Runes of the Stormfather
The Skeirn of the Rock of Storms practice the ancient and dire magics known as the Runes of the Stormfather. These arcane glyphs and ciphers grant them power in battle, protection from their enemies, and healing from their injuries. Many of the rituals of this discipline are grim and demanding, reflecting the cold, rainswept world of their origin. This magic uses yellow as its signature color, and its packets must be marked with a single Rune of Making. Most of these spells require the actual marking of an item or character, in order to take effect.
Spells
| Spell | Type |
|---|---|
| Mark of Steel Turning | Readied (touch) |
| Mark of War Weirding | Readied (touch) |
| Mark of Rune Breaking | Ward |
| Mark of Lingering Breath | Readied (touch) |
| Rune of Severed Bonds | Instant (caster) |
| Rune of Hatred’s Name | Readied (special) |
| Rune of Standing Stones | Readied (touch) |
| Rune of Living Peace | Instant (touch) |
| Rune of Thunder’s Might | Instant (touch) |
| Rune of Hearth’s Warden | Circle |
| Sign of Dying Honor | Readied (packet) |
| Sign of Fading Power | Readied (packet) |
Rituals
| Ritual | Minimum Duration |
|---|---|
| The Land Thirsts | 1 minute* |
| Marking the Lesser Signs | 5 minutes |
| Meadhall Revels | 15 minutes |
| Honor the All-Maker | 3 seconds* |
| Calm the Least Gods | 1 minutes* |
| Ancestral Rede | 5 minutes |
| The Huntsman’s Gift | 1 minute |
| Brothers to Battle | 10 minutes |
| Trials of Night | 5 minutes* |
| Warden of the Meek | 5 minutes* |
| Shield of Flesh and Blood | 1 minute |
| Pride in Skilled Hands | 1 minute |
Spell Descriptions
Mark of Steel Turning
- Type
- Readied (touch)
- Requirements
- Caster cannot hold a weapon. Doing so drops the remaining uses of this spell.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a mark of power that turns back steel; in the thick of battle, if need be great enough, enemy swords will make no wounds.”
- Activation Verbal
- “Your flesh will turn back steel.” (while drawing a rune on the target; 3 second concentration)
When this spell is cast, the caster gains their Mastery in uses. When the caster draws the rune on the target (3 seconds, minimum time) and speaks the activation verbal, they grant the target 2 points of Protection. As with all magical protections, this spell will not stack with itself or other sources of protection, instead simply replacing the original effect.
Mark of War Weirding
- Type
- Readied (Touch)
- Requirements
- Caster must hold at least one weapon. Failure to do so drops the remaining uses of this spell.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a mark of power called War’s Weirding; as my kinsmen go to battle, I only need scribe it upon them, and they will return victorious.”
- Activation Verbal
- “War’s weirding is known to you.” (while drawing a rune on the target)
When this spell is cast, the caster gains their Mastery in uses of this spell. When the caster draws a rune upon a target and speaks the activation verbal, they increase the target’s maximum (but not current) Prowess by 1, for two hours. A second Mark of War Weirding does not grant bonus prowess, but instead simply replaces the original, essentially resetting the two hour limit.
Mark of Rune Breaking
- Type
- Ward
- Requirements
- None
- Casting Verbal
- “I know the last mark of power, the final cunning of the Storm Father; runes shall break against me, and none shall write my fate.” (while drawing a rune on yourself).
With this spell up, a caster may “burn” a Runes of the Stormfather charge to resist the effects of any single packet-delivered magical effect. Such a resist is called as “Ward,” when activated. The caster can end this spell for a “free” instance of such a resist, or to call Threshold against any damaging effect equal to or less than their Mastery in power. Mark of Rune Breaking lasts until it is deliberately ended or for an entire event, whichever comes first. A character may only have one ward up at a time.
Mark of Lingering Breath
- Type
- Readied (touch)
- Requirements
- Caster must either have a limb wound of any kind, or bear large, red runes on the backs of both their hands and on each side of their face, or the spell drops.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a mark of power drawn from my blood: if a warrior is pained from a wound, it will soon be cured, and their breath will linger on.”
- Activation Verbal
- “May your breath linger on.” (while drawing a red rune on the target)
When this spell is cast, the caster gains their Mastery in uses of this spell. When the caster draws a rune upon a Critical target—taking at least 3 seconds to do so—the target is immediately improved to Stabilized. Unlike other Runes and Marks, the ink the caster uses MUST be red. Characters Stabilized with this spell, as with all stabilization effects, will still go back to Critical upon moving at anything faster than a slow crawl (or aided walk), after casting a spell/activating an effect, or after using a skill or feat.
Rune of Severed Bonds
- Type
- Instant (caster)
- Requirements
- Caster must wear a large bracelet of rune-marked ivory, wood, or leather.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a rune of power that is the severing of bonds; my chains and fetters will break and fall useless; none shall halt my passage.” (While drawing a rune on the bracelet)
When this spell is cast, the caster becomes immune to Bind, Shackle, Slow, Fear, Fascination, and Calm effects; they must call “No Effect” when hit with such. As well, a caster under the effects of this enchantment may enter all Circles of magic and magical constructs freely (generally), and can ignore any hostile effects of such (calling “Severed Bonds” and showing the bracelet). Any effect which stops them from attacking others or using hostile spells, however, is unchanged. Rune of Severed Bonds lasts for 1 hour per point of Mastery.
Circles and Enchantment effects which are affected by this spell (omitted effects assume no change):
- Daughter of the Maelstrom May enter freely.
- Circle of Absolute Clarity Caster may lie freely.
- Rune of Hearth’s Warden May enter freely.
- Ring of the Fair Ones Immune to sleep effect.
- Sixfold Inferno Barrier Immune to damage
- House of Jade and Marble May enter freely, but only if this enchantment’s Mastery level exceeds the Mastery level of the House’s casting.
Note that beneficial effects from Circles are not prevented.
Rune of Hatred’s Name
- Type
- Instant (special)
- Requirements
- The caster must hold the enchanted weapon or carry it on their person at all times, and it must be have both the target’s true name and the rune actually written on the phys-rep itself. Failure to do all of this will drop the enchantment entirely.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a rune of power that pays the boatman’s price; with hatred I scribe my foe’s name upon this (weapon); they will hear the ravens calling.” (while drawing rune and name on the object; 1 minute of concentration)
- Activation Verbal
- “(target): I strike at you with (mastery)-fold Hate!”
(while pointing at the target of the spell and visibly brandishing the weapon)
In order to cast this spell, the caster must concentrate for 1 minute, and then they must draw the actual rune and the name of the target upon their weapon. Once cast, the Rune will persist on a weapon until it is used. When this spell is finally activated, the caster may call “True Strike X” with every attack they make with the enchanted weapon against the truly-named target of the spell, where X is equal to their Mastery (casters with Mastery 1 just call these as “True Strike”). The activated effect persists for 1 minute, maximum. If the activation verbal is called out against a person with the wrong true name, (such as by using only their title instead of their actual name) then the target may call “No Effect” against all of the True Strikes.
The caster may only have one such weapon enchanted at a time; if they cast this spell while bearing a weapon that already has it, the original enchantment is lost. Rune of Hatred’s Name may only be used against a particular target once per event.
True Strikes do their called damage to whatever location is hit and cannot be defended against, reduced, or negated by any game effect whatsoever. The only way to defend against a True Strike is to mundanely avoid, parry, or block the weapon.
Rune of Standing Stones
- Type
- Readied (Touch)
- Requirements
- Caster must hold a runestone, else all remaining uses are lost.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a rune of power that is the strength of standing stones; no useful object will be destroyed; no axe or sword will break in battle.”
- Activation Verbal
- “This (object) shall stand as the stones.” (while drawing a rune on the item)
When this spell is cast, the caster gains their Mastery in uses of this spell. When the caster scribes a rune on an item and speaks the activation verbal, it grants that item a single Resist against effects that would Break, Shatter, or Destroy it. This effect lasts until it is used or for one event, whichever comes first. An item cannot have more than one magic-based Resist on it at a time.
Rune of Living Peace
- Type
- Instant (touch)
- Requirements
- Item cannot be a weapon and must have some real value (i.e. have a tag)
- Casting Verbal
- “I know the secret rune of the All Mother, which brings living peace; this object will give (mastery)-fold aid to its holder, if they but keep it close.”
(while drawing a rune on the object after 1 minute of concentration)
When this spell is cast, it enchants a non-weapon tagged item with the ability to accelerate healing for up to a number of hours equal to the caster’s Mastery. As long as a Stable, recovering character holds the item in their hands, any wounds that they have heal at one grade better than they normally would (1hr—30min—15min—5min). Note that this spell will neither Stabilize a character, nor will it enhance the healing of someone who has not been Stabilized.
Rune of Thunder’s Might
- Type
- Instant (touch)
- Requirements
- A melee weapon
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a rune that calls the Stormfather’s rage; this (weapon) will strike down its foes with the (mastery)-fold might of thunder.” (while drawing a rune on the object after 1 minute of concentration)
When this spell is cast after 1 minute of concentration, the enchanted weapon gains the caster’s Mastery in activations. The wielder of the enchanted weapon can, at will, expend an activation to call Lightning Strike 2 for one melee attack, which is lost regardless of whether it hits or not. Any normal defense can be used against this attack as if it were a Power Strike. As with all enchantments, this spell will not stack with itself, and it instead simply replaces a duplicate effect. This spell remains on an item until the Lightning Strikes are used or for one full event, whichever comes first.
Rune of Hearth’s Warden
- Type
- Circle
- Requirements
- The circle must be marked by a large runestone. Must lay the phys-rep after one minute of concentration. When the spell ends, the phys-rep must be taken up.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know the rune of hearth’s warden, which gives rest to my kinsmen; where I scribe it, no spirit will cross; no little folk will bring mischief.” (after 1 min. concentration)
Characters within this circle, which at spell’s completion must be marked by a large runestone, regain lost Vitality and Prowess in five minutes instead of the usual ten. To receive this bonus, characters must spend a full five uninterrupted minutes resting within the circle. Spirits, Animals, and Fairies cannot enter the circle once cast, nor are any of these beings they able to attack anyone within it in melee combat. Magic, thrown, and missile attacks are unaffected, however. Immaterial spirits are still held at bay by this spell.
All circle spells take at least 1 minute to prepare (“draw”) the circle. Even if the circle phys-rep is already in place, the caster must take the concentration time to mark its circumference with each new casting.
This circle takes the form of a ring of yellowed ivory, scrawled with black runes and marked with a large runestone.
Sign of Dying Honor
- Type
- Readied (packet)
- Requirements
- Caster must bear two red or black lines on their face, each of which runs from the cheekbones to the jawline, else all remaining uses are lost.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a sign that kills the honor of my foes; their shield-arms falter and sword-arms weaken; they forget their fathers’ names.”
- Activation Verbal
- “By this sign, your honor shall die!”
The caster manifests their Mastery in packets. Targets affected by this spell may not use any Feats of Strength or attack taglines, regardless of source, until they rest for a standard 10 minute recovery period. This spell counts as a Strength Drain effect, and it may be resisted by those of exceptionally high Strength.
Sign of Fading Power
- Type
- Readied (Packet)
- Requirements
- Caster must bear two yellow or green lines on their face, each of which runs from the cheekbones to the jaw line, else all remaining uses are lost.
- Casting Verbal
- “I know a sign that is the bane of skeirns and rune-makers; their power fades and their will is lost; they forget their mothers’ faces.”
- Activation Verbal
- “By this sign, your power shall fade!”
The caster manifests their Mastery in packets. Targets affected by this spell may not call Feats of Will or cast spells or packet-based effects of any sort until they get 10 minutes of standard rest. Note that this counts as a Will Drain effect, and it may be resisted by those with exceptionally high Will.
Ritual Descriptions
The Land Thirsts
- Duration
- 1 minutes
Draw blood from an arm with a dagger, while chanting, causing a self-inflicted wound. Wounds that are self inflicted do not damage resilience at all.
Marking the Lesser Signs
- Duration
- 5 minutes
Scrawl 12 of the lesser runes of making (runic alphabet) on your flesh, in red or black.
Meadhall Revels
- Duration
- 15 minutes
Sing, gamble, and drink copiously (get drunk in game), reveling with friends and acquaintances.
Honor the All-Maker
- Duration
- 3 seconds
Defeat (take down) a worthy (armed and dangerous) foe in single combat, with no assistance whatsoever. If the duel lasts less than 3 seconds, the ritual fails.
Calm the Least Gods
- Duration
- 1 minute
Formally offer food, which must be accepted, to any combination of 3 spirits, animals or fairies, who must all be in the character’s presence at the ritual’s start.
Ancestral Rede
- Duration
- 5 minutes
Recite the names and deeds of honored ancestors to the 10th generation.
The Huntsman’s Gift
- Duration
- 1 minutes
Offer to the great Storm Father a pelt, fangs, horns, or other harvested item from an animal or monster; these need not be harvested by yourself (burn the item tag in play).
Brothers to Battle
- Duration
- 10 minutes
Wrestle, Spar, or play the Game of Boasting with 2 or more storm-brothers or sisters.
Trials of Night
- Duration
- 5 minutes
Take a lone walk into the nighttime wilderness, returning unharmed (meaning not suffering from a wound or persistent condition).
Warden of the Meek
- Duration
- 5 minutes
Stand guard over the sick, Critical, or incapacitated, without falling or allowing them to come to more harm (harm meaning any damage at all, or any hostile spell effects at all).
Shield of Flesh and Blood
- Duration
- 1 minute
Fight a successful battle (do not fall, and you must cause a wound to at least one enemy) without armor, shield, or magical protection (Vitality is allowed, but not other resilience).
Pride in Skilled Hands
- Duration
- 1 minute
Formally give an item crafted by your own hand to another, reciting its creation and attributes. If this item comes back into your posession somehow, this ritual is Fouled until you make an identical version of the item, and sacrifice both to the Storm Father, all at once (burn both tags in play).