Andalish Magic

During the War of Giants, the gawds sat in council and viewed the battlefield.

Their weapons of stone were weak against the iron and spells of their foes and only through force of will had they prevailed thus far but every day the Giants got closer to victory.

Something must be down, the four concluded, they would have to steal the Riddle of Iron from their enemies. So they turned to cunning Cassandra, who was as willy as she was beautiful.

Cassandra went out and came to the giant smith Hastigi robed in wild winter. She seduced him and learned his secrets, learned the secrets of metal.

The Lady lead Hastigi back to Indavoll where he was bound with imprisoned with his own iron and magic to serve as their smith and servant till the end of time. 

But Cassandra has a secret for from the union came a child, who bears no name. She head him on Andalis where he took his father's trade and taught it to the first Druids.

Andalish magic is forever linked with the outcast, the mule, and the half-breed. As such, the wild lands of the Young Kingdoms is dotted with hedge-mages living away from society but desperately needed by it, a love-hate relationship that has endured for ages.

While it has become divorced some from metal-working, the link between the two has never really disappeared in the minds of most of the Young Kingdoms and many Druids still practice ancient blacksmithing techniques to enchant blades with runes and secret blessing.

The process to become a Druid is a dangerous one and most don't make it. Children born under a certain moon and star position are taken to the local Druid to be put through the Trail of Marks, a horrible ritual in which the child receives his first tattoo: the Eye of the Chained One, two concentric circles on the forehead.

Most don't survive and die screaming, choking on their own blood.

Unwanted children, children born out of wedlock and bastards, as well as half-breeds, are also put through this ritual. Andalish custom puts more weight on the magical ability of such mules and it is a good way to get rid of the inconvenient child.

If the child lives through the Trail of Marks, he is apprenticed to the Druid, where his life becomes devoted to the study of Spearmetal. Most Druids are men.

Druids are the only Andals to worship the Chained One, the giant Hastigi, who taught them their trade. He is feared by the common Andal, being an enemy to their gawds since time immortal. His rites and rituals known only to his followers.

The Honored Dead

It should be unsurprising when you consider the sheer amount of excess necromatic energy on the
Shield that undead are a problem that crosses cultural and clan lines. Non-intelligent undead seem to pop up at random but, luckily, intelligent undead seem to be uncommon to rare.

Or at least in some cases they are.

A tribe's honor is a palpable thing that effects not only the here-and-now of its member's but also their afterlives. This can be a problem for those enjoying a paradisaical retirement in the Underworld when they're booted from their gawd's good graces because their children have become dishonorable brigands.

 This has lead to the not uncommon occurrence of the return of these Honor Dead to the Shield to try and protest their decedents' actions. While it never leads to bloodshed (after all, they are kin) this can lead to a heavy curse lead upon the member's of the tribe until its dealt with, though that only happens in the most extreme causes.

No, in most cases, the Honored Dead, angered at not only having their afterlife altered but also that they had to return to the land of the living to do something about it, will make a general nuisance of themselves. They'll break things, spend all night at the foot of your bed screaming, or bad mouth you to your visitors. Little things that will make the tribe member's lives a living hell.

Continue to ignore their warnings and they'll up their game, changing luck to be against you, making the livestock sick and cursing the harvest yields to be weak.

Generally, they don't want to hurt their kin but it's not unknown.

It should be warned that the Honored Dead are very traditional in their view of the world and many times their presence is because of something that may seem extremely petty, like the dropping of the tradition of not eating beans at Midwinter.

Or they could wish you to back down on a new alliance with an age old enemy. Something that would be beneficial to the tribe but is still not how it was done in their day. You cannot reason with the Honored Dead because their not reasonable unpersons.

As hinted at before though, the only time the Honored Dead really stir themselves in when the tribe takes a huge hit its Honor, falling one or more Honor categories for a single action and even then it is only fairly likely.

Still, a tribe must be aware at all times how their actions will effect those that have gone beyond and so if they're making a decision that will probably attract their dead's attention, they'll commonly make sacrifices to try and placate them. It doesn't always work but it's worth the risk.

Magic Items and Runes

     Metal is magic but it is so much more then that. In a world where wizards receive their arcane power through tattooing bits of special metal into their skin, metal represents the holy meeting of the immortal and mortal. The earthy incantations connecting with divine invocations.

     Because of this, magic items, how they are acquired and how they are treated, will be different then your average fantasy game.

     The first thing you must realize is the scarcity of metal in the world. Despite being in a period called the Bronze or Iron Age, metal is still relatively uncommon and the secrets of working the material is a sacred art, with blacksmiths being seen as closer to priests then tradesman.

     Because of this each weapon (and piece of armor) is seen as inherently magically. In fact, your character probably didn't purchase anything made out of metal. It was handed down to him from his father and his father before him, a blade or pendent that symbolized the bond of kin and family.

     Your weapon should be an extension of your character's history and unlike in other games where your first sword will be casually tossed to the wayside when you find a newer, better model, your equipment will grow with you.

     That means that the dinky sword you start out the game with could end up being a legendary +5 sword of ass-kicking by the time you retire your character. However, for this to happen, some investment has to be poured into it.

     To start to qualify for this bonus you must have 3 basic things:

     First, your weapon has to have a name.

     Second is that it needs to be dedicated to a gawd. Blades anointed to the divine change when a new wielder takes them so this is a choice your character must have personally taken when they took ownership of the heirloom.

     Third should be a backstory to the weapon. I recommend this being some event that will hint at the special properties of the weapon.

     After this point, the growth of the weapon is linked to your character. Heroic actions and traits will rub off special properties over the course of the adventure though there is two things you should note.

     Really heroic deeds beget heroic weapons. If you just sit back and let others take the risk, expect that not only will your equipment because more magical more slowly then your compatriots but that they won't gain additional cool bonuses besides simply getting a +1 to attack and damage.

     Crowley's longbow, for example, might start giving him increased range in addition to pluses to hit, or Damien's sword giving its wielder a greater chance to detect lies or see illusions.

     You should also be aware that these abilities will sometimes overlap with your character's abilities and not stack. For instance, I may decide to have Damien's sword's detect lie ability not augment his own.

     What this means is that when that character passes on his weapon or armor, his proteges will reap the benefit. While Damien will get some use out of the sword because it'll give him a plus to attack and damage, Marian, his apprentice, will gain the real benefit, netting both the pluses and the detect lies, which may not be her class feature. 

     Ultimately, you will not have the final say in how your items gain magical power but there are things you can do to influence them. So far we've talked about naming your weapon and its backstory, both things will contribute how your weapon shapes up, and obviously, what your character does will have a huge impact on it as well, but your weapon will also be shaped by the gawd its dedicated to, so choose carefully.

     There is one last thing you can do to direct your weapon's latent magical properties and that's through Runes. Runes are sacred symbols and letters that are scribed into an object. These tend to be one or two simply words, such as accuracy, defense, speed, and so on but they can also be complex, such as sight, or wisdom.

     You may choose to use Runes or not but they should be kept to one word per weapon, shield, or armor piece.

Gaining Other Magical Items

     One final note: while I have been pretty much exclusively talking about weapons gaining magical properties it is only because I didn't want to have to type out all the things that can gain powers as you gain legend.

     Anything with metal in it can gain magical properties, whether that's a set of lock picks, crampons, a shield, a brush, a mirror, or even a rope with metal strands threaded into it. Additionally, armor pieces can gain individual powers or they can come together as a set and give even better bonuses.

     You may also have a weapon that gains a magical property that doesn't benefit you in combat at all or a ring that gives you some heroic warrior ability.

     These items don't play by different rules and so don't feel like you've gotten the shaft because you're playing a rogue and don't need a magical dagger, though they don't necessarily need a name or a backstory, they do need metal and a gawd that they're dedicated to. That will give him a heads up on which items you want to gain special properties. 

Treating Magical Weapons and Armor

     There is a draw back to the way magical weapons and armor are treated. It is in extremely poor taste to loot a weapon from a fallen opponent. If he was an honorable warrior, it is expected that you return his weapon to his family if possible or bury it with him. If it wasn't, it's expected that you destroy the weapon and allow the metal to return to the Shield and be purified before being forged again.

     The exception to this is truly legendary equipment, like Stormcaller or Grudge, which have no family to own it and the last wielder has been dead for some time. Weapons with no owners are free game, which means that it's perfectly okay for your hero to raid ancient tombs in search of a +5 Holy Avenger and not be violating his alignment.

     Shields and armor are on a case by case basis but for the most part you'll be okay looting it. though anything marked with a clan or tribe insignia should be buried or destroyed.

Kingsblood

How would Andals describe someone with "Kingsblood"? It may be easier to describe what it means by the three types of kings that Andals have.

King
     This is the most basic title. This means that the proof that you have Kingsblood is in the fact that your father or ancestor has Kingsblood and that your right to rule is hereditary.
     Andalish inheritance laws are gavelkind, meaning that when the parents die all of their stuff is divided equally between all children. Sometimes this is primogeniture, where the oldest child receives a double share but this is uncommon. In this way, kingdoms often dissolve within a generation and why the title "king" is often synopsis with chieftians in areas of Mertagia and the wilder parts of the Broken Spires.
     Not ever child receives the title. In the first generation all children receive the title but after that, only first born children of a King (or Queen) receive the title. Additionally, someone can gain the title through marriage in the normal fashion but this is more out of respect then anything and they often lose the title if they divorce or their spouse dies.
      King is not a permanent title and can be lost through lose of honor. As a King, you honor and judgement is always in question and Kings often find that they fall quickly from grace.
      The Kingdom of Durlin is ruled principally by Kings by succession.



Rorick
     This is an Old Andalish word for "Red King" and this title means that someone has proven that they have Kingsblood through conquest. This title is a step up in prestige from King and is often given to chieftains that have managed to conquer a significant number of independent tribes. In effect, a Rorick has proven his Kingsblood by shedding other peoples'.
     Unlike a King, a Rorick's children are not Roricks, they become Kings, unless, of course, they go out and earn the title for themselves with fire and iron.
      A real world example of this is Napoleon Bonaparte, who usurped the title of King of France despite having no royal blood. On the Shield, Rorick's found kingdoms for a single generation that dissolve into petty states and then dissolve further into small tribes ruled by Kings. Leaders of the Kingdom of Rivil use the title of Rorick as to be elected the King of Rivil is to conquer the other houses, either by words or swords.





Scarin
      The most ancient and most honorable of the titles, Scarins prove their Kingsblood by the Fire of Kings, a crucible of the gawds that proves that those that go through it have the right to rule through divine mandate.
      The Fire of Kings taps into the ancient process of a Quest, where a person reenacts of myth to the point where they mantle the gawd and are transported to a mythological realm of power. Quests are done for a variety of reasons: sometimes it's to gain the favor of the divine, to learn a secret unknown to man, or to gain a magical weapon. Quests are highly dangerous and even the greatest heroes only survive about half the time. They are high risk, high reward.
      The Fire of Kings is sacred and little is known about what goes on once the candidate and his captains pass into the gawdsrealm but few survive. Those that do, however, are given the King's Mark and are named Scarin, having proven their Kingsblood by trial of the gawds.
      Anyone can undertake this ritual though it does require a gawdspeaker to initiate it. Because of this, a heroes who have decided to become king but have no army to speak of often take this route to start to garner support as those named Scarin often find people flocking to their banner.
      But just because someone is named Scarin doesn't mean that they found kingdoms. More often then not, they're beaten on the field of battle by Chieftains and Roricks or they're killed by political intrigue. Most Scarin end up just founding their own tribe.
      Still, some of tribes of the Free People require their chieftains to undergo the Fire of Kings before they're given leadership and Kings who are in fear of falling out of favor may go through the process to gain enough prestige to keep them in power. Bastards, too, who wish to rule their father's tribe after the death of all legitimate heirs are required to prove their Kingsblood in this fashion, though there are exceptions in cases similar to William the Bastard who became William the Conquer (Who, on the Shield, would be called William Rorick as well.)

What Kingsblood is Not
     It is important to note that gaining your title does not mean you gain Kingsblood. Kingsblood is not something you gain, even through the Fire of Kings, it is something you have and are born with. Thus, gaining a title like Scarin or Rorick does not give you extraordinary abilities to lead men, which is why many Scarins end up dead in a ditch.
     What these give you is Honor and Fame, which in turn makes it easier to attract followers and henchmen to their cause. It is then left to your natural ability to keep them together and forge a crown fitting a king.

Clerical Sects: An Example

     In reality, no god in our world has ever been a cut and dry figure. Even the most peaceful ways of thought have lead to blood conflicts in that god's name. In this way, clerics and priest of the same god have been able to take different sides of multiple issues, allowing for a deep conflict within the faith on some very fundamental levels.

     In order to reflect this I've stripped the alignments from the deities in my campaign and given them rough spheres of power. Usually, each gawd will have two: one that represents the good things about the gawd, and one that represents its wrath, allowing the gawd to use a carrot-and-stick method with its followers and heretics.
     For example: the healing badger, Mortitagus, primarily the gawd of healing and nature. His spheres include anything to do with those two things, including plagues, which he sends when he feels his Houses of Healing are not being frequented enough. This has lead to a more radical faction within his faith that jumps people in the streets, beats them to an inch of their life, and then takes them to get healed by their priest. Their thought is that beating up a few people in the street is worth not having a terrible plague ripe through the land so therefore it's an act of mercy.

    This conflicts somewhat with the Hackmaster system, which uses the Kingdoms of Kalamar pantheon on its basis for clerics. There is an easy fix to this.
    Each different cleric represents a way to worship your gawd of choice. The best way to show this is an example I feel.

    The Andalish gawdess the Morrigan has three major spheres: Sovereignty, Death, and Honorable Warfare.

    A player wanting to focus on the Morrigan's power over Sovereigns may choose the Courts of Justice, changing (with the permission of myself) his ornate god armor in constantly buying new crow-feather cloaks or ceremonial swords.
   Additionally, a different player may also want to focus on sovereignty, but not having a cleric of noble birth, he decides that instead, he'll focus on being a councilor to a ruler. He needs to be as wise as possible and to have a variety of skills that will benefit his king, so he picks the Order of Thought.

   Both players worship the same gawdess and are part of the same faith, both even revere the same power, but both approach their faith differently. One is LG and the other is LN.

   While some churches may make more sense and are easier to fit to a particular gawd and gawdess but it's only limited by your imagination on the matter and what you can make sense of theologically.
   You can also, with permission make minor changes to the church to make it fit better fluff-wise. Like having a cleric of Mortitagus using the Church of Everlasting Hope use a mace instead of staff as his preferred weapon, but only allowing him to casting his heal spells by bludgeoning his victims patients.

   Continuing on with the example:
   Another player wants to focus on the Morrigan's death aspect. She picks a cleric from the Congregation of the Dead, which is NE in alignment. She see's the gawdess role as a necessary one and that dead should be a glorify part of life. She could do that but she could also pick the Cathedral of Light, which is LG, and still focus on the Death aspect.

   Now remember that alignment is a meta-game concept. Even if she were to go NE, that would mean that she couldn't travel with a paladin of the Morrigan, or be shunned from society. Remember, at the end of the day, she still is a representative of her gawdess and deserves respect. Of course, she may have some theological disagreements with a Crow that uses the Cathedral of Light but that wouldn't always mean that they'd come to blows over it.
   That also wouldn't mean that they wouldn't come to blows (after all, the Catholics and Protestants burned each other at the stake). It would simply be on a case by case basis.

Andalish Cosmology

The earth (Andalis) and sky (Idavoll) have always been and always will be. Just like giants and gods always have been and always will be. Life will change but these always will be.The Andals were created during the war of the Giants when they fought the old gods. During that time, much of the land was changed as each side tried to kill the other. The Giants had driven back the old gods to the gates of Idavoll and we're beating down the doors. The chaos was so great that no one noticed the great cracks had begun to form in the earth. Only a very clever Eoten named Shor saw and he realized that if the Sky were to fall then it would crush the Giants.Acting quickly he braced his back against the heavens and strained with all his might to keep it from falling.

The battle raged on and the Giants took Idavoll and the old gods fled, but the damage was done and Shor was left to hold the sky until he died. The strain was so great that he sweat large drops that fell to the earth and became the first Andals, because they were from the earth. His bones still hold up the halls of Idavoll to this day.

Andalish worship is very foreign to the Free Cities and Raider ideology as it remains very tribal, even to this day. Where Raiders understand their polytheistic outlook on creation, they incorporate religious ceremony in almost every aspect of life, constantly pouring over tomes and trying to more closely emulate their deities, Andals almost take it for granted. They have an attitude of "yes, I know it's there, but it's not bothering me at the moment so why should should I care?". On top of that, they are seen as backward by Free Cities standards on account of their never really picking a side when it comes to matters of faith, as long as it's Andalish gods we're talking about.

This is only compounded by the fact that their gods don't happen to be the the most powerful beings out there, just one of the group and, at one point in their lore, were entirely replaced with an entirely new set.

That's not to say that Andals are not a religious people, they just don't see a point in making a big deal about it most of the time. As such while each god has multiple strands of belief, there doesn't seem to be much friction between competing clergy for total dominance.

Andals have few holy days but make time each week for devotions around a central meeting place, which varies by sect. Additional sacrifices above that are made to select gods on certain occasions. The most notable of which is when Andals go to war or on the eve or finish of a great battle where they sacrifice to each god in turn. To the Morrigan for a good death should it come, to Sigmar for victory, to Moritasgus for quick recovery with minimal pain, and finally to Cassandra so that she won't get involved either way.

In many cases clergy of one god will pay devotions to another Andalish god with no stigma.

Hero worship is fairly common, with relics having a central role, often having certain artifacts passed down from generation to generation until it becomes useless, in which case it's reforged. Most often of these are armor and weapons.

Mythical figures appear through Andalish legends and many serve a more central role in the stories than their gods, such as Black Agatha or Yaga Baba, which are consulted by heroes as often as the heroes seek divine aide.

The Andals remain a most pragmatic people at their heart and while they do not fear change, for that is the way of the world, they tend to shy away from it. Don’t fix something that isn’t broken could be considered a mantra of their culture.

They also take guest rites and duty to one’s family very seriously and it’s seen as any man’s foremost duty to see that those are observed. When a guest eats your salt and bread, it is seen as an unspoken god oath of protection between the two parties, and any man that breaks it is cursed. The same goes for kinslayers.

"The earth owes you nothing"

"The ant and crow councils with it's own kind"

Unlike other cultures, Andals take a more pan-theistic approach to worship, as such not many follow one god over the other, let alone one faction within that temple. Few outside the clergy are anointed. The factions are there for cleric players to develop as they see fit for roleplaying purposes.

 

The Crokyrka

Followers of the Morrigan (often referred to as Crows, because of their crow feather cloaks they wear when officiating) are generally split into two camps. The first is called the Crokyrka (literally translated; Crow church) which is more common in the more rural and eastern parts of the Young Kingdoms. The focus of this faction is that the Morrigan is one goddess with 3 distinct aspects. This is seen as the more traditional view of the goddess.

The Crokyrka is more tribal in its beliefs and remain adamant that the Morrigan's primary role is the oversight of life and death. As such they see dispensing justice as a secondary job for them. The first being making sure the dead stay dead.

While they get along fairly well with the priests of the tribunal, it tends to be a matter of keeping their distance from each other. The Crokyrka are viewed as country bumpkins and it wouldn't be far from the truth.

The Tribunal of the Morrigan

The second type of Crow that worships the Morrigan are called Wardens or Arbiters. They see the Morrigan as a triple goddess made of the goddesses Morrigan, Badb, and Anannis. Each has a distinctive role within the triad.

Worship of the one-in-three goddess is most popular with the more populated cities and amongst the ruling class.

Temples to the Tribunal are set up in close fashion to Raider temples, with a permanent structure and a full time staff of priests and priestesses, often a set of 3 priests or priestesses run the temple, with a myriad of acolytes underneath them.

These buildings serve as a center of law giving, with the local ruler at least being advised by the presiding triad if not just sitting in court in the temple (or having the tribunal do it for him)

The other Andalish faiths criticize the tribunal as departing from the traditional way so that it's worshipers can be more accepted by Free City and Raider culture.

Daughters of Winter (Witches)

Cassandra is the goddess of winter, night and nature. Because of her spheres of control her cult is frowned on for the most part as being somewhat savage but that frown is quickly turned aside in times of strife as she is also primarily seen as a goddess of wisdom and fortune.

Her priesthood is only women and is very secretive about recruiting practices. In fact, witches are secretive about everything and rarely associate with outsiders. They are usually consulted as augers for natural disasters and ways to appease the gods.

Witch garb varies by coven but they are singularly visibly marked with a bat, which symbolizes the ability to navigate in the dark. The use of ceremonial mask is also fairly common with a strong tendency for moon symbolism to appear.

Daughters of Winter do not get along with other foreign religions and openly reject and fight against outlander influences. This has lead to an underground terrorist movements seeking to overthrow non-Andalish kings over Andalish states. While their targets try to root them out, no sensible Andal wants to fight against a goddess that can bring about eternal winter.

Sigmar's Faithful

Sigmar and Sigmar’s faith remains an interesting subject of discussion of those that have time to devote to such matters. Sigmar is believed to be the father of all warriors and heroes. He is also seen as the personification of all outside forces that mean destruction of the Andal nations, thus symbolized by his animal, the dragon, the ancient enemies of the giants.

Sigmar’s faithful take the surname of Heldenhammer and they’re often tattooed with some mark of their office, chosen by them during their anointing of blood, or birth into the clothe. The most common are a dragon on the heel, the twin comet of his order on their cheek, or a hammer across their chest, most often with the head protecting the heart.

As a god of war and vengeance, you can imagine that the Faithful are a more militant group of individuals and you would be right. While kings and lords make use of their ranks, the Faithful are notorious for jumping on any chance to fight and often lead small scale raids against other forces without the consent of any ruler. This has lead to some diplomatic tension, and while most Andals have come to accept this as a risk of everyday life, other cultures do not look too kindly on these vigilantes. As such the Faithful’s power and influence has waned in the recent centuries excepting in Bloodrun, where their power is as entangled as it ever has been.

Even so, way-shrines to Sigmar remain a popular places to visit when going to war or seeking the god’s vengeance for real or imagined slights.

The Walkers in the Night

An offshoot of the Faithful, a certain sect of religious extremists have taken the god’s vengeance into their own hands. Legendary in their ability, there is little to nothing know about this shadow organization but that it sometimes heed the prayers of vengeance.

There are many stories of their deeds and they are seen as the hand of Sigmar and accepted like a force of nature, much in the same way a bad stroke of fortune or a really bad storm is viewed.

Order of the Moritasgus (Moritasgian)

Going to a house of healing in any of the Young Kingdoms is like playing Russian Roulette with half the chambers loaded. That’s because the fanatics of Moritasgus have a very unique approach to their job. If they don’t know how to heal something, the most practical way to get the job done is to break the problem in a way you can fix it. Surprisingly, this has lead to some great discoveries in the fields of chiropractic medicine and the mending of bones and surgery of all kinds, much to the chagrin of the recipients.

And Divine healing is as much a gamble as the more zealous clerics will deliver the cure via the business end of their holy symbol, a mace, often spiked for effect.

Moritasgus is also seen as having some privileges over the earth and farmers often seek his favor at spring planting for a bounteous harvest. He is also the patron of the Radagasts, wood seers and shapeshifters.

While not a vengeful god, as Andalish gods go, he does have power over plagues and they are often seen as heralds of his displeasure, especially, it is told, if he thinks his houses of healings are not being visited with a much regularity as he thinks they should be.

Ruin

There is one Andalish god that is avoided at all costs: Ruin. Ruin represents that total destruction of Creation and all that is in it. He’s followers seek to further his dark will by bringing the end of all things.

While other gods may fight and bicker, each wanting the other’s to leave or die so they can reign supreme, they don’t want to destroy Creation and everything in it, which sets Ruin apart even from other gods that are considered classically ‘evil’ in their intentions.

Ruin was said to have been born from the corpse an old god, the last remaining aspect of what was. Some say he is an old god, changed and twisted in the madness of whatever happened to the rest of them. He is often depicted as a pillar of black smoke with many masks floating in the void that vomits dragons and snakes, or as a finely dressed nobleman with an oddly still face.

Followers of the Faceless Butcher keep themselves secret. They may even appear helpful and kind as generally they see their strategy as a long term one. They’re not interested in bringing down a single kingdom or race, they’re interested in destroying the Shor’s Bones.

The Master of Masks is sometimes related to the T’zolkin, the Free Cities’ calender-god, by the more xenophobic Andal as he is also see as the Lord of Dragons.

Ruin, in essence, represents everything that is not, or everything on either side of eternity. The Seeking Dark that was and will be.