Monday, March 17, 2008

Magic of the Stars

Though cold winds assail me, I will not flinch
The sun warms me
Though I wander the night, I am not lost
The moon guides me
Though I am alone in the darkness, I will not fear
The stars shine above me.

Above the Land, above the Lesser Air, stand the spheres of the Greater Air, the abode of the gods. Similarly, the Spirits of the Greater Air stand above other Spirits. No wizard or king can command them. The most Men can do is call upon them and try to live as they would wish in hopes of their blessings.

Prayers of the Faithful

Only a few have the patience to learn the ways of spirits, but every man can call upon the gods through prayer and supplication. Men mark the turnings of the year through rituals, make sacrifices to atone for their sins, and pray for the favor of their gods when they feel the need. Wiser men also pray to thank the gods for their favors and make sacrifices to recognize their blessings. The gods truly have little need for such gestures, but they appreciate them.

Across the Land, there are many nations with many gods, and, in a way, they are all real. Most Men tie their gods to one of the Greater Lights, the Planets. They may have different names for these gods, but the similarities will outweigh the differences in the end. Men know also that the Stars are servants of the gods. The Spirits of the Planets are, in truth, too far beyond mankind to answer directly. Prayers are always heard by lesser Spirits within each god's Sphere. Various of the Stars have taken an interest in different nations of Men, and lend their own flavor to the religions that have grown up around them.

Prayers and sacrifices have a subtle effect in the world. The Spirits of the Greater Air rarely send down hosts of angels or part the seas. They gave Men the knowledge of magic for that sort of thing. But they provide inspiration, vision, and intuition that guide Men toward their will. They also grant minor boons. When the sea-swells fail to swamp a ship, a god might have been stilling the waves. When a soldier survives a battle, a god might have given him courage to fight and strengthened his shield against enemy blades. Those who discount the power of the Spirits of the Greater Air call such things nothing but fortune. Wiser men know that "fortune" is the desires of the Spirits of the Greater Air made manifest in the lives of men.

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Gamespeak: Divine intervention is always tricky. Fortunately, if /everyone/ is calling on the gods, it mostly evens out. Seeking divine favor is probably worth a small bonus or a coincidental event every once in a while - when it will turn the tide. Divine displeasure can work the same way. A king who pisses off the gods might find his armies falling ill or his ships being becalmed until he does something to atone.

Cinematic Unisystem Drama Points map to divine favor pretty well. If a character has done something to earn divine favor, he might have some different options for spending his DP. If he's earned divine ire, he might end up sucking down a "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." If I end up using a system with no dramatic editing possibilities, then I'll probably add one in for divine favor/disfavor.
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The Spirits of the Greater Air granted Man dominion over the Land, so there is a special class of rituals concerning the powers of Lords and Demesnes. In many lands, the Lords claim that their power descends from divine mandate, and they are not wrong. However, more than a few Lords have learned that the Mandate of Heaven can be withdrawn as easily as it was given.

Lords who lose their Demesnes, or who sicken them through weakness of character, must appeal to the Stars to regain the mandate of their Lands. Often, this involves a difficult quest imposed by the Spirits of the Greater Air, made more difficult because it is undertaken when the Lord is at his weakest personally and politically, while his people languor in pain and despair.

In the lands of the Val Aleen, there is said to be a castle guarded only by women. The Lady of these women is so beautiful that to behold her is to be blinded as by the sunrise. She holds a drinking horn carved from one of the Great Beasts, and the mead of her hall, when served from the Horn, is sovereign to all ills.

But the Lady and the castle are like unto clouds of mist, first appearing, then disappearing. The Lady will only consent to grant her horn to one pure of heart, unflinching of courage, and unwavering of will, if that one can even find her.

Prophets and Oracles

When Dragada Iron Hand threw down the Pillars of Flame and conquered the Land of Kaamar, he put to the sword all the sons of King Elor, and took his daughters as slaves, except for one, Shalamar. When her father was slain before her, Shalamar screamed and fell into convulsions. When at last the tremors stopped, she looked up at Dragada with sightless eyes and said "Despair thy throne, Iron hand, for only a child of my father may stay the Desert's Wraith." Then she fell, insensible.

Dragada was troubled, but he knew the Desert's Wraith had not been seen for many years, and his fortunetellers had promised him that he had the blessing of his gods to conquer Kaamar. Also, Dragada carried a sword of starmetal that could slay any beast.

That year, the Desert's Wraith arose and buried three camps beneath the sands. Dragada rode out to fight the Wraith, but his sword, proof against anything that bled, was useless against a creature made of sand and wind.

Dragada called on his wizards and sorcerers to protect his lands, and their spells held the Wraith at bay. But blind Shalamar said "Despair thy wizards, Iron Hand, for none shall stay the Wraith until a child of my father inherits his throne. Half your realm, you will never see again, and all will be lost to you."

For a fortnight, the wards of the wizards held the Wraith, but then they cracked, and burning sands ravaged half the kingdom. When the stinging grains finally stilled, an ancient temple stood revealed three days' ride from the throne of Kaamar.

Dragada took his warriors and his wizards, and took also Shalamar and a priest. Under the spires of the lost temple, Dragada took Shalamar as his wife, and claimed her as his own before all assembled. Even blind, she fought like hellcat, even scratching out one of Dragada's eyes. But in the end, she was his, and filled with his seed.

The wizards were able to limit the damage done by the Wraith for three seasons, and then in the winter a son was born from Shalamar. Dragada named the boy his heir, and ruled Kaamar as Regent for many years, and the Wraith was quiet, beneath the sands.

Most priests are just men and women with a particular dedication to the Spirits of the Greater Air, or a desire for the prestige of the office. Some are also magicians who use their power over lesser Spirits to serve the greater ones. But a few are truly touched by the power of the Spirits of the Greater Air. They are regarded as greatly blessed, but also accursed. No one the gods touch escapes unmarked.

Oracles can hear the Celestial Chorus, the Music of the Spheres. As such, they are attuned to the will of the Spirits. And the Spirits hear the voices of the Oracles. Oracles speak words of prophecy and can deliver the benedictions or warnings of the gods.

Oracles are very rare. One might not be found in one hundred Lands. For some reason, most are women. Some say this is because womankind has a closer connection to the Celestial than males. Others claim it is because it is the lot of woman to be accursed and benighted for Her sins. Whatever the case, Oracles are sought after and cherished. Even so, the life of an Oracle is not one many would envy. With senses enmeshed in the Celestial world, she is often only barely in touch with the Land around her. She sees visions of past, present, and future, and hears words no mortal mind should hear. As such, an Oracle needs constant care. They almost always find themselves in the care of priests, eventually, and it is hard to say how much of an Oracle's life she knows.

Men speak in hushed whispers about Moria Mane, she of the blood-red hair, who speaks the tongues of beasts and can see a man's future in the way his shadow falls across a rose-bush. In fact, in the Nine Hills, most men will try to avoid letting their shadow touch roses, just in case she is watching.

Moira Mane wears cast-off clothing, but she is always well-dressed. A harsh word from Moira Mane can wither crops or stay the rain. A kind one can save a woman's son from wolves or cure a sick child of the night-fever.

Moira Mane never lifts a weapon, and only carries a copper knife. But a black hound shadows her every step, and he'll kill any man or beast who crosses her.

Moria Mane has no husband, no brothers, no sons. But she is always heard at the Lord's Court, because no lord in the Nine Hills dares not hear what she has to say.

Moira Mane knows. She knows when the rains will come and when the tribe in the next valley is ready for war. She knows when the lambs will come, and who's bed you laid down in that was not your wife. She knows if you'll have a son or a daughter, and she knows the day you'll die.

Don't ask Moria Mane any question you don't want answered, or your hair might be as white as hers is red.

Not all who are touched by the gods are quite so blighted. Prophets and Sybils hear the music of the Spheres to a lesser degree, and are often the focus of only a few voices. They have the same gifts as Oracles, but are not so overwhelmed since their gifts of prophecy come upon them only occasionally. Prophecy can still be as much a curse as a blessing, since the gods always speak the truth, and not all men wish to hear it. There are at least as many Sybils as male Prophets, and their gift of Prophecy is often stronger. Male Prophets are perhaps a bit more likely to master other mystical powers, and tend to be more active and nomadic than their female counterparts, but then again, this is often the way between men and women.

Unlike Oracles, Prophets often find themselves outside established religious orders. The Truths they impart stir up discord, and they are led on paths that do not fit the regimented life of a priest. Most Prophets seek out some other kind of power, and have an easy time finding it. The Spirits of the Greater Air gave Man all the secrets he knows, save those of the Deeps, and those are not good things to know.

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Gamespeak: Prophecy is a power that has brought many a game designer low. I'm pretty sure the way I'd handle it is to make it just a plot device, but if I was feeling frisky, I might make it so that a Prophecy creates a collection of metagame resources. When the PCs are trying to fulfill the prophecy, they have advantages, and can take advantage of dramatic editing. When they're fighting against fate, they're at a disadvantage, but will rack up Drama Points (or whatever) to help them later. And if they can find a way to fulfill the Prophecy and avoid the bad side, they get the best of both worlds.

In any case, "Prophet" or "Oracle" are probably not things you spend a lot of character-building resources on. They're value-neutral at best, or a disadvantage at worst.
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The Starborn

Kemp MacKoor all his life bore the curse laid on his father's clan when they stole the Stone of Lyssee, but he was born under Fortune's Star. No thatch would shelter him, no hearth fires would burn for him, and he would never have two coins to rub together. But Kemp MacKoor was always lucky.

Lucky, he was, to meet each of his Red Band, who were peerless at the skills of war and guile and stealth and strategy. Lucky, he was, to find the gnome caves that moved through the forest so that each day they were in a different place, and lucky again to befriend the gnomes so they taught him the secret of finding them. Lucky he was to slay the dragon Kes in her den, and take her heart that burned as hot as fire. Lucky he was to win the love of Lady Eleane, at least until she betrayed him.

But that is another story.

Every person born is seen by a Star, and every Star picks out a special person to watch and guide all his life. Prophets and Oracles, they say, might have been chosen by too many Stars, or by no Stars at all. But everyone else has a single Star watching over him. To follow that Star is to follow your destiny.

Destiny is a frightening thing sometimes, and a subtle one others. Most people go their whole life without ever hearing their Star, but a few learn to listen, or chance to hear, and those few are legends. Their Stars will guide them to greatness and imbue their deeds with magic stronger than any wizard's spell. A child called by a Star of War will be a peerless warrior, valorous and terrible. He could stand against armies and slay dragons. A child called by a Star of Poetry may never lift a sword, but the words he scribes could fell kings and change the course of nations.

The gifts of the Starborn are not the magics of Wizards. The Stars do not give Men the power to throw fire or fly on invisible wings. Instead, the Starborn work magic through mundane efforts. A Starborn hunter can track a grey hawk through a cloudy sky. A Starborn swordsman can sharpen a blade enough to cut light, or reverse it so it heals who it cuts. A Starborn singer can sing souls.

There lived a woman in Dunnan Wood who prayed to the gods with great fervor that her child would be blessed by the gods of War. The barin would be all that was left of her husband, who died in the King's war with the Kurnish. She prayed and sacrificed, and wore the blood of her sacrifices on her growing belly. By day, she called for their blessings, and by night she prayed for revenge against the warriors who slew her man, and the king who led him to his death. She prayed that her child would slay the Kurnish, unseat the weak and unsteady king, and take his daughter to wife.

And the gods answered. And the child was delivered... a girl. Even the gods of War have a sense of humor. A Spirit spoke her name into the mother's ear: Bellatrix.

When other girls played with dolls, Bellatrix wanted to play at swords with the boys, and she often gave better than she got. By the time she began to bleed and her breasts grew, no boy in the village could best her. When one boy who should have known better thought he deserved her favors, she killed him with her bare hands, and was obliged to flee for her life, since he was the Shire Reeve's son.

In distant lands, she learned the ways of sword and spear and bow, and she came back with an army to grind the Kurnish into the rocks, then to take the King's tower. And she did take his youngest daughter to wife, because gods of War are often honorable, and they enjoy happy endings.

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Gamespeak: This could end up somewhat "Exalted-like" but probably on a slightly lower scale and a bit looser. I like the idea of someone who really can talk her way out of a sunburn, or sing birds down from trees. A warrior who can fight an entire army is hell on game balance, but he's such a great literary archetype.

My rough thoughts are that a Starborn will have one special profession he was born to master. He'll pick it up as easily as he learned to walk and talk, and then he'll get even better. He'll be able to do flat-out magical things with his skill.

But there's a down-side to being Starborn. The Star you're born under has plans for you, and to really reach your full potential, you have to be willing to follow them, no matter what you'd really want to do. It's entirely possible to be the Starborn of a war god, but really want to be a florist. The gods don't really care. You're not going to be a legendary florist, and you probably ARE going to end up in a lot of fights where your only chance for survival is to master the ways of war.
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So that sums it up for Celestial magic. I put in Oracles and Prophets and left out Fallen Stars. Perhaps I'll put them back in at some point, but really they're just powerful non-human beings. I've got Spirits of the Land for that, and Fallen Stars just complicate the issue.

But I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan, and have a totally inappropriate crush on Claire Danes, so don't hold me to that.

So anyway, next is Magic of the Deep, which I'm not quite sure how I want to approach. I'd like to do something unexpected - maybe take a riff from faerie-tale witches and wizards who are physically ugly as well as morally repugnant. The idea about Magic of the Deep is that it is WRONG. It's not necessarily "evil" because it could be beyond such concepts, but someone who practices it is almost certainly going to be evil by the time he's through, even if he started with the best of reasons.

After Magic of the Deep, the project I set out to do is done. I might decide to write up one sample Land with a few Demesnes in it, and I might decide to pursue it as either a fiction setting or a game setting. The former is dependent upon me coming up with a character idea I really like. The latter is dependent upon me hearing from a game company I really like with a system that fits really well. Or just deciding it'd be fun. That might also work.

For those who already really want to game this setting, daHob on RPG.net has been working up a very loose Savage Worlds treatment. He's not trying to get the magic to work the same way I describe it her, just to come up with SW analogs for everything. I like what I've seen of his work so far. It does the job well enough.

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