Magic

Initiatory Major Flaw: Deaf; the roar of Surtur's voice in the caverns of the earth can deafen an apprentice.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity to Fire; Puissant Craft, Reserves of Strength; Ambitious, Feud (with follower of Aegir); Fear (the sea), Hunchback

sun and the moon.

Gandur: A tooth from either a monstrous serpent or an immense wolf.

Closest Allies: None really, being fiercely independent. Both Gymir and Surtur appreciate the brothers' savage natures. Aegir would also like to court the brothers, but has thus far been blocked by Surtur.

Followers: The followers of Nidhogg and Fenrir are rapacious predators, but like the wild creatures they command they are not necessarily the foes of man. If left alone, these Muspelli avoid civilization; it is only when mankind invades their sanctuaries in the wild parts of the world that these Muspelli go to war. Treated with friendship and understanding, such a Muspelli can even prove an asset; it's said that one summoned magical oxen to plow a field in a single hour, while another transformed into a bear to defend the community who adopted him. The Muspelli can never be tamed, however; at the end of it all, he will align with forces inimical to man.

Urdur is the jotun of fate, the sister of Mimir, and matriarch of the three tribes of gods. Even Odin Allfather has no power to break what she has wrought, and in the early days of the world she dwelled among the gods as a neutral observer. She uttered prophecy whenever asked, but as the arrogance of the gods grew her pronouncements were ignored or twisted to their ends. When Baldur was killed despite her warnings, she grew sick of the world and retired to the underworld, where she now rules the realms of bliss. Without the force of fate at his side, Odin's power has slipped, and the days in which her prophecies will be fulfilled come ever closer. Urdur continues in her task of weaving the fate of men and women as they are born; and in this she is assisted by the norns, who include both supernatural and mortal servants.

Urdur takes the aspect of a stern-looking elderly woman, although one unbowed by age.

Gandur: A silver sickle. Urdur's sickle Vidofnir is the only instrument known to be capable of cutting the threads of fate.

Closest Allies: Urdur remains aloof from the jotnar, although she's tentatively allied to Aegir due to his former friendship with the gods. She can dominate Gullveig into helping. Urdur detests Leikin for her penchant for disturbing the dead.

Followers: Some followers of Urdur are bitter that the gods have abandoned fate and seek to halt Ragnarok; and that they punish man for divine transgressions. Indeed, in Norse a misfortune or calamity is called norna domr — the decision of the norns. Others feel it is their duty to guide others toward their destiny, and instead act as a friend to man. Urdur seems to favor neither group over the other; it may be that both are following the plan she has devised.

Favored Powers: Entrancement, Spadomur, Threads of Fate; Premonitions

Initiatory Major Flaw: Low Self-Esteem; the follower vows to abandon all hope of an individual destiny, and figure herself to be a tool of Urdur. Note that in etin-mod (see later) a follower of Urdur loses this Flaw (along with all General Flaws) so she can spend any Confidence Points she has. She should therefore be allowed to gain Confidence Points (although she starts the game with none) but she cannot use them when not in etin-mod since she has no Confidence Score.

Common Virtues and Flaws: Death Prophecy; Common Sense, Luck; Compassionate; Higher Purpose, Visions.

Scandinavia is the stronghold of the Muspelli; for this reason Norse terminology has been used throughout this chapter. It was only in Scandinavia that the displacement, extermination, or assimilation of the jotnar-worshiping aboriginal cultures was largely avoided. It is here that the stories of the primal beings and their upstart offspring are best preserved; these tales are still being told and recorded in the 13th century. However, cognates of the Muspelli can be found throughout northern and eastern Mythic Europe, and this section is intended to extend the scope of the Muspelli to these other regions. As a consequence of the fragmented nature of jotnar-worship in other cultures, a more limited number of patrons may be present in a non-Norse version of the Muspelli.

Around six hundred years ago the Slavonic tribes expanded west into the Germanic lands, north to the Baltic coast, and south into the Balkans and even as far as Greece. This expansion fragmented and scattered the jotnar-worshipers among the Goths, although remnants can still be found. In Pomerania and Lithuania, Gymir and Aegir are still known and worshiped as Weyas ("wind") and Wandu ("wave"). The same pair of brothers are known further south in Prussia and Poland, where they are called Firnez and Uogi.

On the eastern shores of the Baltic, and extending into the Republic of Novgorod, the Muspelli are known as Manala. Urdur manifests among her Finnish followers as both the king and the queen of the underworld, called Tuoni and Tuonetar, respectively. Leikin goes by the name of Kalma, the personification of Death, and she is guarded by the monster Surma who is ever ready to seize men in his murderous jaws and swallow them whole — combining the brothers Nidhogg and Fenrir into a single fearsome serpent-wolf. Gullveig is Loviatar, the chief divinity of suffering and the source of all evil. The Manala await the return of Mana, after whom they are named, and clearly a local version of Loki.

The Saxon people (from northern Germany and England) shared the closest connection to the Norse version of jotnarworship, but it is believed that this lineage has been thoroughly extirpated by Christianity. They called the jotnar "eoten," and their followers were the Mudspilli. All of the jotnar were represented among the Mudspilli: Urdur went by the name of Wurdh; Gullveig was called Fyren; Leikin was called simply Hel; and her brothers were Grimwolf (Fenrir) and Fretanre (Nidhogg). Gymir, Aegir, and Surtur were called Yst, Fifel, and Sweart, respectively.

To be completely exotic, a storyguide might even desire to place Muspelli among the indigenes of Greece, as worshipers of the titans who preceeded the gods of Olympos. The twelve titans have quite different characters from the Norse jotnar, and it may be necessary to redesign the patrons of the Makhai (meaning "battlers," the Greek name for the Muspelli). Alternatively, the patrons could instead be the vengeful children of Mother Earth, born to punish the gods for their imprisonment of the titans. Gullveig would equate to Ekhidna, a monstrous she-dragon who presides over the corruption of the earth. Her children are Kerberos the Hell Hound (Fenrir), Hydra the She-Dragon (Nidhogg), and Gorgo the Witch of the Underworld (Leikin). Ekhidna's consort is Typhon (Gymir), the monstrous storm-demon that put the gods to flight. Surtur is remembered as Kyklops, the brother of Ekhidna and Typhon, who toils in his volcanic smithy.

Muspelli are all Gifted Companions, with the free Virtue The Gift. They may have up to 10 points worth of Virtues and balancing Flaws — some of which may

Aegir: Sjonhverfing, Storm's Eye, Threads of Fate, and Dowsing; plus EITHER Wildfire and Winter's Breath (from Gymir) OR Hex and Summon Animals (from Gullveig).

Gullveig: Entrancement, Hex, Summon Animals, and Magic Sensitivity; plus EITHER Valgaldrar and Spadomur (from Leiken) OR Shapeshifter and Winter's Breath (from Nidhogg & Fenrir).

Gymir: Storm's Eye, Winter's Breath, Wildfire; plus EITHER Shapeshifter and Sjonhverfing (from Surtur) OR Sjonhverfing and Threads of Fate (from Aegir).

Leikin: Hex, Spadomur, Valgaldrar, and Second Sight; plus EITHER Entrancement and Summon Animals (from Gullveig) OR Entrancement and Threads of Fate (from Urdur).

Nidhogg & Fenrir: Summon Animals, Shapeshifter, Winter's Breath, and Animal Ken; plus EITHER Storm's Eye and Wildfire (from Gymir) OR Sjonhverfing and Wildfire (from Surtur).

Surtur: Shapeshifter, Sjonhverfing, Wildfire, and Lesser Craft Magic; plus EITHER Storm's Eye and Winter's Breath (from Gymir) OR Summon Animals and Winter's Breath (from Nidhogg & Fenrir).

Urdur: Entrancement, Spadomur, Threads of Fate, and Premonitions; plus EITHER Hex and Summon Animals (from Gullveig) OR Sjonverfing and Storm's Eye (from Aegir).

affect their ability to use their Supernatural powers, or grant access to additional magical powers. Since Muspelli have undergone a rite of Opening The Gift, they have free access to an entire suite of Supernatural Abilities. This benefit of tradition membership is represented by the free Muspelli Social Status (similar to the Hermetic Magus Social Status). Like all Gifted characters, a Muspelli can learn other Supernatural Abilities (see ArM5, page 166); extra Supernatural Abilities learned in this way are represented in character generation by Supernatural Virtues.

Unlike Hermetic magi, Muspelli have no means of shielding each other from the social penalties of The Gift. This is a strong contributor to the lone nature of this tradition.

Apprenticeship begins when a Muspelli finds a Gifted child and decides to initiate him into the magical tradition. Muspelli keep a close watch on families with known descent from giants, for they believe that children from such families are more likely to develop The Gift. They occasionally find themselves in conflict with a group of hedge magicians called the Trollsynir (see Hedge Magic, page 76), who also look among the giant-blooded for their apprentices.

Once found, the novice spends a remarkably short period of time with his Muspelli master. He teaches him enough about the Muspelli to gain an Organization Lore: Muspelli score of 1; this amounts to a single season. Opening The Gift is the true rite of passage, and what makes an aspirant into a Muspelli. He is taken to a site sacred to the Muspelli's patron, and an Aspect of that patron is then summoned (See Summoning the Jotun Patron for more details). Once the patron arrives, the Muspelli leaves; his part in the process is done. Should he and the novice cross paths again, there is no lasting relationship such as exists between a Hermetic master and his filii.

It is the jotun who actually Opens The Gift; this is automatic if the jotun is successfully summoned. The challenge facing the aspiring Muspelli is the immediate presence of an immensely powerful spirit. Unless the aspirant actually lacks The Gift, his life is not in danger, but the experience is both awe inspiring and life changing. During this encounter the aspirant might choose to accept the initiatory Major Flaw of his patron, which stands him in good stead with his patron and allows him to summon greater magical power. If Opening The Gift occurs prior to the character being brought into play, then this Flaw is counted as part of the character's normal allotment of Flaws; otherwise it is additional, and does not provide points to spend on balancing Virtues.

The Opening procedure takes a whole season. The jotun teaches the Muspelli how to adopt the etin-mod that is the mainstay of Muspelli magic, and grants him six favored Supernatural Abilities: four from the jotun itself, and two from one of its allies to complement its own. This process grants no scores in these Supernatural Abilities, but his favored Abilities are not penalized by his other Supernatural Abilities when he does learn them. The season of Opening also forges a mystical link (and Arcane Connection) between jotun and Muspelli. The jotun occasionally uses this Arcane Connection to monitor the activities of its servants, and the reciprocal Arcane Connection permits the Muspelli to summon the patron.

Over the course of the following six years the Muspelli remains secluded near the sacred site of his patron and receives periodic instruction from its Aspect. The Muspelli acquires 240 experience points to divide among any Abilities. At the end of this tutorial period, the Muspelli is a full-fledged magician equivalent to a magus who has just passed his gauntlet. Following his apprenticeship, a Muspelli is assigned the normal number of experience points for a companion character each year.

After apprenticeship, a Muspelli must have a minimum score of 1 in the six Favored Supernatural Abilities of his patron. It is also a good idea for a Muspelli to have a score in the following Abilities: Concentration, Organization Lore: Muspelli, Dead Language: Jotun, and Penetration. Jotun is the language spoken by giants and the jotnar, and is also the sacred language of the Trollsynir as their equivalent of Pictish (Hedge Magic, page 56). However, Muspelli cannot understand or use the aspects of the jotnar language that serve as an equivalent to Magic Theory for the Trollsynir.

All Muspelli are capable of taking on an immense physical form called the etinmod (or jotunmodur in Norse). The etinmod is a true expression of the devotion of the Muspelli to the power of the jotnar; it is the most distinctive feature of the magic of the Muspelli, for it is in this state that they are capable of their most powerful acts of magic (see Trolldomur, later).

The etin-mod is at least five times more massive than the Muspelli's human form. Furthermore, it has none of the frailties of the human form, and often has enhanced physical characteristics and additional natural weapons. The giant form is both more magically potent and magically resilient than her human form, and it is only while in the etin-mod that a Muspelli can use her most powerful magic (see Utiseta, later). All rolls made in etin-mod use the Characteristics of this giant form, rather than those of the human form.

Taking the etin-mod (and reverting to human form) takes one round, but does not require any Ability roll. The magic of adopting the etin-mod occurs only in the round in which the change takes place; there is no continuing magic that can be dispelled. The giant form is still considered to be under the purview of Corpus magics, but is no longer a base Individual since it is larger than Size +1. Like the Shapeshifter Ability, the magic empowering the transformation to and from etinmod occurs at the moment of the change but is not a continuing effect, so the physical attacks of this form are not stopped by Magic Resistance. Shapechanging magics (such as Muto Corpus spells) can force the character to revert form, but the Muspelli can simply change forms again in the following round.

The initial form of the etin-mod is determined once, at character creation. It is a central feature of a Muspelli character, and its game statistics can be altered over time by communing with one's jotun patron (see Summoning the Jotun Patron, later), so it is worth producing a second

The following Major Supernatural Virtues are described later under Trolldomur. Each one grants a Supernatural Ability at a score of 1. These Virtues can be taken by non-Muspelli, but only Muspelli can access the enhanced use of these Abilities through their ritual magic (see Utiseta, later).

Hex Sjonhverfing Spadomur Storm's Eye Summon Animals Threads of Fate Valgaldrar Wildfire Winter's Breath

Free, Social Status

The character has been initiated into the ways of the Muspelli, and has access to six Supernatural Abilities; as determined by his patron. The appellation

"Muspelli" means little to the common Norseman or someone from outside Scandinavia, but strikes fear into the hearts of Norse magicians from other traditions. Should this affiliation become known, the character will be treated as if he had the Outsider Major Flaw.

Major, Supernatural

The character possesses a hideous deformity. Most commonly, the character seems to have three faces on one head, with each face sharing an eye with its neighbor: thus the character has three noses, three mouths, four eyes, and two ears. A more extreme variety has three separate heads. The extra features grant no enhanced abilities to their possessor. This Flaw occurs particularly in humans descended from frost giants, and there is probably a tale attached to the reason the character was not killed at birth or while growing up.

character sheet for it. Make the following adjustments (in the indicated order):

Characteristics: Add up to 3 points to the physical Characteristics of the human form (Strength, Stamina, Dexterity, or Quickness). These points cannot be applied to a Characteristic that is already +3 or greater. The extra points can be added to more than one Characteristic, but if they cannot all be spent to increase the Characteristics, then they are lost.

Virtues and Flaws: Add the Giant Blood Virtue. If the character already has this or the Large Virtue (both common among Muspelli), then the character's etin-mod is Size +3 and he gains a further +2 adjustment to his Strength and a –1 adjustment to his Quickness.

Add the Greater Immunity to Sleep Virtue. The Muspelli in etin-mod still gets tired, but need not (indeed, cannot) sleep while this form is maintained. He is immune to spells or powers that force him into sleep or unconsciousness. If he should tire himself to the Unconscious Fatigue level, then he reverts to human form immediately.

Add the Greater Magical Defenses Virtue (see Introduction). If the character already has this Virtue, he gains no additional benefit.

The etin-mod has all the Virtues of the human form, but remove all General Flaws (Major and Minor). If the character has the Weak Characteristics Flaw in human form, then the lost points are returned in etin-mod. Flaws that are not General Flaws are inherited by the giant form.

Abilities: Use the same Abilities as the human form.

Qualities: Pick two Mundane Qualities from the nearby insert.

Special: Remove all Characteristic loss due to Aging rolls, and all Decrepitude points. The etin-mod has an intrinsic +3 to Soak. A character in etin-mod suffers

a –6 to all social interaction rolls due to his highly unnatural appearance.

Magic: When using any of his Supernatural Abilities during an etin-mod episode, the Muspelli can produce more powerful effects as described later under Trolldomur.

The etin-mod cannot be maintained indefinitely. For every hour (or part thereof) that the character maintains the unnatural form, he must make a Deprivation roll (ArM5, page 180). While this roll uses the Stamina of the etin-mod, the Fatigue and Wound Penalties that result from failed rolls apply to the human form, and do not penalize any activities of the etinmod except for future Deprivation rolls to maintain the giant form. Fatigue and Wound Penalties resulting from sources other than this Deprivation roll affect the etin-mod as normal. Fatigue levels lost from maintaining the etin-mod are Long-Term Fatigue levels. If a Muspelli returns to his etin-mod within an hour of leaving it, the Ease Factor for the Deprivation roll resumes at the level it had reached when he took human form; if it has been more than an hour, then it starts again at 3.

The storyguide should make these rolls on behalf of the character since he has no idea how much he will suffer from his deprivation from the human form. Once a character takes an Incapacitating Wound from this deprivation, he reverts to human form, disrupting any ritual taking place. When this happens, he also gains sufficient experience points in his Gleipnir Score (see later) to increase it to the next level.

A Mundane Quality can only be taken once unless specifically indicated otherwise. Other Qualities may be available at the discretion of the storyguide.

Aquatic: The character can breathe water. Camouflage: +3 to all rolls to hide whenever the character is not moving.

Claws: The character has huge talons that she can use in combat. These are Brawl weapons that have the following statistics: Init +0, Atk +4, Dfn +3, Dam +4

Constriction: The character has a long sinuous body or muscular tail, and can constrict an opponent whose Size is less than her own. Constriction is based on the grappling rules (ArM5, page 174). The Attack Total is computed using the Brawl skill, and a constriction attack has the following weapon statistics: Init 0, Atk +3, Dfn 0, Dam n/a. As long as the character maintains the grapple, her opponent is considered deprived of air (see ArM5, page 180). The victim must make a Stamina check every 30 seconds (that is, every five rounds), or suffer the normal effects of deprivation. Once the character has successfully grappled an opponent (and begun constricting), on subsequent rounds she can continue constricting and still attack with other weapons. These attacks may be directed at the grappled victim, or at another opponent.

Fast Runner: +3 to all rolls involving

running.

Fins: No penalties to actions taken underwater

Good Jumper: +3 to all rolls involving jumping.

Keen Sense of Smell: +3 to all rolls using the sense of smell, +2 to all Hunt rolls.

Horns/Antlers: The character has either a set of antlers or a pair of horns (such as those of a ram or a bull) that she can use in combat. These are Brawl weapons that have the following statistics: Init +2, Atk +3, Dfn +2, Dam +3

Shell: The character is encased in a protective shell. This grants a +6 to Protection, but the character suffers a –3 to all rolls involving fast or nimble movement. This does not stack with any other Qualities that provide Protection, and the character cannot wear armor.

Skilled Climber: +3 to all rolls involving climbing.

Slippery: The character has a +6 to Defense rolls against Grapple attacks. This Quality may be taken more than once, and the bonus rises by +3 each additional time it is taken.

Spiny: The character is covered in spines; these grant a +1 bonus to Protection. If any opponent strikes at a Spiny character with a bite, claw, or fist attack, he inflicts damage as normal, but suffers +5 damage in return. Some characters may poison their spines (see Venomous, later); in which case the attacker's own Attack Advantage is used against him to determine the success of the Venom attack only.

Teeth: The character has huge fangs or tusks that she can use in combat. These are Brawl weapons that have the following statistics: Init +0, Atk +4, Dfn +2, Dam +5

Tireless: The character gains two extra Fatigue levels.

Thick Fur/Thick Scales: +1 to Protection; this Quality stacks with the Tough Virtue and the Tough Hide Quality.

Tough Hide: +2 to Protection; this Quality stacks with the Tough Virtue and the Thick Fur Quality.

Venomous: One of the character's attacks (usually the bite) also delivers venom into the wound. Compare the Attack Advantage to the victim's Protection (not Soak). If the character's advantage is higher, then the victim suffers the effect of the venom, regardless of whether the bite inflicts an actual wound. The venom can be of one of two strengths (chosen when Quality is taken) — the character can chose from either: a venom that inflicts a Light Wound if a Stamina roll with an Ease Factor of 12 is failed; or one that inflicts a Medium Wound but has an Ease Factor of 9 to avoid the effects. This Quality may be taken more than once: each additional time increases the severity of the wound inflicted or adds three to the Ease Factor to avoid the effects.

Muspelli 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 Supernatural Ability, she gains no defense.

Supernatural Ability: Entrancement Magical Defense: Immovable Object Effect: Defense against Mentem effects.

Supernatural Ability: Hex Magical Defense: Accelerated Expiry Effect: Defense against effects with an Arcane Connection Range.

Supernatural Ability: Shapeshifter Magical Defense: Strength of Form Effect: Defense against Animal and Corpus effects.

Supernatural Ability: Sjonhverfing Magical Defense: Confounding Magics Effect: Defense against Imaginem effects.

Supernatural Ability: Spadomur Magical Defense: Veil of Secrecy Effect: Defense against Corpus and Imaginem effects.

Supernatural Ability: Storm's Eye Magical Defense: Confounding Magics Effect: Defense against Auram effects.

Supernatural Ability: Summon Animals Magical Defense: Accelerated Expiry Effect: Defense against Rego effects which compel actions.

Supernatural Ability: Threads of Fate Magical Defense: Alacritous Fortune Effect: Defense against aimed Rego effects.

Supernatural Ability: Valgaldrar Magical Defense: Magical Fortitude Effect: Defense against Corpus effects.

Supernatural Ability: Wildfire Magical Defense: Magical Fortitude Effect: Defense against Ignem effects.

Supernatural Ability: Winter's Breath Magical Defense: Magical Fortitude Effect: Defense against effects that affect ice, snow, or cold.

Like Hermetic magi, Muspelli do not acquire Flaws and Virtues from Warping. When exposed to powerful magical energies beyond the character's control, the Muspelli risk invoking the heipt — the ancient and deadly feud between the giants and the gods. In response, the gods send one of their servants to punish the interloper.

All Muspelli have a Trait called Gleipnir (meaning "fetter"), which begins at 0 and increases like an Ability through the accumulation of Heipt Points. Gleipnir represents the restrictions on the character's Gift as a result of magical mishaps and accidents. The effective score of any Supernatural Ability is reduced by the score in Gleipnir whenever it is used. Note that a character does not use a Supernatural Ability when he learns it, teaches it, or writes about it. If the score of a Supernatural Ability is zero or less when modified by Gleipnir, it cannot be used. If a Supernatural Ability grants different powers as its score increases — such as Shapeshifter — then the character loses access to those powers at the higher levels as his Gleipnir score increases. Unlike an Ability, Gleipnir can lose Heipt Points and decrease in score.

Instead of Wizard's Twilight, whenever a Muspelli gains 2 or more Warping Points in a single event, he must make a Heipt roll to avoid a visit from an emissary of the Norse gods. This faerie tries to metaphorically wrap the Muspelli in chains that bind his power, just as the jotnar are bound. If the Warping was taken in a Divine or Infernal aura, a different type of spirit may be invoked instead (see insert).

Heipt Roll: Stamina + (Realm) Lore + stress die

Faerie Might: 20 (Corpus)

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

Size: 0

Virtues and Flaws: 3 x Increased Faerie Might, Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Humanoid Form, Personal Faerie Power; Incognizant, Visions*

* Valkyries know where and when worthy men are likely to die.

Personality Traits: Brave +5, Judgmental +3

Combat:

Axe and Round Shield (unmounted): Init +2, Attack +16, Defense +12, Damage +6

Axe and Round Shield (mounted): Init +2, Attack+19, Defense +15, Damage +6 Wolf's Teeth: Init –2, Attack +9, Defense +9, Damage +3

Soak: +9

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

Wound Penalties (Wolf): –1 (1-8), –3 (8-16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Pretenses: Awareness 9 (battlefields), Brawl 9 (einherjar), Ride 5 (wolf), Single Weapon 9 (giants)

Powers:

Fly: 0 points, constant, usually Corpus (2 intricacy points on cost)

Equipment: Arms, armor, wolf mount, vast quantities of wine.

Vis: 4 Corpus, in heart

Appearance: Valkyries are shield maidens or crones who ride wolves above battlefields, and select the worthy dead. They have excellent equipment and extraordinary training. This one rides an immense wolf (Size +3) that is made from her glamour. The wolf can also attack in combat; its combat statistics are included with the valkyrie's above. However, any wounds inflicted on the mount are counted separately from the valkyrie's, and wound penalties are based on its greater size.

This valkyrie responds to failed Heipt roll by a Muspelli with a Warping Score of 4. Her abilities and powers should be adjusted appropriately for a weaker or stronger encounter. See Realms of Power: Faerie for more details on Faerie characters and powers.

Warping Score + number of Warping Points gained + aura modifier + stress die (no botch)

If the character succeeds in avoiding Heipt, nothing happens other than the accumulation of Warping Points. If the Heipt roll fails, then a faerie creature sent by the Norse gods arrives in the general proximity of the Muspelli. The Might of the faerie is equal to five times the character's Warping Score, and it should have physical abilities and powers appropriate to its Might. The most common creature responding to Heipt is a valkyrie — a female warriorfaerie riding an immense wolf (see nearby insert for a typical valkyrie's stats). The valkyrie immediately attacks the character and does not surrender or give quarter. The fight takes place between the valkyrie and the Muspelli alone; bystanders can watch the battle but are incapable of interfering or affecting the outcome in any way. If the faerie inflicts a fatal or incapacitating blow on the Muspelli he receives a gleipnir, or constraint. The Muspelli wins by killing or incapacitating the faerie, or otherwise rendering it unable to harm him. He can then claim the vis from its corpse. Alternatively, he can consume that vis to receive a gipt, or gift. All wounds — even fatal ones — received during the fight with the valkyrie are glamour, and disappear once the combat has been decided.

A gipt takes the form of increased knowledge. The character gains a number of experience points equal to twice the number of Warping Points taken, which can be used in any of his Supernatural Abilities. The character also subtracts a number of Heipt Points from his Gleipnir Score equal to the number of Warping Points gained, although the Gleipnir Score cannot be reduced to below zero. Example: A character has a Gleipnir Score of 1, and gained 2 Warping points. He now has a Gleipnir score of 0 (3).

A gleipnir works to limit the magic of the Muspelli. The character adds a number of Heipt Points to his Gleipnir Score equal to twice the number of Warping Points he gained. Example: A character has a Gleipnir score of 1, and gained 2 Warping Points. He now has a Gleipnir score of 1 (4).

Muspelli rarely stray into Divine or Infernal auras, but if they do, Heipt works differently. While safe from the attentions of the valkyries, they may receive a visitation of a different nature, although mechanically the resolution is the same — a gipt or a gleipnir. Muspelli are severely disadvantaged by Heipt in foreign auras, since they suffer a penalty to both Casting Totals and Magic Resistance whereas their opponents benefit; so they are almost certain to suffer a gleipnir.

In Divine auras an angel is sent to confront the Muspelli. This angel gives the character the opportunity to repent, abandon his patron, and give up his destructive ways. A character can agree to this to avoid attack, but the angel knows whether the character is sincere. A character who lies to the angel, or refuses to repent, is attacked. See Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 27–33 for sample angels.

In Infernal auras a demon appears on a failed Heipt roll. Demons see the opportunity to win a new recruit to the side of Hell. A demon summoned by Heipt is most often a member of the Order of Aerial Powers, which take the form of giants; the character may be unaware that this is an Infernal rather than Magical being. The demon may try to corrupt the Muspelli, or may simply wait for a suitable opportunity to attack. See Realms of Power: The Infernal, Chapters 5–7 for sample demons, and page 68 for a sample Aerial Power.

Muspelli have no incentive to work together. They gain no benefit from collaborative magical effort, in fact their magic directly conflicts with each other. Coupled with a lack of protection from the effects of The Gift, there is little reason for Muspelli to maintain any sort of society. This is perhaps the only reason that they do not yet pose a significant threat to Mythic Europe. However, it is prophesied that one day Loki will return and the restrictions on collaborative efforts between Muspelli will be lifted.

Leadership among the Muspelli is a product of pure force. A physically and magically powerful Muspelli can dominate others and force them to do his will. But without direct supervision, subjugated Muspelli are likely to work against their leader — they serve the very essence of rebellion, after all. More likely is the formation of temporary cabals where like-minded Muspelli work together to achieve some common, short-term goal. Such alliances are usually between members of the same patron since they share common goals, although a character occasionally requires an ally with different powers from his own. Muspelli also seek alliances with magical creatures, particu-

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

Size: +1

Age: 25 (Apparent: 25) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 Gleipnir Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Muspelli; Greater Immunity (Hunger); Affinity with Shapeshifter, Inoffensive to Animals, Large, Rapid Convalescence, Special Circumstances (on four feet), Study Bonus, Well-Traveled; Greedy, Mute; Clumsy, Feral Upbringing, Animal Companion, Unpredictable Magic

Personality Traits: Glutton +3, Loner

+2, Feral +1.

Combat:

Fist: Init 0, Attack +7, Defense +6, Damage +1

Soak: +4

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Area Lore: Hladir 3 (forests), Area Lore: Svearike 2 (magical sites), Athletics 2 (running), Brawl 5 (fist), Hunt 2 (large game), Jotun 2 (respectful), Muspelli Lore 1 (followers of Fenrir), Penetration 2 (Winter's Breath), Stealth 2 (woods), Survival 3 (cold), West Norse 4 (traders)

Supernatural Abilities: Animal Ken 5 (wolves), Summon Animals 4 (wolves), Shapeshifter 7 (wolf), Sjonhverfing 3 (animals), Wildfire 2 (smoke), Winter's Breath 3 (snow)

Equipment: Partial fur armor

Appearance: A wild-haired man with manic, amber eyes. A puckered scar on his throat is all that is left of his voicebox.

Thanks to his Gift, Kotkill was abandoned in the wild as a baby. Fortunately for him, the pack of wolves who found him were lead by a Wolf of Virtue (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 55) who decided to raise him rather than eat him. His foster brother still runs at his side to this day. Despite having the gluttonous appetite common among wolves, Kotkill need not eat; but he takes great pleasure in doing so. Kotkill's casting sigil is gnawing hunger felt by his targets.

Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre –1, Com 0, Str +4, Sta +4, Dex +2, Qik 0

Size: +3 Age: 25 (n/a) Warping Score: 0 Gleipnir Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Muspelli; Giant Blood, Greater Immunity (Hunger), Greater Immunity (Sleep); Affinity with Shapeshifter, Inoffensive to Animals, Large, Greater Magical Defenses, Rapid Convalescence, Special Circumstances (on all fours), Study Bonus, Well-Traveled; Greedy; Animal Companion, Unpredictable Magic

Qualities: Teeth, Fast Runner

Personality Traits: Glutton +3, Loner +2, Feral +1.

Combat:

Teeth: Init 0, Attack +11, Defense +7, Damage +9

Fist: Init 0, Attack +8, Defense +6, Damage +4

Soak: +7

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Hladir 3 (forests), Area Lore: Svearike 2 (magical sites), Athletics 2 (running), Brawl 5 (fist), Hunt 2 (large game), Jotun 2 (respectful), Muspelli Lore 1 (followers of Fenrir), Penetration 2 (Winter's Breath), Stealth 2 (woods), Survival 3 (cold), West Norse 4 (traders)

Supernatural Abilities: Animal Ken 5 (wolves), Summon Animals 4 (wolves), Shapeshifter 7 (wolf), Sjonhverfing 3 (animals), Wildfire 2 (smoke), Winter's Breath 3 (snow)

Equipment: none

Appearance: In etin-mod Kotkill is nearly nine feet tall, and covered in coarse gray hair. His arms bulge with muscles and are overly long, reaching almost to the ground. He is as comfortable on four legs as he is on two. His face is elongated into a muzzle bearing two-inch fangs.

Characteristics: Int +1 (1), Per 0/–2, Pre +3 (1), Com +2 (2), Str 0/–2, Sta +1 (1), Dex –1/–3, Qik 0/–2 (2)

Size: 0

Age: 71 (Apparent: 21) Decrepitude: 2 (6) Warping Score: 5 (19) Gleipnir Score: 1 (1) Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Muspelli; Potent Sorcery (Men), Sjonhverfing; Improved Characteristics, Puissant Entrancement, Strong-Willed, Student of Magic; Blind, Curse of Venus**, Enemies, Lecherous; Arthritis, Palsied Hands**

** Ordeal Flaw

Personality Traits: Domineering +3, Lustful +3, Industrious +2

Combat:

Staff: Init 0, Attack+3, Defense +4, Damage 0

Soak: +1

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Charm 3 (young men), Chirurgy 2 (on self), Concentration 3 (Magic Sensitivity), Denmark Lore 2 (witches), Folk Ken 4 (men in power), Great Weapon 2 (staff), Guile 5 (disguise), Jotun 2 (sea giants), Low German 3 (Flemish), Magic Lore 5+2 (magical sites), Muspelli Lore 4 (initiation), Penetration 5 (Entrancement), Stealth 2 (nighttime), West Norse 5 (Gautlandish)

Supernatural Abilities: Entrancement 9+2 (men), Hex 7 (rivals), Magic Sensitivity 4 (vis), Sjonhverfing 5 (illusions of youth), Summon Animals 4 (birds), Threads of Fate 4 (war), Valgaldrar 6 (warriors)

Equipment: The shriveled heart of a folk witch (enchanted gandur), quarterstaff, clothes suitable for a wealthy woman, collection of objects with significant Shape and Material bonuses. Her gandur is enchanted with the following effects:

Cloak of White Feathers. Once per day Gunnvara can take the shape of an osprey (Shapeshifter 14; base 9, +5 Touch)

Battle Hex. Three times per day, Gunnvara can make a person automatically fail an Attack roll (Hex 20; base 6, +12 Momentary delay, +2 3/day)

Appearance: Thanks to an utiseta Sjonhverfing, Gunnvara looks to be in her early twenties, with flaxen hair and pretty dimples. Anyone with a Perception of +3 or more can see her true form — a wrinkled woman with rotting teeth and straggly gray hair.

Gunnvara has been blind from birth; there was no need for her to accept Gullveig's initiatory Flaw to gain her favor. She is constantly attended by a spirit that she summoned; those who can see it say that it takes the form of a sea-eagle. This spirit whispers into her ear what she should be able to see, were she sighted. On orders from Gullveig, Gunnvara has spent the last two decades in Denmark and northern Germany building a network of spies and gathering worshipers among the German witches. She has spent six seasons improving her etin-mod (+1 to Size, +2 to Pre, Piercing Gaze Virtue, Venomous Quality, and Tough Hide Quality).

Gunnvara has an intrinsic +4 power modifier (+1 for Blind, +1 for Pre +5 in etin mod, and +2 for an enchanted gandur). For her best Ability (Entrancement) she can expect a Casting total of at least 45 + aura + stress die. If given the opportunity for preparation, she will charge her gandur with utiseta effects such as The Witch's Thrall and various Hexes and illusions. Gunnvara's sigil is a lilting wordless tune at the edge of hearing.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre +5, Com +2, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik +1

Size: +3 Age: 71 (n/a)

Warping Score: 5 (19) Gleipnir Score: 1 (1) Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Muspelli; Potent Sorcery (Men), Giant Blood, Greater Immunity (Sleep), Sjonhverfing; Greater Magical Defenses, Improved Characteristics, Puissant Entrancement, Strong-Willed, Student of Magic; Curse of Venus**, Enemies, Lecherous

** Ordeal Flaw

Qualities: Claws, Tireless, Tough Hide, Venomous

Personality Traits: Domineering +3, Lustful +3, Industrious +2

Combat:

Claws: Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +5 & Medium Venom (Stamina roll of 9+ to avoid)

Staff: Init +3, Attack +7, Defense +7, Damage +3

Soak: +7

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Abilities: Charm 3 (young men), Chirurgy 2 (on self), Concentration 3 (Magic Sensitivity), Denmark Lore 2 (witches), Folk Ken 4 (men in power), Great Weapon 2 (staff), Guile 5 (disguise), Jotun 2 (sea giants), Low German 3 (Flemish), Magic Lore 5+2 (magical sites), Muspelli Lore 4 (initiation), Penetration 5 (Entrancement), Stealth 2 (nighttime), West Norse 5 (Gautlandish)

Supernatural Abilities: Entrancement

9+2 (men), Hex 7 (rivals), Magic Sensitivity 4 (vis), Sjonhverfing 5 (illusions of youth), Summon Animals 4 (birds), Threads of Fate 4 (war), Valgaldrar 6 (warriors)

Equipment: The shriveled heart of a folk witch (enchanted gandur), quarterstaff, clothes suitable for a wealthy woman, collection of objects with significant Shape and Material bonuses. Her gandur is enchanted with the following effects:

Cloak of White Feathers. Once per day Gunnvara can take the shape of an osprey (Shapeshifter 14; base 9, +5 Touch)

Battle Hex. Three times per day, Gunnvara can make a person automatically fail an Attack roll (Hex 20; base 6, +12 Momentary delay, +2 3/day)

Appearance: In etin mod Gunnvara is nearly 12 feet tall and startlingly beautiful; if one is able to look past the foot-long claws that glisten with venom.

larly giants (see Realms of Power: Magic, pages 83–88 for information on giants). Some Muspelli recruit humans (usually outlaws) to their cause, while others prefer to work alone.

Muspelli are constantly guided by their jotun patron. They appear in their servants' dreams to instruct them, and the Muspelli can summon their patrons to earth, if they dare (see Summoning the Jotun Patron, later). The Muspelli is invariably left to interpret how to complete any tasks himself. Very rarely, a patron will send an Aspect of itself to communicate with a servant. However, this is a risky procedure, since it has the potential to alert the Norse gods or their servants that the bonds of the jotnar are slipping.

If unprepared, Muspelli certainly pose no threat to a magus of the Order. However, a Muspelli is best suited to the long game. If given sufficient time to prepare, they can be truly dangerous.

For example: Gunnvara (described later) suspects that some magi in the area (the player characters) may pose a threat to her plans. She arranges a chance encounter with them disguised as a faerie lady, and manufactures an encounter with one of her cohorts, a giant. This allows her to witness their tactics in battle, and to gain both Arcane Connections (stray hairs, blood-soaked bandages, discarded clothing) and Sympathetic Connections (their names). She then prepares an utiseta ritual tied to each of her opponents, and loads them into her gandur. When they finally confront her — which may be months later — she has powerful magics of high Penetration to use against them. A magus who uses combat spells might be struck blind by a Hex, or Entranced to not attack her. Warriors can be Hexed with Enfeeblement, or Entranced to attack their masters, or have Fate Twisted against them when they try to target her. She can only release one of these effects each round from her gandur; but since each one has already been cast days or weeks ago, any Wound or Fatigue Penalties inflicted on her during the fight do not affect her ability to use them. Of course, she would not be alone; her giant cohort is protecting her, and an army of the dead keeps grogs occupied. Finally, she has exchanged appearances with a hostage using her Sjonhverfing, and the characters may even end up "rescuing" her from peril!

The term trolldomur — literally, "the work of trolls" — is a generic term for magic in Old Norse, but is specifically used in a negative connotation as legally proscribed witchcraft. In Ars Magica Fifth Edition, trolldomur specifically refers to giant magic, as practiced by Muspelli. Trolldomur is based on the use of Supernatural Abilities, specifically the extension of those Abilities into ritual effects. Through these rituals — called utiseta — a Muspelli is capable of vast magical effects. However, his weakness is the time it takes to generate such power, and the state of exhaustion in which it leaves him.

Utiseta, or "sitting-out," is the name given to a Muspelli's ritual acts to raise the power of a jotun. He sets up a platform

Every Muspelli must work alone when performing utiseta, and if a character is the target of two utiseta rituals from different Muspelli, only the ritual with the highest Casting Total is applied. This is true even if the Muspelli use different Supernatural Abilities against the same target. Effects cast by the same Muspelli do not interfere with each other; for example, the Muspelli who shapeshifted a warrior can still entrance him. A character suffering from an utiseta can still be affected indirectly by a different utiseta if he is not part of the effect's Target; the shapeshifted warrior walking through a snowstorm magically summoned by a different Muspelli is affected by both, since the area is the target of the snowstorm, not the warrior.

Ranges, Durations, and Targets that are usually restricted to ritual spells can be employed by Muspelli during utiseta rituals, even without the use of vis.

Ranges: Personal, Touch, Eye, Voice, Sight, Arcane Connection

Durations: Momentary, Concentration, Diameter, Sun, Moon, Year, Until (Condition), Decade (see later), Lifetime (see later)

Targets: Individual, Part, Group, Room, Structure, Boundary

New Duration: Decade — The spell's effects expire on the tenth anniversary of its casting. This Duration adds five magnitudes to the spell's level.

New Duration: Lifetime — The spell's effects last until every target has died. This Duration cannot be used if the target is an inanimate object. If the target is immortal, then the spell has an indefinite duration. This Duration adds six magnitudes to the spell's level.

made of logs and stones, and gathers appropriate ritual materials. He then climbs atop the platform, assumes his etin-mod, and begins the magic. The utiseta begins with the preparation of a ritual meal, including the slaughter and butchery of an animal, which is then cooked in its own blood. Once the meal has been consumed, the Muspelli chants sagas about his patron, and composes praise-songs that are toasted with mead. There are ritual dances, and the adoption of unusual postures that must be maintained for hours. Throughout this ritual the Muspelli is gathering power, which is released at the end of the ritual in an immense burst of magical energy. The etin-mod must be maintained throughout the duration of the ritual; if he adopts human form for more than a round for whatever reason, then the ritual fails with potentially disastrous consequences.

During utiseta, a Muspelli's Supernatural Abilities are greatly increased in their scope. All Supernatural Abilities are usually fixed in terms of Range, Duration, Target, and/or effect, typically capable of altering one of these parameters but unable to affect the others. During utiseta, any or all of the parameters of the Ability can be altered. For example, a Muspelli performing a Shapeshifter utiseta can extend the Range to Voice and the Target to Group, turning a number of his enemies into wolves. He can also extend the effect of the Ability, allowing him to turn into a monstrous creature rather than a natural animal.

Only Supernatural Abilities that are granted by a Major Virtue can be affected by utiseta, and all the Supernatural Abilities commonly possessed by Muspelli have their base parameters listed in the following sections. Modify the effect by altering the Range, Duration, and/or Target just like you would alter an Hermetic spell, except that each change in magnitude adds three to the Ease Factor of the effect. Thus, a Shapeshifter effect that is Range: Voice adds 6 to the Ease Factor (since Shapeshifter normally operates at Range: Personal).

Example: Kotkill is performing a Shapeshifter utiseta to turn a village into wolves. The base Ease Factor is usually 9 for a Range: Personal, Duration: Concentration, Target: Individual effect. He wants the effect at Range: Voice (+6), Duration: Moon (+6), Target: Group (+6), and also needs a size modifier to affect up to a hundred individuals (+3). The total Ease Factor is therefore 30.

The calculated Ease Factor for an utiseta should be considered to be the level of effect for the purposes of detecting, dispelling, and suppressing the Muspelli's magic.

The Casting Total for an utiseta effect is calculated in the same manner as for any Supernatural Ability, except that the score in the Ability is multiplied by a Power Modifier. This Power Modifier is derived from the ritual elements brought to bear during the utiseta. The Penetration Total of

Casting Total: Characteristic + ((Ability – Gleipnir) x Power Modifier) + Aura bonus + stress die

Penetration Total: Casting Total – Ease Factor + Penetration Bonus

Since the character must be in etinmod to perform an utiseta, he uses the Characteristics of his giant form. Utiseta is a magical practice, and uses the Magic column on the Realm Interaction Table (ArM5, page 183). Remember to reduce the character's Ability score by his Gleipnir Score before multiplying by the Power Modifier.

The sources of Power Modifier are given below. These are cumulative; use any that apply, but only one from each category can be chosen. The minimum Power Modifier is 1 even if no Power Modifiers are available.

Hamur, the shape or skin:

• +1 for having the Major Flaw favored by his patron;
• +1 for having an etin-mod that has the Characteristic used in this Supernatural Ability at +5 or greater.
• +2 if the caster inflicts a mutilation on himself that results in the effects of a Minor Flaw, such as gouging out an eye (Missing Eye), splitting his tongue (Afflicted Tongue), or removing a hand (Missing Hand). This results in a Medium wound, which does not count towards a Blot modifier (see later). Already possessing such a mutilation does not grant this bonus.

• +1 for possessing another of the patron's Supernatural Abilities at a score of 5 or greater;
• +2 if the ritual is performed in a Magical Aura that has an alignment appropriate to the power or patron (see Realms of Power: Magic, pages 15–16).

• +1 for inflicting a Medium wound on oneself during the utiseta ritual;
• +1 for inflicting a fatal wound on a creature with a Might score during the utiseta ritual.
• +2 for destroying a gandur appropriate to the patron in an symbolic manner. Surtur requires that the object is burned, Nidhogg would want it devoured, Gullveig would desire it dissolved in poison, and so forth.

Litur, the apparel of an individual:

• +1 for possessing a gandur of the patron;
• +2 for possessing a gandur enchanted with at least 30 levels of magical effects.

Example: Kotkill has a Stamina of +4, the Shapeshifter Ability at 7, and has found a Magic aura close to the target village with an aura strength of 2. He has the following ritual elements: he is a follower of Fenrir who is Mute (Hamur +1), he has a giant wolf's tooth as a gandur (Litur +1), and he uses the tooth to inflict a Medium wound on himself (Blot +1). This gives him a total Power Modifier of x3. His Casting Total is therefore 4 + (7 x 3) + 2 + 7 (stress die), or 34; this is sufficient to produce the desired effect.

The power of an utiseta ritual is not delivered immediately. The power gradually builds over time, with repetition of the ritual, until the requisite amount of power has been gathered to power the effect. This typically takes hours to achieve.

For every hour of the ritual, the player makes a Characteristic + Supernatural Ability simple roll appropriate to the magic used. As always, subtract the Gleipnir Score from the Supernatural Ability score. The Ease Factor for this roll is 9. For every point over 9, he accumulates one point. Once the accumulated total equals or exceeds the Ease Factor of the utiseta, he can safely end the ritual and the effect takes place.

Example: Kotkill begins the ritual to transform the village into wolves. In the first hour he rolls a 3 for a total of 14, which contributes 5 points to his ritual total. In the next five hours his Gathering Power totals are 12, 16, 14, 16, and 13, giving him a total of 31 points. The ritual took six hours, and thus requires six Deprivation rolls; although Kotkill does not discover the toll on his body until he retakes his human form.

Upon successful completion of an utiseta, the Muspelli can choose to continue the ritual for one more hour to transfer the control of the effect into a gandur of his patron. This item then acts like a charged item, holding the effect of the utiseta in abeyance until the Muspelli decides to discharge it. However, it can only be discharged against the target or targets designated during the design of the ritual. For example, it is not possible to hold a generic utiseta effect that turns anyone into a wolf. Instead, the gandur holds an effect that turns a specific target into a wolf. If the effect is not discharged within one year of its creation, it spontaneously releases its charge, taking effect on any applicable target within its range. This uncontrolled discharge also inflicts 1 Warping Point per 10 points of the effect's Ease Factor on the Muspelli who made it, regardless of the distance between the item and the character.

The Muspelli can choose to end an utiseta ritual prematurely. The most common reason to do this is because it has gone on too long; the etin-mod can only be maintained for so long without risk of serious injury. Rituals can also be interrupted by outside forces, or by botching the initial Casting Total. If an utiseta ritual is ended prematurely, calculate the number of accumulated points that the Muspelli is short of completing the ritual. For every 10 points or fraction of this shortfall, treat it as one botch. This is very similar to botching an Hermetic spell, and the severity of the negative effects varies depending on the severity of the botch. The character also receives 1 Warping Point for each botch or 10 levels short, and if a character gains 2 or more Warping Points from this he must check for Heipt (see Gleipnir, Warping and Heipt, earlier).

Example: Assume that Kotkill was interrupted in the third hour of his utiseta*. He had only accumulated 8 points of the 30 he needed, leaving him with a shortfall of 22. This translates into a triple botch and 3 Warping Points, requiring him to check for Heipt. Due to this disastrous result, the storyguide decides not only that the villagers have become werewolves rather than ordinary wolves; they have also determined the cause of their transformation and are waiting for Kotkill once he has dealt with the consequences of the Heipt.*

Muspelli can employ vis in their utiseta to assist in the gathering of power more quickly. They must use vis of an Art appropriate to the ritual performed. When vis is used during utiseta, the Muspelli starts

Performance of utiseta is ultimately less dependent on the Muspelli's Ability and/or Power Modifier as it is on the duration of the etin-mod. Even junior Muspelli who have good Power Modifiers can achieve immense utiseta totals, but sustaining the etin-mod long enough to gather sufficient power to complete those rituals would kill them. A character with Stamina 0 can spend an average of 7 hours in etin-mod before risking exhaustion, and has an average of 13 hours before a forced change into human form. Each point of Stamina extends these numbers by 1 hour. Lucky or unlucky Deprivation rolls will affect

these predictions, and since the character is unaware of how much his human form is suffering while in etin-mod, most err on the side of caution.

A Muspelli with a Supernatural Ability of 5 can rely on gathering an average of only 2 or 3 points towards the completion of a ritual each hour. As the score in the Supernatural Ability increases, the speed at which power is gathered also increases, allowing much greater Ease Factors to be achieved before injury or death occurs. Of course, even an inexperienced Muspelli can perform immense utiseta rituals if she is prepared to accept the risks.

with an accumulated ritual total equal to the number of pawns employed. Each pawn contributes an extra botch die to the stress die involved in the Casting Total. If the ritual is terminated early, before the requisite power has been gathered, the vis used is lost.

Muspelli can also use vis of an appropriate Art to power non-ritual uses of their Supernatural Abilities. This grants a bonus to the Casting Total of +1 per pawn of vis expended.

Vis Use (Utiseta): +1 to ritual total per pawn

Vis Use (Supernatural Abilities): +1 to Casting Total per pawn

Vis Limit: Score in Supernatural Ability used

One of the duties given to the Muspelli by Loki was the destruction of the chains that bind the jotnar in the underworld. Whenever a Muspelli performs utiseta in a supernatural aura, that aura has the possibility of being weakened by the Muspelli's magic. The Muspelli believe that every time this happens, a link in the chain of their masters' bonds is consumed and the jotun moves one step closer to its release.

Once an utiseta has been successfully completed in a supernatural aura, if the

A Muspelli deliberately performs a powerful utiseta ritual in a Faerie aura with the express purpose of weakening the inhabitants therein. The characters have to deal with this apparently motiveless magical molestation by the Muspelli.

The characters discover that one of their vis sources (preferably one distant from the covenant) has dried up. The vis accumulated due to the alignment of the Magic aura, which a Muspelli has destroyed.

Knowing of the Muspelli's ability to destroy auras, the characters might seek one out to remove the particularly insidious taint of a corrupted Infernal aura that has been discovered during a previous story. However, the Muspelli's magic is keyed towards destruction, and the characters will need to pick a suitable target. Further, the Muspelli is unlikely to perform this service for free.

Ease Factor of the utiseta is equal or greater than that indicated in the table below, then the aura decreases by 1 point.

Aura Utiseta Ease Factor to Weaken Faerie Aura level x 5

Magic Aura level x 10 Infernal Aura level x 20

Divine auras are immune to this effect, but due to the paucity of Divine auras in the lands frequented by the Muspelli, this is not commonly known. If the aura is tarnished or corrupted, aligned, or tinted (see the appropriate Realm books for Infernal, Magic, and Faerie auras, respectively), then this special feature is removed by the utiseta instead of the loss of a point of strength.

Faerie auras are particularly vulnerable to this effect due to the vehemence of the jotnar against their faerie captors. Infernal auras are unusually resistant since the forces of Hell are foreign to the Muspelli's magic.

Magic auras are a special case; whenever the aura level drops due to the draining effect of utiseta, the aura simultaneously gains a point of a particular alignment toward Trolldomur magic. This alignment is resistant to being removed by utiseta, unlike other alignments of Magic auras. In effect, the lost point of aura strength is converted into a type of Magic aura that can only be used by Muspelli. (See the nearby insert for details on this alignment.)

All Muspelli have the capability to summon an Aspect of their jotun patron; the process is taught to them during their apprenticeship under the jotun. Every Muspelli is actually an intrinsic Arcane Connection to his patron, making this process possible. Jotnar are summoned through a number of closely related rituals, each intended for a different purpose (described later), and each with its own difficulty. These rituals are never used frivolously, since the process has some inherent danger.

Summoning a jotun must take place at a site sacred to the patron (see the Sacred Sites insert). It also requires two individuals, the Muspelli and an assistant, who take the

A Magic aura acquires this alignment after a powerful utiseta is performed within. Trolldomur alignments have ratings between +1 and +9. Add the level of the aura to the rating of the Trolldomur alignment to obtain the aura bonus received by any practitioner of giant magic. Other characters with magical Abilities or powers cannot derive benefit from the Trolldomur alignment, and only get the benefit of the underlying Magic aura, if any.

"Giant magic" includes not only any magic produced by Muspelli, but also the magic used by gruagachan and their Norse counterparts, the trollsynir (see Hedge Magic, pages 55 and 76 for more details on these magical traditions). It might also include other magical powers at the discretion of the storyguide.

Sites that are sacred to a patron are essential to summoning the jotun patron. Some of sites are well known to the Muspelli and used regularly, while others are long forgotten. A site must have a Magic aura of at least 3, although some or all of this can consist of a Trolldomur alignment (see Auras Aligned to Trolldomur, earlier).

Aegir: The Maelstrom off the west coast of Norway; whirlpools.

Fenrir: Valaam Island on Lake Ladoga in Finland; islands on lakes.

Gullveig: Pomeranian Forest; woods

haunted by monsters.

Gymir: Vatnajokull on Iceland (a glacier which spans half the island); icefields.

Leikin: The fens of Jamtland in Norway; marshes and moors aligned with death.

Nidhogg: Aranaes in southern Sweden (where Beowulf fought a dragon); beaches where corpses are washed up.

Surtur: Hekla, a volcano on Iceland; fires in a magical forest.

Urdur: Gronli Cave in Norway; caves in total darkness.

roles of the siblings Loki and Gullveig, respectively. The process takes about an hour.

Summoning Total: Intelligence + Muspelli Lore + bonuses

The Ease Factor required varies according to the reason for the summons; see the sections later for more details. Details on the Summoning Bonuses are also given there.

Although the summoning total does not usually include a die roll, the player must still roll a stress die. If a botch results, then the gods have become aware of the summoning attempt, and they send a servant (typically a valkyrie) to investigate, exactly as if the character had failed a Heipt roll (see Gleipnir, Warping and Heipt, earlier). The Muspelli also acquires one Warping point for every zero on the botch.

UnGifted participants in the ritual of summoning the jotun patron are likely to be taken by the jotun as a sacrifice when it arrives. Due to the lack of cooperation between Muspelli, finding a Gifted assistant is not always easy. Some Muspelli trick unsuspecting accomplices into assisting with the ritual, knowing that they will be slain. Others attempt (sometimes successfully) to bargain with the jotun to spare the life of their companion; they usually have to accept some concession or onerous duty for this to occur.

An Aspect does not risk spending too much time in the mortal world for fear that it will alert the enemies of the jotnar that they are not as tightly imprisoned as believed. Consequently, an Aspect cannot spend more than one season in any given year on earth. This limits Summoning the Jotun Patron by any given Muspelli to once a year, at most.

The most common use of summoning the jotun patron is to Open The Gift of a new Muspelli (as described earlier under Apprenticeship). The ritual must be modified to take into account the prior magical training of the novice; it is more difficult to persuade the jotun patron to answer the summons if the aspirant has substantial magical training already.

Bonus to Summoning Total: Aura Modifier

Ease Factor: Varies (see Introduction)

The only involvement of the elder Muspelli in this process is to summon the jotun; he usually departs as soon as his part is over.

If a Muspelli chooses not to take the Initiatory Flaw of his patron when his Gift

is Opened (see Apprenticeship, earlier), he has the option of acquiring it later in life by summoning his patron. This Flaw gives him a Power Modifier, so it is often worth the penalty imposed.

Bonus to Summoning Total: Aura Modifier

Ease Factor: 15 – Warping Score

If the Ease Factor is exceeded, the Muspelli undergoes the ordeal and acquires the Major Flaw. If the Flaw is taken during play in this manner, then it is in addition to the character's normal allotment of Flaws, and he does not receive Virtue points to spend in recompense as he would have during character generation.

The jotun patron can provide training in any of its favored Supernatural Abilities, and in Muspelli Lore. The patron's Aspect remains at the sacred site for a season, providing instruction. Muspelli also summon their patrons to inform them of the progress of their plans, to receive instructions, and to ask advice. The jotnar generally disapprove of being summoned for trivial matters; they expect their servants to be self-sufficient and capable of advancing their cause without constant advice. The Muspelli often receives this advice as part of a season of training; if not, then the Ease Factor for the Summons is 9.

Bonus to Summoning Total: Result of the stress die rolled

Ease Factor: 6 + Source Quality desired; minimum 9

The basic etin-mod of a Muspelli character can be improved through communing with her patron. This application of summoning the jotun patron is very similar to Mystery Initiation (more details on the process can be found in The Mysteries Revised Edition, pages 13–18).

Bonus to Summoning Total: Script Bonus

Ease Factor: Varies (see table)

A Muspelli must learn, steal, or discover an Initiation Script for each individual modification he desires to make to his etinmod. Some example scripts are given later. Alternatively, he can modify or invent his own script (as described in The Mysteries Revised Edition, pages 17–18). All Initiations have an intrinsic +3 bonus, because the Initiated effects can only be used while the character is in his etin-mod. Ordeal Flaws are often General Flaws, since these are lost when the character is in etin-mod.

Desired Improvement E	ase Factor
Increase Size by 1, up to +5	18
Increase Size by 1, over +5	30
Increase Characteristic by 1,
up to +5 (other than Int)	18
Increase Characteristic by 1,
over +5 (other than Int)	30
Improve Attack or Defense
modifier of a natural
weapon by +2*	18
Improve Initiative or Damage
modifier of a natural
weapon by +3*	18
Acquire a new Quality	15
Acquire a Minor Virtue**	18
Acquire a Major Virtue***	30

• * Modifiers do not stack; if Initiated more than once, the character must affect a different modifier and/or a different natural weapon.
• ** Minor Virtues available: Enduring Constitution, Keen Eyesight, Lesser Immunity, Lightning Reflexes, Long-Winded, Perfect Balance, Piercing Gaze, Rapid Convalescence, Reserves of Strength, Sharp Hearing.
• *** Major Virtues available: Greater Immunity, Ways of the (Land).

Example Initiation Scripts

The Jaws of the Fenriswolf

Ease Factor: 15 Script Bonus: +9

This script initiates the Teeth Quality. The Muspelli must seek out a pack of wolves and induce them to attack him; he must take at least three wounds from three different wolves before he can defend himself against their attacks (+3). Before these wounds heal, the Muspelli must summon his patron at the dark of the moon closest to the winter solstice (+3). The Muspelli also benefits from the intrinsic +3 bonus to initiating the etin-mod only.

Stature of the Mountain

Ease Factor: 18 Script Bonus: +10

This script initiates an increase in Size by +1, but to no greater than 5. The character must seek out a giant who is at least Size +5 and who has a Magic Might (+3). She must serve the giant for a full season, doing whatever he says to the best of her abilities and without question (+1). The character takes the Deleterious Circumstances Flaw as an Ordeal, making her magic weaker when she is not touching bare ground with her bare feet (+3). The Muspelli also benefits from the intrinsic +3 bonus to initiating the etin-mod only.

The following sections describe the Supernatural Abilities employed by Muspelli, and the effects achievable during utiseta. The example effects given are not spells, and do not need to be learned separately; they are merely illustrations of typical effects.

Entrancement can be used against animals if the character also has the Animal Ken Virtue. A Blind character can still make sufficient "eye contact" to use this Ability if she knows roughly where her target is. (See Ars Magica Fifth Edition, page 65 for information on Entrancement.)

Entrancement is equivalent to R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind. To derive the base Ease Factor, assume a target with a Stamina of 0 and an average die roll of 6. Thus an innocuous request has a base Ease Factor of 9.

Utiseta adds much more utility to Entrancement. Even the standard effects listed in ArM5 can be improved with the much higher casting totals — and thus much higher Penetration — achievable with utiseta.

Entrancement Ease Factor 27 R: Eye, D: Decade, T: Ind

The designated target becomes the servant of the Muspelli for ten years. The Muspelli can make any innocuous, questionable, or dangerous request of the target during this period, but any heinous or suicidal request ends the enslavement. Note that the intent need not be heinous, just the request; a warrior thrall who is commanded to kill an enemy who happens to be his brother throws off the effect even if the Muspelli is unaware of their relationship.

(base 15, +12 Decade)

Entrancement Ease Factor 45

R: Voice, D: Until (death occurs), T: Group

A whole city of people, up to a thousand people, are turned to murder. Each person turns upon the nearest person and attempts to kill him; but if the nearest person is a loved one, then that target is immediately freed from the compulsion.

Some Supernatural Abilities of the Muspelli allow the creation or summoning of, or transformation into, creatures with supernatural powers. If you have Realms of Power: Magic, these powers can be designed as either Magical Qualities (if the creature has a Might score) or by using the Greater Power or Lesser Power Virtues if it does not. Thus, a creature with 6 points of powers could have one Greater Power and three Lesser Powers; or one Greater Power, two Lesser Powers, and a Minor Virtue; and so on. If you do not have access to that book, use the following guidelines.

A Lesser Power (equivalent to a Mi-

nor Virtue) is designed like an Hermetic effect, with a Level + Penetration of no greater than 25. It costs one Fatigue level to use, and has an Initiative modifier of (Qik – twice magnitude).

A Greater Power (equivalent to a Major Virtue) has a Level + Penetration of 50 or less, costs one Fatigue level to use, and has an Initiative modifier of (Qik – half magnitude). Creatures with a Might Score spend 1 Might point per magnitude (for Lesser Powers) or 1 Might point per two magnitudes (for Greater Powers) instead of Fatigue, and use the usual mechanism for calculating Penetration (ArM5, page 191).

Otherwise, the effect ends only when the person has killed at least one other.

(Base 18, +3 Voice, +9 Until, +6 Group, +9 size)

(This Ability was first published in Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 92.)

The character has the power to bring about injury or ruin upon her enemies. There are three ways for her to activate this power: by making eye contact with her victim and proclaiming her purpose loud enough for him to hear, by tracing temporary occult signs and symbols on her target that indicate the dark fate she intends, or by acquiring an Arcane Connection to her target and fashioning a recognizable representation that can channel the effect through sympathetic magic.

To hex a target, the character must make clear her will for it: she must declare her wishes to the victim aloud, or indicate the specifics of the hex in writing on or very near the target, or do something to the representation that is similar to what she intends to happen to the target. There is always a physical component to the hex (common practices include tying knots in a line, spitting, or giving the target the "evil eye").

You must also state a time frame for

the hex, anywhere from an effect that occurs immediately to a hex that will affect the third generation of the victim's descendants. Generally speaking, the sooner the effect manifests, the less potent it will be; the longer the hex delays, the more powerful it will eventually become. For this reason, you must always apply the delay modifier below to the Hex total:

Delay M	odifier
moment	–12
hour	–9
day	–6
week	–3
month	0
season	+3
year	+6
generation	+9
lifetime	+12

When you have framed the hex appropriately, roll Intelligence + Hex + Aura bonus + the delay modifier and compare this to the Ease Factor on the nearby list. The severity of these effects is comparable to the effects of botching a roll with a specific number of zeros on the botch dice, as noted in the sidebar. If you should botch the Hex roll, the hex may still happen, but with unpredictable and unintended results possibly affecting the character or someone close to her instead. Or she may suffer Warping Points, Fatigue loss, or other unfortunate effects.

Ease Factor: 6+

Severity: Minor (1 botch)

Example: Automatic failure at an impor-

tant task

Ease Factor: 12+

Severity: Serious (2 botches) Example: Struck blind

Ease Factor: 18+

Severity: Major (3 botches) Example: Debilitating illness

Ease Factor: 24+

Severity: Critical (4 botches)

Example: All Characteristics reduced by 3

Ease Factor: 30+

Severity: Terminal (5 botches) Example: Sudden death

A potential victim can avoid the effects of a hex by seeking out supernatural protection of some sort, usually from the Divine. If a character receives absolution in a religious ceremony, all hexes that have targeted him are permanently undone. Characters can also remove hexes with other supernatural effects, such as a Perdo Vim spell, a faerie blessing, or a holy miracle. Treat the hex as having a spell level equal to the number of botch dice it approximates, multiplied by 10, so that a Serious hex is a level 20 effect, and a Critical hex is level 40.

Specialties: A specific duration, one method of hexing, a particular effect. (Supernatural)

Hex is equivalent to a R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Ind effect. The Delay modifier can be built into the effect by reversing the sign of the modifier. Although the default Range is Arcane, a Hex can be delivered at Touch (by drawing symbols) or Voice (by audibly cursing) Range, but the Ease Factor remains unchanged.

The power to lay an akvaedi (curse) is one of the most feared effects of the Muspelli. This is because with utiseta, the very high Ease Factors for an instant curse are possible. It is much more potent than the Threads of Fate Ability to bring ill-luck (see later), but comparatively more difficult to pull off.

Art & Academe divides diseases into the same five levels of severity as Hexes, and these are directly comparable. A Minor Hex can cause a Minor disease, and a debilitating illness is equivalent to a Major disease such as ague, or febris semitertiana (see Art & Academe, pages 45–46 for more details).

Hex Ease Factor 27 R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Ind

The mighty hero Grettir was slain by this foul curse, cast by his enemy's motherin-law through driftwood carved with evil runes. Within a week the victim contracts a dreadful case of gangrene from an apparently minor scratch. The festering ulcer starts small, but it relentlessly worsens until it is an Incapacitating illness. The character thus cursed must recover from Incapacitation (ArM5, page 179), and then recover from the illness normally.

(Base 24, +3 week delay)

You may change your shape into that of a mundane animal. (See Ars Magica Fifth Edition, page 67 for full details.)

Shapeshifter is equivalent to R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind, and has a base Ease Factor of 9.

Muspelli can use utiseta to change another person's form by extending the range of the effect. Size modifiers can be included to change the Size characteristic of the creature to unnatural proportions; each magnitude adds 3 to the final Size of the creature. Muspelli also have access to further base effects, which modify one of the creatures that the caster can already turn into as part of the Shapeshifter Ability (see the list below). See the sample effect for guidance on how to generate supernatural creatures. Even if the Muspelli turns into a supernatural creature, he does not gain Might of any sort; powers must be paid for with Fatigue levels.

Ease Factor: 12

Outcome: Change into a creature as small as a mouse (Size –10).

Ease Factor: 15

Outcome: Change into a creature with a minor unnatural feature, such as horns or much thicker fur. Apply one of the qualities from the list given under the Etin-Mod (earlier).

Ease Factor: 21

Outcome: Change into a minor supernatural creature. The resultant creature can have 1 point of powers (see Designing Supernatural Powers, earlier).

Ease Factor: 27

Outcome: Change into a major supernatural creature, with up to 3 points of powers.

Ease Factor: 33

Outcome: Change into a wholly supernatural entity, with up to 6 points of powers.

Shapeshifter Ease Factor 33 R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind

The Muspelli turns into a dragon that is 6 Size points larger than the biggest animal form he can adopt as part of the Shapeshifter Ability. He has the same game statistics as that animal form, except it has a +12 to Strength, a –6 to Quickness, and has the wound increments appropriate to a creature of his new Size. He can choose up to three points of powers, and can exchange 1 point of powers for 2 qualities.

(Base 27, +6 Size)

The character can create visual illusions through "twisting the sight," which is the literal meaning of Sjonhverfing. This Ability is often associated with fire through smoke, heat mirages, and colored flames, but it operates in a similar manner

to the Hermetic Art of Imaginem rather than through flame itself. Sjonhverfing can both create new images and overlay existing images with illusion, although in the latter case the illusion must be the same size as the object or person to be covered. The largest illusion possible is equal to the size of a small hut, and only a single object is possible. A Sjonhverfing can be dispelled by its creator at any time, else it lasts one hour.

The visual illusions created are not perfect; they sometimes waver and shimmer, and if the difference between the Sjonhverfing Total and the Ease Factor is less than the viewer's Perception, they will notice inconsistencies that betray the illusion.

Sjonhverfing Total: Intelligence + Sjonhverfing + Aura modifier + stress die

Ease Factor: 9

Effect: Simple static illusion; e.g. a rock.

Ease Factor: 12

Effect: Illusion moving in a simple repetitive manner; e.g. a fire, or a tree moving in the wind.

Ease Factor: 15

Effect: Illusion moving in a natural or complex manner; e.g. a horse.

Specialties: animals, natural features, soldiers

Sjonhverfing is equivalent to R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Room.

The giant Skrymir was able to fool Thor with an enhanced version of this Ability, and Muspelli are capable of similar acts of immense illusions. They often add magnitudes to increase the duration or size of the illusion. They can add further senses to the complexity of the illusion for one magnitude (3 levels) each. They also have access to a number of new effects.

Ease Factor: 18

Effect: Illusion of up to ten similar objects moving in a natural or complex manner; e.g. a group of warriors.

Ease Factor: 21

Effect: Illusion of up to ten different objects moving in a simple repetitive manner; e.g. a landscape with trees, a river, and clouds.

Ease Factor: 24

Effect: Illusion of up to ten different objects moving in a natural or complex manner; e.g. a scop reciting a tale to a group of warriors who are waited on by serving wenches.

Sjonhverfing Ease Factor 42 R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Boundary

Alters the appearance of an entire valley to make it a place of bliss and tranquility. The dale is filled with flower-strewn meadows and fields filled with golden grain, and warm sunshine appears to replace whatever weather was present before (although characters still suffer the ill effects of the real weather, they don't notice it). Birds sing exultant songs, and everything seems at peace. Glaesisvellir is a paradise in the underworld, where the truly blessed dwell after death.

(Base 24, +6 Boundary, +12 to affect four extra senses)

The character can induce visions that grant her an insight into a problem. This is similar to the Visions Flaw, but the character can both deliberately summon a vision and choose its subject. Spadomur takes about an hour to perform. The character must have a firm question in mind about an event affecting a person, and she must have a symbolic connection to the subject of the vision in the form of an Arcane or Sympathetic Connection. The question must pertain to an event in the present, within the last 12 hours or so.

To use this Ability, the character must surrender to the vagaries of fate rather than trust in one's own capabilities; in game terms she must spend a Confidence Point per attempt at Spadomur, and does not get the usual +3 bonus to her roll for this point. The character stares into a reflective surface and concentrates on the question she wants answered. Spadomur needs absolute focus from the character; any outside event that would normally provoke a Concentration roll (even an easy one) breaks the meditative state and the character must begin again. The choice of reflective surface used may be significant since certain mediums favor particular subjects; see the nearby insert for Reflection bonuses. Successful Spadomur results in an allegorical vision that addresses the desired question. Spadomur never results in a simple and clear answer, no matter how high the Casting Total. A failure, or a success that fails to penetrate Magic Resistance, results either in a vision that simply restates the question, or no vision at all. A botched Casting roll grants an irrelevant or false vision. For these reasons, the storyguide should always roll the stress die in secret and inform the player of what her character sees. A target of Spadomur who possesses the Premonitions Virtue has an opportunity to receive a vision of the character employing Spadomur, if he makes a successful roll on that Ability.

Spadomur Casting Total: Perception + Spadomur + Reflection bonus + Aura modifiers + stress die

It is easier to gain visions of major events that affect the lives of many people than ones concerning trivial issues. Further, the consequences of those events on the lives of the affected people is important.

Importance: Major Ease Factor: 9

Example: Crop failure of a village.

Importance: Minor Ease Factor: 12

Example: Disappearance of the local priest.

Importance: Trivial Ease Factor: 15

Example: A theft from a farmer.

The Ease Factor is also modified according to the simplicity of the event under question. While the character receives an answer as a vision, the complexity is judged according to how simply the ques-

Characters employing the following items to induce visions using Spadomur receive a +3 bonus to their Casting Total if the subject matter of the question is appropriate.

Item: polished sword blade Subject Matter: war, physical conflict

Item: child's fingernail Subject Matter: health Item: colorless crystal Subject Matter: locating things

Item: spring water

Subject Matter: natural places, crops

Item: silver mirror

Subject Matter: structures, habitation

Item: bowl of ink Subject Matter: death

tion could be answered in plain language. Use the highest modifier which applies:

Complexity: Could be answered by a single word.

Modifier to Ease Factor: +0

Complexity: Could be answered by a short sentence.

Modifier to Ease Factor: +3

Complexity: Answer requires a

proper noun.

Modifier to Ease Factor: +3

Complexity: Would require a lengthy explanation. Modifier to Ease Factor: +6

Specialties: deaths, wars, love

Spadomur is considered equivalent to R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Ind.

Utiseta is capable of interrogating the past through Spadomur. The Duration of the effect should be increased to the desired period of past-delving, although the magical effect lasts as long as the normal use. For example, asking a question about something that happened in the last month increases the Duration to Moon.

Spadomur usually provides information about an event affecting a single person, but increasing the Target can expand this restriction to families, organizations, towns, or nations.

Spadomur Ease Factor 21 R: Arc, D: Moon, T: Ind

The visions induced by this utiseta pertain to the identity of the individual who laid a curse on another within the last month. A distinctive feature of the malefactor (such as a single eye, or a certain color) appears in the vision, allowing the character to recognize him when they meet.

(Base 9, +9 Moon, +3 proper noun)

Spadomur Ease Factor 33 R: Arc, D: Lifetime, T: Ind

The "Volva's Prophecy" reveals a vision of Ragnarok to the character. From this vision, she may determine whether, at this point in time, her actions have brought the world closer to its fiery end or not. Casting the Voluspa allows the character to see the likely outcome of events she herself has set in motion. This is as close to delving into the future as a mortal Muspelli can achieve.

(Base 9, +18 Lifetime, +6 lengthy explanation)

The character can raise storms. These have limited power on land; it is over the sea that their full fury is unleashed. To use this effect the caster merely has to call to the sky; clouds gather within moments. If he is on land, the clouds produce just rain; but by the shore or on open water, the rain

is accompanied by winds, sudden swells, and treacherous waves.

The caster becomes the center of a storm approximately 100 paces in diameter. Should the caster move, the storm moves with him; but at the time of casting the character can transfer the focus of the storm onto any person or object he can touch. The caster is immune to any effects of a storm he has summoned; he doesn't get wet from the rain, nor buffeted by the wind. This is not true of his companions or any vessel that he might be on. A character who employs this effect at sea often does so from within the water, for him there is no greater risk of drowning than on a calm sea.

The storm lasts until the character dismisses the clouds, or until the sun rises, whichever comes first.

Casting Total: Strength + Storm's Eye + Aura modifier + stress die

The Ease Factor achieved determines the strength of the resulting storm:

Ease Factor: 6

Effect Over Land: Thick fog; visibility drops to 10 feet;

Effect On Water: A sudden squall; any boat's pilot must make a Dexterity + Profession: Sailor roll of Ease Factor 9 every hour or drift off course.

Ease Factor: 9

Effect Over Land: Light rain; clothing becomes sodden after a quarter hour, and an extra Fatigue level is lost for more than two hours of travel;

Effect On Water: A downpour; any boat's pilot must make a Dexterity + Profession: Sailor roll of Ease Factor 12 every hour to keep on course.

Ease Factor: 12

Effect Over Land: Heavy rain; clothing becomes sodden after a few minutes, and travel times are reduced by on half. An extra Fatigue level is lost for more than two hours of travel;

Effect On Water: A violent storm; any boat's pilot must make a Dexterity + Profession: Sailor roll of Ease Factor 12 every hour just to keep afloat as the

waves crash into the sides of the craft. Each failure results in a damage level; most ships have 6 to 12 damage levels depending on workmanship. When all damage levels are gone, the ship sinks. See City & Guild, page 77 for more details on damaging objects.

Ease Factor: 15

Effect Over Land: Torrential rain; becoming soaked through takes mere seconds, and travel times are reduced to a quarter. Anyone in the rain loses a Long Term Fatigue level for every hour they are exposed. Crops lashed by this rain lose half their produce.

Effect On Water: A gale; boats and ships cannot leave harbor; those caught on the open water take a damage level every hour. Anyone in the water must make Strength + Swim rolls of Ease Factor 15 or start to drown.

Ease Factor: 18

Effect Over Land: A deluge; like torrential rain, except that rivers will burst their banks, roads will be washed out, and crops are destroyed. Towns close to rivers will be flooded.

Effect On Water: A tempest; boats and ships in harbor suffer one damage level per hour if the harbormaster or ship's crew fail a Dexterity + Profession: Sailor of Ease Factor 15; those caught on the open water take two damage levels per hour with no chance of avoiding. Anyone washed overboard has no chance of survival.

Specialties: coasts, mountains, at night

Storm's Eye is equivalent to R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind.

Extending the misery of Storm's Eye through increasing the Duration or Target of the storm is a popular ploy of destructive-minded Muspelli.

Through utiseta a character can command the thunder and lightning. For any storm (Ease Factor 9 or greater), adding 6 to the Ease Factor allows the Muspelli to cause one thunderclap (like Jupiter's Resounding Blow, ArM5 page 125) per point of Storm's Eye; and three thunderclaps can be exchanged for a lightning strike (like Incantation of Lightning, ArM5 page 126). To direct either of these effects against a specific target requires the caster to be within the storm and to see his victim, and requires a Dexterity + Finesse roll equal to or exceeding (12 – Size) of target (a hut is Size +6, a large building is at least Size +9).

Storm's Eye Ease Factor 21 R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Ind

The principal purpose of this utiseta is to put the reins of the lightning into the hands of the Muspelli. For every 3 points of his Storm's Eye Ability, he can direct one bolt of lightning against any target he can see; requires the Dexterity + Finesse roll described earlier. Each does +30 damage should it hit.

(Base 9, +6 Sight, +6 for thunder and lightning)

Storm's Eye Ease Factor 30 R: Sight, D: Moon, T: Ind

A whole region is laid waste in a monthlong gale. This can be devastating to the prosperity of a coastal town; a month of trade is lost, along with a good proportion of their ships. Hraesvelg is a name given to the jotun Gymir in his eagle form.

(Base 15, +6 Sight, +3 Moon, +6 size)

(This Ability was first published in Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 105.)

This Ability allows the character to summon mundane animals from potentially long distances away. To use this Ability, the character must be capable of making an audible call to the creatures he wishes to summon, and must be within one day's journey of a habitat where the required species are found. The number of animals that respond to his summons is determined by the score of the character's Ability; see the table nearby. He must then make a Communication + Summon Animals roll against an Ease Factor of 9. If successful,

the animals arrive within 1 hour of the character making the call, although exceeding the Ease Factor by 3 makes them come in 2 minutes, and exceeding it by 6 summons them in a single round.

The character cannot directly communicate with the animals unless he has another Ability that allows him to do so (such as Animal Ken), and they depart naturally as determined by the storyguide. Even if the character lacks the ability to communicate with the animals, they act as if friendly towards him; if naturally aggressive, they may fight to defend him.

Ability Score: 1

# Animals Arriving: 1 animal of Size –2, or equivalent mass (3 of Size –3, 5 of Size –4, 10 of Size –5, 30 of Size –6, etc.)

Ability Score: 2

# Animals Arriving: 3 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size –1, 5 of Size –3, 10 of Size –4, 30 of Size –5, etc.)

Ability Score: 3

# Animals Arriving: 5 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size 0, 3 of Size –1, 10 of Size –3, 30 of Size –4, etc.)

Ability Score: 4

# Animals Arriving: 10 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size +1, 3 of Size 0, 5 of Size –1, 30 of Size –3, etc.)

Ability Score: 5

# Animals Arriving: 30 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size +2, 3 of Size +1, 5 of Size 0, 10 of Size –1, etc.)

Specialties: a particular type of animal (Supernatural)

Summon Animals is equivalent to a R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Group effect. The base Ease Factor is 9.

The time until the arrival of animals summoned by an utiseta effect is the same for the standard use of the ability, starting at the completion of the ritual. Muspelli can add size modifiers to the Target, and each size modifier acts like an additional point of Summon Animals. He can also improve the Range to Arcane Connection, allowing him to summon animals from anywhere, not just near to its habitat. Of more interest is the ability to summon magical creatures with some additional Ease Factors. The Penetration Total of the utiseta must exceed the Magic Might of the creatures summoned, else the utiseta has no effect. The Muspelli still has no control over the creatures he summons; he must bargain with them to persuade them to do what he wants, or else leave them to act naturally. Supernatural creatures have a maximum number of points of powers (see Designing Supernatural Powers, earlier) equal to their Might.

Ease Factor: 21

Effect: Summon one creature with a Might of 5 that is up to the maximum size determined by the character's Summon Animal Ability.

Ease Factor: 24

Effect: Summon one creature with a Might of 10 that is up to the maximum size determined by the character's Summon Animal Ability.

Ease Factor: 27

Effect: Summon one creature with a Might of 15 that is up to the maximum size determined by the character's Summon Animal Ability.

Each additional +3 to the Ease Factor allows an extra +5 Might to the creature summoned.

Summon Animals Ease Factor 15 R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Group

Creates millions of maggots from a patch of soil. So many vermin are created that the Muspelli's score in Summon Animals makes little impact; maggots are Size –15. The maggots expand in all directions from their point of origin at three paces per hour, so at the end of the Duration they could cover an area nearly 80 paces across with a solid carpet of writhing, corpse-white worms. Once the Duration expires no new maggots will appear, but the existing ones continue to wriggle away from their point of origin. Any ed-

(Base 9, +6 Sun)

Summon Animals Ease Factor 27 R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Group

Summons a Lindwurm (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 78) from a river, the sea, or a burial mound. The Lindwurm is a legless dragon with a Magic Might of 13 and Size +5; the Muspelli must therefore have a Summon Animals score of at least 8 to attempt this utiseta.

(Base 27)

Summon Animals Ease Factor 33 R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Group

Summons werewolves with a Magic Might of 10 and Size 0. The caster must have a Summon Animals of at least 3 to employ this utiseta; his Summon Animals score should be treated as 2 higher when determining the number arriving, and they may arrive in human or wolf form. The Ironwood is a mythical location where werewolves are amassing numbers in preparation for Ragnarok.

(Base 24, +3 Arc, +6 size)

The character has the power to alter her fate. Fate — called orlog in Old Norse — is viewed by the Norse as implacable bonds around an individual that only godlike powers are capable of severing. However, a character with this Ability has the power to put a twist in the threads of fate (orlog-thaettir) and nudge outcomes in her favor. To enact a reweaving of her fate, the character must state the event she is affecting and the effect she is attempting. The event must be specific; permissible examples include "the coming battle with Kotkill," "my journey to Tomafjord," or "rescue my daughter." They cannot be narrower than this; a practitioner of Threads of Fate cannot name a specific action.

The character then makes an Intelligence + Threads of Fate stress roll. The

Ease Factor for each effect has a base number; but fate being a fickle thing, the storyguide should add the result of a simple die to each Ease Factor. The caster can choose any effect appropriate to the Ease Factor or lower. The caster cannot retry to cast a failed Threads of Fate roll for the same event; it simply proves resistant to tampering with destiny. The chosen thread can be applied to a number of actions during the event equal to half the character's Threads of Fate score, rounded up. The storyguide should use his discretion over whether "my journey to Tomafjord" is part of the event of "rescue my daughter" if the child's kidnapper is hiding at Tomafjord. If unsure, determine randomly to represent the fickle hand of fate.

Casting Total: Intelligence + Threads of Fate + Aura modifier + stress die

Number of Uses: Threads of Fate/2, rounded up

Only a single thread can affect any action, and all threads expire once both the new moon and full moon have risen. A character can only perform a twist in the orlog-threads for herself, and she can only have one type of fate on her at any one time; all subsequent attempts to use the Threads of Fate Ability automatically fail until all threads have been used or the Duration has expired.

Ease Factor: 3 + simple die

Effect: Luck of the Woof: In an event that relies on luck rather than skill, the character will be favored. For example, if she and a companion have an equal chance of being targeted by a bowman, a character with a Luck thread would instead be targeted if the storyguide rolls a 1–3 on a simple die, rather than 1–5 (which would be the default).

Ease Factor: 6 + simple die

Effect: Hint of the Weave: When the character activates the effect, she gets an inkling of how things will turn out in the immediate future. The player rolls a stress die, and leaves the result before her. The next stress action that the character takes will use that die,

giving the player a chance to decide her next action depending on the result of the die. She should not wait too long to use the die, else the storyguide will ask for a frivolous action to remove the hint.

Ease Factor: 9 + simple die

Effect: Avoid the Shears: This thread is activated before rolling any botch dice. The player rolls one less botch die for every point difference between her Casting Total and the Ease Factor. This can result in zero botch dice.

Ease Factor: 12 + simple die

Effect: Tilting the Spindle: The fates favor the character; this thread is activated before an action is taken. The player rolls the dice for the action twice, and may take whichever result she prefers.

Ease Factor: 15 + simple die

Effect: Spinning the Fate: The character receives an extra Confidence Point that she can use in the normal manner at any point during the specified event. If this Confidence Point remains unspent once the event is over, it is lost.

Ease Factor: 18 + simple die

Effect: Fortune's Weft: The character can reroll a failed or botched roll. The decision must be made after the result is known, but before the consequences are revealed. In the case of a botch, she can use this thread when the initial zero is rolled, or when the botch is confirmed. She must accept the second result.

Specialties: mercantile enterprises, battle, rescue

Threads of Fate is equivalent to R: Per, D: Moon, T: Ind. The base Ease Factor is nominally those given in the table, but the Muspelli should make allowances for the vagaries of fate when designing effects.

A major use of utiseta in Threads of Fate is to increase the range so that the effects can be granted to other people. However, only one person can have an orlog that affects a particular event; competing threads cancel each other out as fate can only be twisted in one direction. If the Muspelli has the Magic Sensitivity Ability, she may be able to determine whether someone is already affected by this power in the usual manner (ArM5, page 66). Increasing the Target to Group does not affect the number of people who can be affected, but increases the number of different fate-threads a single character can experience. Target: Group allows the caster to divide the usual allotment of threads between two different effects chosen at the time of casting; these can be of the Ease Factor achieved or lower. Each size modifier added to Target: Group allows an additional type of thread to be employed. Only one thread can affect any one roll.

A more insidious use of a Threads of Fate utiseta is to reverse the effects and lay a baleful fate or doom on an opponent. This incurs no additional difficulty, but requires that the caster specify which particular action during the event is to be affected. Alternatively, the Muspelli can decide whatever actions are affected by his threads of fate if he is within sight of his foe. The advantage of this Ability over Hex is that Threads of Fate is triggered by circumstance, and it may strike more than once with no additional effort.

Ease Factor: 3 + simple die

Effect: Warped Luck: The character is more likely to be favored by misfortune; this works just like Luck of the Woof but the random event is biased against the character.

Ease Factor: 6 + simple die

Effect: Nudge of Ruin: A simple die becomes a stress die, or an action that would normally not require a roll does now.

Ease Factor: 9 + simple die

Effect: The Snip of the Shears: Activates when the character rolls a zero on a stress die; he receives an extra botch die for every point between the Casting Total and the Ease Factor.

Ease Factor: 12 + simple die

Effect: Spindle's Wobble: The player rolls the dice for the action twice, but must use the lower of the two rolls.

Ease Factor: 15 + simple die

Effect: Doomed Fate: The character takes a –3 to the specified action whenever this doom activates.

Ease Factor: 18 + simple die

Effect: Fortune's Warp: The character automatically rolls a zero when he attempts the specified action, and must check for a botch as usual.

Threads of Fate Ease Factor 21 R: Sight, D: Moon, T: Ind

The caster imposes the Spindle's Wobble on his target, who must be within Range: Sight. It is often used to affect a battle between the caster and his foe. With a suitable vantage point, this relatively easy utiseta can often be completed as an enemy approaches.

(Base 12, +9 Sight)

Threads of Fate Ease Factor 30

R: Arc, D: Moon, T: Ind

The caster curses the target with a Warped Fortune. She can affect anyone to whom she has an Arcane Connection, but must specify the event as usual. She can predetermine the types of action affected by each use of this thread; or else, if she can see the target, she can choose it at any time.

(Base 18, +12 Arc)

The character can use Valgaldrar ("corpse spells") to temporarily revive a corpse. The target of this Supernatural Ability cannot have received any burial rites from the Church (or from any other Divinely sanctioned religion), and the corpse must be relatively intact. Most importantly, the head must still be attached and the body must have some flesh and skin still adhering to the bones. It takes fifteen minutes to chant the corpse-spells sufficiently to awaken the dead.

The corpse animates and sits up, al-

lowing the character to converse with it directly. A character who is particularly skilled can cause the corpse to rise out of the grave and walk abroad. The character asks questions or issues commands by making a Communication + Leadership roll; the corpse does nothing unless commanded to do so using a roll of this type. Single-word commands have an Ease Factor of 6, simple questions or commands require a 9, and more-complex instructions or questions need a 12 or more. The character must know the language that the corpse spoke in life to ask it questions or issue it commands. If the character is not fluent in this language (i.e. score of 5), then the character's Leadership is limited by his Language Ability. Once the character has failed three commanding rolls, the corpse sinks back into its grave or ceases movement, and cannot be subject to Valgaldrar again until the moon has risen. All corpses are also laid to rest if their heads are removed from their bodies.

Walking corpses typically have a Magic Might of 9 (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 97 for more details). The Penetration Total of the Valgaldrar must exceed this Might to cause it to leave its grave, otherwise it is confined to the earth.

Casting Total: Communication + Valgaldrar + Aura modifier + stress die

Commanding Roll: Communication + Leadership + stress die; Leadership may be limited by Language Ability

Compare the result against the following Ease Factors to determine success:

Ease Factor: 9

Outcome: Speak to the dead. The corpse is not compelled to answer truthfully or directly, although it may do anyway.

Ease Factor: 12

Outcome: Speak to the dead and compel it to speak truly.

Protect a corpse from being affected by further valgaldrar. Any attempt to do so has the Ease Factor increased by the Valgaldrar score of the character.

Ease Factor: 15

Outcome: Animate a corpse. Orders will be followed to the best of the corpse's abilities, but the character must remain in sight of the corpse else it will cease all movement until he returns.

Ease Factor: 18

Outcome: Animate a corpse and place it under the direct mental control of the character; if he can see the corpse he can issue it orders. He can leave the presence of the corpse and it will continue to obey its orders, but once they are complete it remains motionless until given another order by its creator.

Specialities: kings, soldiers, compelling truth, animating the dead

Valgaldrar approximates to R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind.

The principle effect of utiseta with this sort of magic is the simultaneous raising of many dead using Target: Group (and often a size modifier). If the duration of the effect is increased, then the corpse does not return to its grave once three Leadership rolls fail; it serves the Muspelli until the duration expires. Muspelli also have access to further base effects, as listed below.

Ease Factor: 21

Outcome: Animate a corpse (as Ease Factor 18), but the corpse has a Magic Might of 12 and 3 points of powers (see Designing Supernatural Powers).

Ease Factor: 24

Outcome: As above, but with a Magic Might of 15 and 6 points of powers. Each additional 3 points of Ease Factor yields 3 extra Might and 3 extra points of powers.

Valgaldrar Ease Factor 27 R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group

In Gongu-Hrolfs Saga, the wizard Grimur raises the dead soldiers of his employer every night so that they can wage war against his foe every day. He is even-

tually prevented by the dwarf Mondull, who protects them from being affected by valgaldrar. This utiseta effect duplicates Grimur's power by raising up to 100 slain soldiers.

(Base 15, +3 Sun, +6 Group, +3 size)

Valgaldrar Ease Factor 33 R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind

Raises a dauding with a Magic Might of 18 and the following Virtues: Greater Immunity to Edged Weapons, Shapeshifter; Arcane Lore (used to gain a Shapeshifter score of 4), Tough, Reserves of Strength. It was designed by a Muspelli for the purpose of killing a rival.

(Base 24, +6 Moon, +3 for a total of nine Virtue points)

The character has control over flames and smoke. While he cannot start any fires with this Ability, he can cause a fire to spread further, or intensify its heat so that it causes more damage to things it touches. Skilled practitioners can produce unusual colors, shapes, or smoke from a normal flame. The caster can affect a fire about one pace across; this is equivalent to the main fire of a great hall, or the burning crown of a small tree or bush. Using this Ability requires extravagant gestures (but no sound); the caster flamboyantly describes with his hands the changes to the existing flames. He must be within line of sight of the flames he wishes to affect, and can be no more than 15 paces away. The effects of

The icy conditions of Scandinavia are exceptionally good for the preservation of corpses, which are often mummified by the desiccating conditions of frozen soil. Bodies that are hundreds of years old are potentially within the reach of this Ability. Ancient heroes a common target of this magic — were often preserved in barrows formed like artificial caves. Within, the hero's treasures would be heaped up at the feet of a throne, upon which was propped the corpse of the deceased notable. Kings and mighty lords were often buried with their favorite thralls, horses, hounds, and hawks; even occasionally with their wives.

Men who died a particularly violent death, and who were noted for living evil lives, were often beheaded and had long iron nails driven into the soles of their feet to prevent them from walking after death. Heavy slabs of stone, graven with runes, were placed over the grave to further hinder the dead from leaving their graves. The fingernails and toenails of all dead men and women were carefully trimmed, since it was believed that the ship that will be piloted from Nifelhel by Loki at Ragnarok is made from the nail-clippings of the dead.

The Norse have a complex fauna of walking dead. The dead that live on in their howes are called haugbui (meaning "barrow-dweller"), and their main function is to remain within the barrow and protect it against those who would steal their treasure. The aptgangur (literally "after-goer," i.e. one who goes on after death) are generally considered to be peaceful, rising from the grave to check on their families or to complete one task before permanently returning to their graves. More dangerous is the draugur (meaning "harmful spirit"), an animated corpse that comes out of its grave mound to travel abroad and do harm. Finally, a draugur that has been specifically raised to do the malevolent will of a necromancer is known as a dauding. Game statistics for the walking dead can be found in Realms of Power: Magic, page 98. They typically have a Magic Might of 9 and game statistics very similar to a human. Nearly all walking dead in Scandinavia can produce an effect similar to Stench of the Twenty Corpses (ArM5, page 125). Draugur are sometimes intelligent beings with substantial magical powers such as shapeshifting and control over the weather. These draugur commonly have a Greater Immunity to edged weapons.

the magical change to the fire last only one round, but the results can last longer. For example, a fire that is momentarily doubled in size might ignite new fires at its increased size before retuning to its previous size.

Fire is an inherently dangerous medium, and characters always suffer two extra botch dice when using this Ability.

Casting Total: Presence + Wildfire + Aura modifier + stress die

Ease Factor: 9

Effect: Cause a fire to spread in a natural fashion.

Double the amount of smoke produced by a fire. The smoke lingers until dispersed.

Ease Factor: 12

Effect: Increase the intensity of a fire, adding +5 to its damage.

Halve the size of a fire. This extinguishes some of the fire, and it is not restored to its previous size once the magic has passed.

Ease Factor: 15

Effect: Double the size of a fire; if there is no fuel to support the new size it returns to its previous size after a round. Cause a fire to move in a slightly unnatural fashion; for example, leaping between two buildings.

Ease Factor: 18

Effect: Increase the intensity of a fire, adding +10 to its damage.

Cause a fire to act in a very unusual fashion; for example, hovering in the air or burning a different color.

Specialties: burning forests, changing size, hearth fires, pyrotechnic tricks

Wildfire is equivalent to a R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind effect.

The major utility of utiseta is to increase the scope of the fires. Muspelli have been known to spread fires to encompass whole forests, or to choke cities with their smoke. More dangerous still, utiseta allows a Muspelli to tap into another source of fire — the earth-fires that are imprisoned beneath the ground. The molten rock is, or so the Muspelli believe, the bile of Ymir, and it is hot enough to melt metal. If even a small portion of someone's body is touched by lava, he takes +20 damage; greater exposure is invariably fatal. Lava normally flows at walking pace, and ignites anything flammable in its path.

Ease Factor: 21

Effect: Crack the earth's crust to allow lava to seep out.

Ease Factor: 24

Effect: Direct the flow of lava in a natural manner; e.g. make it flow around a village.

Ease Factor: 27

Effect: Direct the flow of lava in an unnatural manner; e.g. make it flow uphill.

Ease Factor: 30

Effect: Causes a volcano to erupt, spewing lava in all directions.

Surtlogi

Wildfire Ease Factor 24 R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Group

The caster trails a fire behind him, spreading it to anything within Voice Range. While he maintains concentration, he moves like a living firebrand and can set a whole forest (or town) alight simply by walking through it. He has no control of the fires he sets, and if he is not careful he can easily block off his own route of escape. The surtlogi is the fiery brand that Surtur will carry at Ragnarok, which will consume the world in its purifying flame.

(Base 15, +3 Conc, +6 Group)

Wildfire Ease Factor 39

R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Bound

Causes a crack in the earth to let forth smoke poisoned by the earth-fires. Everyone within the target area suffers a Medium wound if they fail a Stamina roll of Ease Factor 9. Furthermore, everybody within the target — even those who succeed in their Stamina roll — is nauseated and suffers a –3 penalty to all actions. The vapors linger for a day before they disperse.

(Base 21, +6 Sun, +12 Boundary)

Wildfire Ease Factor 51 R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Bound

Causes a volcano to erupt. Everyone within Sight Range of the fire mountain (including the caster) must make a Stamina stress roll of 9+ or be deafened by the resounding crack of the exploding mountain. If deafened, a character can make a Stamina simple roll every minute against the same Ease Factor to recover his hearing. The explosion hurls boulders several miles; the chances of an individual character being hit by a boulder is small, but larger structures and settlements are in immediate peril of being destroyed. A cloud of poisonous smoke is the next emission from the volcano; anyone downwind of the mountain within Sight Range can be swallowed by the superheated vapors, which inflict +15 fire damage as well as the same effects as Fetid Breath of the Earth-Fires, above. As if these effects were not bad enough, mighty rivers of molten rock spill from all sides of the volcanic crater to envelope anything remaining on the mountain's sides.

(Base 30, +3 Sight, +12 Boundary, +6 size)

A character with this Ability is capable of creating frost, ice, or snow. To invoke the winter weather, the character must beat on an immense drum. The weather conditions summoned appear after a few minutes, and last until the character stops drumming or until the maximum Duration expires, which depends on the season. In the summer the effects last just one hour, while in the winter they last for up to 12 hours. In the spring and autumn, the duration has a maximum of 3 hours. If the character wishes to continue the effect, he must make another Casting roll.

The created weather effects are magical, and must penetrate Magic Resistance to cause their ill effects. Characters exposed to the weather must immediately make an ex-

posure roll (see Exposure and Frostbite) unless they are prepared for the cold weather, in which case they make their first roll after the appropriate amount of time has elapsed. The weather phenomenon created covers a circle a hundred paces across, or else it can be formed into a more complex shape (such as surrounding the caster) with a Dexterity + Music roll against an Ease Factor of 6. Any ice or snow formed by this Ability melts at the normal rate once the effect ends.

Casting Total: Stamina + Winter's Breath + Aura Modifier + stress die

Ease Factor: 6

Weather Summoned: A mild chill, which makes breath steam in the air and wilts tender plants.

Ease Factor: 9

Weather Summoned: A heavy frost, enough to form a crust of ice on small bodies of water.

Ease Factor: 12

Weather Summoned: A snow flurry, which inflicts the effects of a minor level of exposure; a half inch of snow falls per hour.

Ease Factor: 15

Weather Summoned: A snow fall, which inflicts the effects of a serious level of exposure; one inch of snow falls per hour.Freeze a sufficient thickness of a lake (or other still body of water) to walk on. However, if the whole lake is not frozen then the ice sheet will tip.

Ease Factor: 18

Weather Summoned: A snow storm, which inflicts the effects of a major level of exposure; four inches of snow falls per hour.

Freeze a sufficient thickness of river to cross.

Ease Factor: 21

Weather Summoned: A blizzard, which inflicts the effects of a critical level of exposure; a foot of snow falls per hour. Freeze sea water into ice floes.

Specialties: during the spring, snow, over water

Exposure to extreme cold is a form of Deprivation. The severity of the cold determines the interval between Deprivation rolls.

Intensity: Minor Interval: 3 hours

Ease Factor of Survival Rolls: 6

Frostbite Damage: –3

Temperature: around 40°F / 4°C

Intensity: Serious Interval: 1 hour

Ease Factor of Survival Rolls: 9

Frostbitae Damage: +3

Temperature: around 0°F / –18°C

Intensity: Major Interval: 30 minutes

Ease Factor of Survival Rolls: 12

Frostbite Damage: +9

Temperature: around –20°F / –29°C

Intensity: Critical Interval: 15 minutes

Ease Factor of Survival Rolls: 15

Frostbite Damage: +15

Temperature: around –40°F / –40°C

Warm clothing — especially furs — can provide protection against exposure, while metal armor makes the effects worse; add the following Condition Modifiers to the roll to avoid Deprivation (use all that apply).

Armor	Condition
Type	Modifier
Partial quilted or fur armor	+1
Full quilted or fur armor	+3
Thick Fur mundane quality	+3
Damp	–3
Soaking wet	–6
Partial metal scale or
chainmail armor	–3
Full metal scale or
chainmail armor	–6

Characters (and animals) can make Survival rolls to lessen the effects of exposure; make an Intelligence + Survival roll against the Ease Factor listed in the table; on a success the character has managed to shelter himself from the worst effects of the weather, and can treat it as one category lower. If the Survival roll is made by a margin of 6 or more points, then the level of exposure is treated as two categories lower. A character can protect a number of other individuals equal to his Survival score without penalty; to protect larger groups he takes a –3 penalty for each multiple of his Survival score. Thus a character with Survival 5 can protect 11–15 characters from exposure with a –6 penalty.

Frostbite is an additional danger of low temperatures. Characters who have successfully found shelter need not worry about this danger, but those who have failed their Survival rolls or who have not tried to shelter themselves from the weather take damage from frostbite every time they make a Deprivation roll. The damage is listed on the table above. Do not include the Protection of armor in the Soak Total to avoid frostbite; instead use the Condition Modifier listed above. Characters also get a bonus to their Soak Totals against frostbite equal to their Survival Ability. A Medium wound from frostbite normally means the loss of a few toes or fingers. A Heavy wound causes the loss of a hand or foot, resulting in the Missing Hand or Lame Flaw; although this can be avoided if he recovers under the care of a competent physician (Medicine 3 or better).

Exposure Deprivation Total: Stamina + Condition Modifier + stress die

Frostbite Soak Total: Stamina + Survival + Condition Modifier + stress die

Winter's Breath is the equivalent of R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind.

Through utiseta, a Muspelli can clothe a whole valley or city in ice with sufficient size modifiers. With an increase in Duration, the snow might continue to fall for days or months; for Duration: Sun read "hour" in the description of the Ability as "twelve hours;" for Duration: Moon read "hour" as "week;" and for Duration: Year read "hour" as "month." These durations are not affected by dawn or dusk, and the Muspelli only needs to maintain the drumming for the duration of the ritual. Furthermore, throughout the Duration the ice or snow is continually refreshed, so does not appreciably change in overall volume until the Duration expires.

Winter's Breath Ease Factor 27 R: Voice, D: Year, T: Ind

A region the size of a small town is trapped in perpetual snow. In places this will drift into snow banks about four feet high, but the level of exposure is mild. If cast during the winter, this effect lasts for a full year. Crops automatically fail if agricultural land is affected; livestock produce just one quarter of their usual productivity. The fimbulwinter ("mighty winter") is one of the first heralds of Ragnarok.

(Base 12, +9 Year, +6 size)

Winter's Breath Ease Factor 36 R: Voice, D: Moon, T: Group

Creates icebergs that float according to the local currents. This Ease Factor creates one iceberg at Size +15, ten at Size +12, a hundred at Size +9, and so forth. A small ship is typically Size +9, the same as Target: Structure. The icebergs cause a major hazard to shipping, and double the journey times of all sea-borne travel through the region. Incautious captains who stray too close are in danger of losing their ships, and on average two ships will be lost every month that the icebergs remain around a moderately busy port.

(Base 21, +6 Moon, +9 Group)

Contrary to the beliefs of some members of the Order of Hermes, there is no "Order of Odin" lurking in Scandinavia with a rapacious eye on the southern lands. These stories have circulated for as long as the Order of Hermes has existed, originating in the battle against Damhan-Allaidh, where rune-wizards deployed their art against Pralix's forces (see Ancient Magic, pages 133–136 for more details).

The coming of Christianity to a society that has always been hostile to magic nearly proved the death-knell to Norse magical traditions, whose magic has always gone hand in hand with heathenism. However, in the last hundred years many Norse magicians have joined forces under an agreement called "Raudskinna;" an attempt to form a sense of society and community to preserve their traditions before it is too late.

This section provides an option to troupes who wish to run stories pitting the Muspelli, the Norse magicians, and/or magi of the Order of Hermes against one another. It may be that the magi fail to distinguish between the two types of Norse magic and pursue both with equal vengeance. Alternatively, a covenant might side with either the Muspelli or the Norse magicians against the other, following the adage that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

As remnants of the old pagan ways, magicians of all types were put under suspicion in Christian Scandinavia. They were dismissed from their positions as advisors, and the practice of witchcraft was soon outlawed. King Olaf II of Norway (later Saint Olaf) instituted a crusade against pagan places of worship in the 11th century, executing those found following false idols. As the Dominion flourished, supplanting Faerie and Magic auras, it seemed that the wizards of the north were doomed to extinction. Not only this, but ancient evils were stirring and rumors circulated of wizards hunted down and slain by jotun magic. There seemed to be no hope for the survival of Norse magic against such foes.

The three authors of its salvation were Saemund Sigfusson, Bodvar Egilsson, and Halla of Straumfjord. Saemund "The Wise" was a Gifted Icelander of the late 11th century who trained at the University of Bologna and was a member of a nascent magical tradition called the mathematici (see Hedge Magic, pages 79–102). Struck by the similarities between the magic of the mathematici and the galdramen of his homeland, Saemund returned to the north in search of wizards, with a new drive to preserve Norse magic. There he met Bodvar, a vitki and son of the famed rune-wizard Egil Skallagrimsson. Bodvar introduced him to Halla, the leader of a coven of folk-witches. Together they conceived a compact that would regulate and protect the Norse wizards, regardless of tradition. Over the next ten years they vigorously promoted the compact and recruited other wizards to their cause. It became known as Raudskinna ("red-skin") because it was distributed in books bound in red leather. In 1116 at a gathering near Uppsala, 164 magicians from all over Scandinavia swore to uphold the Raudskinna compact. Saemund returned to Iceland, founded a school at Oddi, and became one of the most famous Icelanders of the age.

Raudskinna operates and is maintained through the hreppur (plural hreppar), local organizations of 10 to 30 magicians who provide each other with mutual support and share duties. The hreppur also settles disputes between its members, and punishes those who break Raudskinna's laws.

The hreppur meets three times a year, at the equinoxes and the summer solstice. It is governed by three leaders, or stjorir (singular stjori), whose main role is to represent their constituents should they be accused of witchcraft by the mundane authorities. Those chosen to be a stjori often have a respectable position in society, which helps them negotiate on behalf of their members; they are often unGifted for similar reasons. Stjorir are appointed by vote, and maintain their position for life unless

The Norse magicians have been detailed in Hedge Magic. The principal types are summarized here.

• The vitkir (singular vitki) are runemagicians and perhaps the most numerous wizards in Scandinavia.

• The seithkonur (singular seithkona) are folk-witches. Included here are those individuals who have the Nightwalker Virtue (which may include the folk-witches themselves).

• Seithkonur and others with divinatory abilities are often called volur (singular volva, or prophetess).

• The galdramen (singular galdraman) are the Norse version of the mathematici. Largely brought to the North by Saemund the Wise but also combining native spirit magic,

• this is perhaps the smallest group of Norse magicians but also the most likely to be involved in Raudskinna.

• The trollsynir (singular trollson or trolldottir) are Norse gruagachan. In the early days of Raudskinna they were confused with the Muspelli, since both draw power from their giant ancestors. While still treated with suspicion, trollsynir have won for themselves the right to join Raudskinna.

Other members of the Raudskinna compact include characters with Supernatural Virtues who are not members of an organized tradition. Raudskinna does not discriminate between Gifted and unGifted characters, and even Hermetic magi could partake if they agree to the compact.

others due to their superior strength. Of course, this acceptance often lasts only until the combination of The Gift and some misfortune leads to the Gifted magician being blamed for a calamity, or being accused of being in league with the Muspelli. In general, Gifted members of the Raudskinna find that they must constantly defend themselves from groundless accusations of breaking its laws, and only the most tolerant play an active role for long. The resulting feuds have destroyed several hreppar over the years, and remain a threat to the future of the Raudskinna Compact. The rarity of The Gift, and the relative youth of the organization, mean that Raudskinna's members have not yet fully understood the threat The Gift poses.

The purpose of Raudskinna is to provide a buffer between magicians and society, separating prejudice from malpractice. It regulates the profession of magician, determines the allocation of magical resources and sharing of duties, and acts as a court of dispute between members on matters that

they are removed from office by a majority vote of the hreppur. One stjori represents the vitkir, and is called the asa-stjori; another represents the seithkonur and volur, and is called the vana-stjori; and the third stands for the galdramen and is called the alfra-stjori. This threefold division reflects the three tribes of Norse gods: Aesir (war gods); Vanir (nature gods); and Alfar (culture gods). Those who are not members of one of these traditions (such as the trollsynir) are called the utgardar (those on the outside), and must appeal to one of the three stjorir to represent them. The stjorir also act as judges of Raudskinna's members if a dispute arises between them, or if a complaint is raised that someone has broken the compact. Punishment usually takes the form of fines of silver or vis, which are paid to the hreppur coffers and used to support the needs of the community. Failure to pay a fine results in expulsion from the hreppur and compact for a year; the magician can apply to rejoin after a year if he can present three times the defaulted fine to his hreppur. Stjorir of different hreppar occasionally meet to share information.

The Gift can threaten the coherence of a hreppur through the distrust it engenders, yet most accept that it is better for their most powerful neighbors to be restrained by Raudskinna than for them to prey on

cannot be taken to the mundane authorities. It determines the tariff for magical services, and attempts to protect its members from malicious accusations of black magic.

ic, the magician must pay the stjori a fee of 6 marks. If the charge is a result of circumstances beyond the magician's control, the stjori defends him without charge.

A member who has lost more than one quarter of his wealth through misadventure can recover half his loss from his hreppur, although no individual is required to supply more than 1 coin in every 120 of his total worth. Members who are elderly, infirm, or destitute are assigned to the care of another member with sufficient means, although this burden lasts no more than one year, after which they are reassigned.

Much like any specialist, a magician can demand payment (in coin or in kind) for performing his services on behalf of a commoner, lord, or other magician. A vitki, galdraman, or seithkona may charge one ounce of silver each day (or part) spent in performing a service, to a maximum of two standard marks (16 ounces) for each season. Members of the utgardar may only charge half these rates. Vis use is charged at one mark per pawn.

Members should do their best to ensure their magic is discreet. Any householder employing a magician should give his assurance that none of his household will take offense before magic is performed. If this assurance is broken, then the magician is not held to account. Every effort should be make to limit the number of witnesses.

Supernatural affairs are not to be discussed with outsiders unless it is unavoidable. No affair of the hreppur should be made common knowledge. At the stjorir's discretion, he may inform men of rank about magical matters of which they should be aware.

If a charge of witchcraft is brought against a member, the magician's stjori will defend him in court. If the charge results from unjustified and indiscreet use of mag-

Any member may lay claim to any source of vis that lies on his own lands. If the site is on common land, then the first member to harvest the vis can claim the source. Anyone found harvesting another's claim must return the vis and pay 1 mark for each pawn taken.

If a magician dies with no heir, then his claims become vacant and the first person to harvest the site can establish a new claim. Others can claim sites that are abandoned. If this abandonment is later disputed, the hreppur decides the case on its merits.

Muspelli are the declared enemies of all hreppar, and aid is forbidden them. Failure to promptly inform one's stjorir about the existence of a Muspelli is the most terrible crime, resulting in expulsion, forfeiture of belongings, and outlawry. A hreppur must expend any and all resources to secure the elimination of a Muspelli.

Trolls and violent spirits plague many of the trade routes and wild places. Part of a hreppur's duty is to keep these paths safe, through wards (for those capable of them) and patrols. The work and expense of maintaining these defenses is divided among the available membership as evenly as possible. Those who cannot contribute to the effort must provide at least three pawns of vis per year, instead. Those too poor to contribute do not have to pay, but cannot sit as stjorir.

No member of the hreppur should provide magical services to anyone blacklisted by it. The list is reviewed each year. Providing such service will result in a 3-mark fine, plus the fee charged for the service.

Any member who casts malign magic on a human forfeits the protection of the hreppur. The only occasion where magical attacks are permitted is in the pursuit of outlawed magicians.

If the magician chooses to involve himself in a mundane conflict, he can only use mundane means. Magic cannot be used in any way to further the conflict. Doing so forfeits the protection of the hreppur.

If a magician is attacked while at home or on an innocent journey, then he can use magic to drive his attackers off or aid his retreat. Even in these circumstances, the magician is not permitted to deliberately cause injury and his life must be under threat. The magician may still be liable for paying his defending stjori 6 marks if charges result from his actions.

In most Scandinavian lands the profession of magician is recognized, if not accepted; employing a magician is relatively commonplace to keep mice from the grainstore, to protect sheep from blight, to gain fine weather for travel, or for luck in war. Legal proscriptions against magic — of which there are many — only forbid trolldomur (defined in law as magic intended to harm others), not magic in general. Practitioners of magic are treated no differently than members of other unsavory professions such as debt collectors or grave diggers; the unease they engender is inseparable from their craft.

Most mundanes are unaware of the existence of Raudskinna and the hreppar. Those who are party to this information are alternately comforted by the knowledge that the magicians regulate their activities, and perturbed that they are organized. The authorities are generally content to allow them to police themselves. When charges of witchcraft are brought against a member of a hreppur, his stjori acts as his legal defender; but should a trial end in defeat, the hreppur abandons the defendant to the will of the court regardless of whether the trial was fair. The stjorir take pains to earn allies among local dignitaries and nobles for the benefit of their constituents, but if the magical and the mundane ever clash, they err on the side of the mundane.

The hreppar of Raudskinna consider the Muspelli to be their most bitter enemies. For those who are pagan, the Muspelli are the most inimical foes possible since they are humans who have chosen to associate with the enemies of the gods. For Norse wizards who follow Christ, the fear that Muspelli inspire is not diminished; they are akin to diabolists of the darkest sort, since they are not just servants of the Devil, but those who actively seek the destruction of all humanity. There can be no accord between the two groups; and unfortunately for the future of Raudskinna, the magic of the Muspelli is the more terrible. Only their disorganization and comparative scarceness has prevented the Muspelli from wiping out the Norse magicians entirely.

Contact between the Raudskinna and the Order of Hermes has been tenuous and sporadic. Several hreppar are aware of the existence of the Order, and they have been openly discussed. The prevailing attitude is tentative curiosity; the stjorir would like to know more about the Order, but since most contacts between the two groups of wizards have been either hostile or fleeting, the stjorir council caution.

The "Order of Odin" has been a bugbear to magi since Pralix's days, although they know next to nothing about it. Magi have called for crusades against the Norse magicians, particularly in the Rhine Tribunal where the threat from the North has been a political platform for one of the main factions (see Guardians of the Forests, page 113).

If the two sides ever do meet, they would probably be appalled at each other's practices. Members of the Raudskinna would detest the idea of isolating themselves from their families and society, and withdrawing from mundane activities and income. A magus would consider the Norse magicians to violate the central tenets of the Code of Hermes. Assimilation of the Norse wizards by the Order seems very

No specific rules for Integration are offered in this chapter due to the unlikelihood of a Muspelli providing a magus with sufficient opportunity to gain a magical insight. In any case, integrating utiseta would require a complete redesign of Hermetic magic, since it is so dependent on channeling the power of the jotnar through an alternative form that is capable of withstanding the vast magical energies of an utiseta. However, a particularly brave researcher might survive the climate and monsters of the North long enough to pursue the following types of research:

Flexible Ritual Magic: Like the Major Virtue Flexible Formulaic Magic, this allows a magus to adapt a ritual spell to be stronger or weaker as desired.

Aura Alignment: Allows a magus to convert points of a Magical aura to a specific alignment, probably as part of the Hermetic Architecture Mystery Virtue (The Mysteries Revised Edition, page 97).

Potent Mythic Blood: Allows a magus with a supernatural ancestor to adopt an alternative form for short periods, benefiting from improved characteristics and stronger magic.

unlikely, while mutual existence is hardly probable; so once the two groups formally meet, war seems a dreadful inevitability.

Portents indicate that Ragnarok is approaching fast, and Muspelli are becoming more active on the orders of their patrons. Other Norse magicians have become aware that a peril they thought dead and gone is stirring once more. A saga based on this threat could involve characters who are Muspelli, other Norse magicians, or magi of the Order; although the latter only works if the characters are members of a northern Tribunal.

The first aim of the jotnar is to establish a firm base from where they can work. To this end, Muspelli are directed to Magic auras and instructed to make the area around them inhospitable to mankind. As the Muspelli flex their power, these foci of trolldomur spread, leaving increasingly narrow pathways between them. Once all the gaps have been filled with ice-fields, glaciers, and monsters, the jotnar plan to gradually spread southwards, driving humanity before them.

Under assault from apparently natural forces, populations may be forced to relocate just to survive. Hordes of refugees from the coming winter are liable to place undue pressure on their southern and/or western neighbors, and the meddling of Muspelli may increase tensions into open warfare.

Norse magicians habitually establish wards to protect important trade routes from natural and supernatural hazards. As these protective measures are assaulted, the expansion of the Muspelli is noted by the Raudskinna. Characters may be involved in either defending or removing these wards.

When the Muspelli encounter the Dominion for the first time, they will be checked. It is likely that it will be interpreted as some faerie trick: an aura that diminishes their power and is immune to the sapping effect of trolldomur. A Muspelli might approach mortals in disguise to learn more about this foreign aura.

The Muspelli are not the only servants of the jotnar. Muspelli characters may find themselves in embassies to the disparate clans of giants to court their assistance. Alternatively, characters may be involved in fighting an ancient evil that has resurfaced after many centuries.

Loki is prophesied to be the first jotun to break free, but there may well be pretenders to his name before this actually happens. A faerie who adopts the mythology surrounding the jotun-prince could cause havoc among vitkir and Muspelli alike, before its deception was uncovered.