Elemental Troupers

Those who use elemental magic to entertain.

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Cofiwr

Type: Bard

The cofiwr are bards from a tradition of nearby regions who are authorities on natural law. They are poets, oral historian, keepers of ancestral rolls, musicians, and advisers to elemental communities, and they have found a place in the local nature religion as well.

Like druids, they commune with nature and draw upon the energy of natural law for their magic. However, they do not draw from elementals directly, but rather, their understanding of natural law allows them to attune their arts and skills to elemental magic.

To do this, like druids, they must prove themselves loyal to nature, to the power of elemental order, and to their communities. This is less a meditative practice for them, however, and more guided by mentors and tests of survival. They still take a blood oath on a sacred day to nature, and they still must not harm nature for extended periods of time. They must oppose industrial powers directly, politically, socially, and personally. If they fail in this, they may lose their magic.

Eventually, they are tested by elementals. If they pass, they are given special abilities that augment their responsibilities as bards of their elemental communities:

• Song of nature's heart: the cofiwr may play a harp (made of shaped wood and gut string) to evoke music that forces nature around them to conform and obey the laws as the bard understands them.
• Memory of the trees and stones: the cofiwr may access the memories of trees and stones by touching them to augment their knowledge of the oral histories of their peoples.
• Rhyme of beast and blood: the cofiwr may invoke rhymes and poetry that is primal, wild, and learned from wild animals, giving them influence over them.
• Elemental ancestry: the cofiwr may connect to their elemental ancestors, regardless of species, or those of other people, via a rite of blood and memory.
• Wisdom of the sun and moons: the cofiwr may gain guidance from the sun and moons via meditation and ritual every night and every noon.
• Legend of the first druids: the cofiwr may tell a legend of the ancient druids to invoke a druidic spell once per month (to begin with).

Cofiwrs are important in elemental communities, and some may have abilities associated with the elements their community are attuned to. They never work for imperials.

PRO +1 ATH +1 STR -1 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS +3 STH +1

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Fadietre

Type: Musician

Fadietri are musicians from the region who are attuned to their elemental ancestry. They draw from this to create music that makes others remember their natural origins. This is an important part of the culture of the elemental communities and ancient nature religion of the area. The music they create varies slightly. In some parts, it is heavy on zampogna (similar to bagpipes); in the islands, launedda are played (a woodwind pipe instrument). In other areas, hand percussion instruments, violins, or accordions are used. But everywhere, polyphonic vocal performances are central to their music.

To create this music, fadietri must grow up learning the music. They must be loyal and a friend to nature, and they must be enemies to industrial powers. And they must have access to elemental chaos, usually inn the form of tehom or anumun, which is found in rare spaces protected by powerful members of their communities. If they have proven themselves to their communities, they drink of the anumun, have a profound and powerful vision of the creation of the universe, and awaken with knowledge and a connection to their ancestors. Their ancestry is partly a direct line of their bloodlines, partly connected to their mentors and their mentors and so on, and partly flowing back along elemental lines. They infuse this into their music:

• Ancestral polyphony: the fadietre sings with the voices of their ancestors, creating a polyphonic vocal that has incredible power.
• Song of memories: the fadietre performs a song that makes anyone who hears it have memories from their ancestors, literal, figurative, or elemental (the performer's choice).
• Generative rhythm: the fadietre plays a rhythmic song that generates random positive elemental effects on those who dance to it.
• Melody of chaos: the fadietre plays an unpredictable melody that causes listeners who are not elementally aligned to shift their elements.
• Lyrical entropy: the fadietre plays a song whose lyrics cause any listeners who are not elementally aligned to weaken in any powers or abilities that aren't elemental.

Fadietri do not and cannot serve the imperials, though they may perform for them sometimes in larger contexts.

PRO / ATH / STR / AWA +2 WIL / PRS +2 STH /

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Fungoscemo

Type: Fool

Fungoscemi are fools, jesters, clowns who wear a moldy motley and have mushroom caps. They wield powers of elemental fungi to perform japes and capers.

Fungoscemi come from elemental communities who have ancient traditions of pantomime and performance, of traveling theatricals and puppet shows, and they wield their elemental abilities to enhance these and cause wild and ridiculous effects. They perform to spread awareness of and positive associations with nature.

To become a fungoscemo, they must commune with fungi. They spend years learning their craft as fools, while also learning about fungi and training to be protectors of and friends of nature. Eventually, they perform a ritual wherein they are buried beneath a bed of fungi, then sleep there with no food or water save what nature provides. They spend a night in this state, communing with them, and speaking to the fungal elementals. They then rise up without washing any of the fungi off, letting them grow into them, then find another bed of fungi to spill their blood, spit, swear, and tears into. They repeat this ritual every new moon for three months, then spend a full week doing it in a row, culminating in their being tested by the fungal elementals. If they succeed, they awaken with a skin of elemental fungi that becomes their signature motley. This gives them special abilities:

• Moldy motley: they motley of fungi worn by the fungoscemo gives them elemental protections, the ability to speak to fungi, and immunity to needing to clean their bodies or clothing.
• Laughter of the spores: if they make people laugh with a joke about mushrooms or fungi, spores form in the mouths of the laughers, giving the fungoscemo high die on PRS or performance rolls with them.
• Mycellial song: if the fungoscemo gets people singing along with them, those who are singing can be silently communicated with while the song is sung together.
• Tumbling fungling foolishness: the fungoscemo engages in movement that is silly, capering, tumbling, acrobatic, releasing various fungal effects on the audience, such as mild hallucinations, heightened awareness, or brief nausea.
• Doffing the cap: the fungoscemo doffs their mushroom cap and reveals their bare brain, giving themselves bonuses to AWA for a moment.
• Jingle shrooms: the bells on the the motley of the fungoscemo are made of bell mushrooms that fill anyone listening to them with a fear of death.
• What a fun guy: the fungoscemo makes a bad mushroom pun that stuns anyone listening to it.

Fungoscemi usually do a lot of hallucinatory mushrooms. They do not work for imperials and are seen as mad by them. They are ridiculous and beloved by elemental communities. They usually operate as part of a traveling perfomance troupe.

PRO +1 ATH +3 STR / AWA +1 WIL -2 PRS +3 STH +1

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Nottedonna

Type: Sensualist

Nottedonne use the magic of the night via sex magic. They often have sacred roles in certain elemental communities, acting as advisers or spiritual leaders. They commune with the night, perform dances and entertainments, and are protectors of women. They are considered mysterious and dangerous even by others in their own communities.

To become a nottedonna, one must be initiated secretly by other nottedonne. One must learn the magic in secret, and one must be a friend to nature and the night. It takes years to learn, usually starting just after becoming an adult, and it involves rites and rituals similar to witchcraft. Their magic is evoked via sexual rituals done in the dark of night, but it is always consensual. It is always informed. When they are eventually visited by elementals of the night and tested, they do so knowingly and with insight into the power of shadow and the moons. If they are found worthy, they gain abilities:

• Night dance: a dance performed that is alluring and potent, when performed with a sexual partner, it draws the night around the nottedonna and gives her PRS, STH, and AWA bonuses for the next seven nights.
• Black lace: if the nottedonna wears black of any kind, they gain bonuses to PRS.
• Midnight visage: at midnight, they may perform a sexual rite that gives them a second face to wear for the next seven days and nights.
• Twilight vision: at twilight, they can see the secrets of those they find attractive.
• Rite of the dark: this rite is a sexual rite that allows them to give dark energy to others, giving them bonuses to PRS, STH, or AWA.

All of their magic takes preparation, willing participants, and extra time. They rarely serve imperials, and when they do, it is often as a spy.

PRO +1 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +1 WIL / PRS +1 STH +3

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Nuotatore

Type: Athlete

Among the islands of the region, there are those who are from the seaside elemental communities and island elemental communities who use their connection to the islands to become powerful swimmers and athletes. These communities have long and ancient traditions of swimming contests, literally swimming between the islands as part of competitive but friendly games. These traditions have survived while other things have faded, and the nuotatori are honored in their communities for their roles.

Most nuotatori grow up on the islands, so they begin their attunement early. Those who don't must spend years learning about the islands before being able to connect. To attune, one must have a long history there, learn about the island, and engage with it as a living place. They must be friend to the living things there, protect it from industrial poisons, and generally being aligned to nature. Eventually, they perform a ceremony, burying themselves on the islands, drinking the water flowing through or around them, and connecting to all the natural parts of the island as best they can. Then, they dive into the waters and seek to swim to the next nearest island. Along the way, elementals of the islands will follow them, test them, and help them, giving them their abilities.

• Returning dive: a nuotatore may dive into any body of water connected to their island and immediately be back upon its shores, once per week.
• Seeking flow: a nuotatore may swim beneath the waters, close their eyes, feel the flow and currents, and know the direction and distance to the nearest island in that body of water.
• Strength of the island: a nuotatore may take sand or earth from their island, rub it on their body, and imbue their body with greater strength from their island.
• Tidal endurance: the nuotatore's endurance ebbs and flows with the tides on the island they are from.
• Rhythm of the waves: the nuotatore may easily time their swimming strokes to the waves crashing on their island (no matter where they are) and gain bonuses to their swimming.

Off their island, they still maintain their abilities, though they weaken eventually if they do not return regularly.

Their role in their communities has become largely ceremonial. The competitive swims are still a regular event on the islands, but they are not combined with any true rivalry or exchange of goods, people, or resources.

PRO +1 ATH +3 STR +2 AWA / WIL +1 PRS / STH /

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Parhelion

Type: Dancer

A parhelion is someone who wields elemental solar magic via special movements.

The dance of a parhelion takes the form of an analemma, a graph of the sun's position in the sky throughout the day, forming a figure eight. Through this dance, they gather the elemental magic to them, and with special ribbons, they guide its flow. At the start of the dance, they must look directly into the sun, and for this, they wear special veils.

Honeyed water is used by all parhelions in order to capture solar magic. Honey absorbs the energy, and the water cools it so it does not burn whatever is washed in the mixture. Parhelions dance with special ribbons made of sunsilk (+3) or any fabric washed in honeyed water (+0). These ribbons gather and guide the solar magic, and when whipped or moved in a different pattern, hurl the solar magic as directed by the parhelion.

Veils worn by parhelions that allow them to look directly at the sun are made either from a sunsilk gauze (+3) or from any kind of fabric washed in honeyed water (+0). When they look through these veils into the sun, they draw the solar magic into themselves, and then it flows out into the ribbons as they dance.

Parhelions who wish to use their powers after sunset or in enclosed spaces may gather solar magic by using a sundial. The sundial must be washed in honeyed water (+0) or made from sunstone (+2) or some other elemental solar material. The sundial will gather the magic during daylight hours and will lose it rapidly during night hours. In order to use the magic, the parhelion must perform a dance of gathering upon the sundial before the sun sets. Stored solar magic fades away rapidly outside of sunlight, but it can be preserved by further washing the ribbons (of any material) in honeyed water.

A heliostat is a device of mirrors that directs sunlight to a specific spot and holds it there. These devices are sometimes used by parhelions to make up for gathering or wielding of solar magic during a weaker point in the day.

The position of the sun and the planet the parhelion is on (presumed in this write up to be Shem). The closer the sun is to the planet, the more power the parhelion has; however, counterintuitively, the parhelion is stronger at dawn than noon, though noon is second in power during a typical day.

• Dawn: the most potent time of day for a parhelion (+6). As the sun rises, the parhelion can capture the first of its rays, which have the most elemental magic within them. After the sun has been up for about an hour, its power wanes (+5 to +1) until halfway (+0) to noon, when it begins to wax again (+1 to +4).
• Noon: at high noon, the sun is once again at great strength (+5), almost as strong as dawn, and then begins to wane until sunset (+4 to +0).
• Sunset: at sunset, the sun has a final flare of power (+1), making it marginally stronger than an hour or so before sunset.
• Night: at night, the sun's power is almost nonexistent, unless the parhelion has found some other source of solar magic (an enchanted object, for instance). Sunlight reflected off the moons becomes moonlight, and thus has lunar magic that weakens parhelions. (+0 to -6)
• Midnight Sun: in places where the sun does not set, it maintains power through the night, but does not reach the same power it does during the day. (+1 to +3)
• Perihelion: the perihelion, about two weeks after winter solstice (northern hemisphere), is the point at which the sun is most potent on Shem (dawn on the perihelion). (+3)
• Aphelion: the aphelion, about two weeks after the summer solstice (northern hemisphere), is the point at which the sun is least potent on Shem (sunset on the aphelion). (-3)
• Equinoxes: on the equinox, the sun is in perfect balance with the world, and thus, no bonuses or penalties apply. (+0)
• Summer Solstice: in either hemisphere, the summer solstice is stronger than other parts of the year. (+1)
• Winter Solstice: in either hemisphere, the winter solstice is weaker than other parts of the year. (-1)
• Eclipse: an eclipse affects the power of a parhelion based on the totality or lack thereof of the eclipse. A total eclipse weakens them the most (-6).

The location of a parhelion on Shem can affect their dance as well.

• Altitude: though most changes in altitude do not affect the power of a parhelion, being above the cloudline or in the upper atmosphere (where air is dangerously thin) can give a small bonus (+1 to +3).
• Weather: light cloudcover will not affect a parhelion's power, but if it is enough to be overcast (-1) it starts to affect it. A major thunderstorm can make it impossible to perform the dance (enough to black out the sky). Other things (ash, floating islands, etc.) can also cause blackouts or weakening. Fog and heavy mist may similarly cause problems.
• Indoors: being indoors obviously can make it impossible to perform the dance. If there's enough room to dance, a room with open windows and doors will cause a minor penalty (-1). Closed, clear, clean windows are a little more (-2). Tinted or colored glass further impede it (-3). And anything where there is no window or door means it is impossible. The less sunlight, the harder it is.
• Underwater: parhelions in who are under water but still in sight of the sun can theoretically perform the dance (with penalties to movement), but suffer from the heavy distortion of the sun (-6 and down). If the sun is not visible, the dance cannot be performed. If they are beings who live underwater, they have no penalties to the dance, but they still have due to distortion.
• Moons: on the moons, the dance is impossible.
• Cosmic: if a parhelion is in outerspace and not on a planet, their distance from the sun determines their power. The closer, the stronger. If they are close enough to die from its heat and radiation, they max out at +12. If they are outside the solar system, the solar magic's character changes into cosmic elemental energy.
• Sunspots: sunspots have a random effect on the dance of the parhelion (-9 to +9, roll a d20, reroll on a 20).

The dances of a parhelion reflect the phenomena and characteristics of the sun:

• Solar flares: the most basic attack used by a parhelion is a flare, a burst of solar magic flame.
• Solar wind: solar wind is a very hot wind blast that a parhelion can throw via their dances.
• Aurora / proton storm: aurora and proton storm dances are used by parhelions who release their powers at night. They light up the night sky with colorful displays and send cold blasts of solar magic that cause radioactive damage.
• Prominences or filaments: these are much, much stronger forms of flares that require a larger amount of magic.
• Magnetic field: the sun's magnetic field can be mirrored by the parhelion in a special dance, sending a wave of magnetism instead of solarflame.
• Solar disc: a solar disc is a black disc of solar magic that can be throw by a parhelion.
• Sun shield: a sun shield is a shield of glowing, molten fajari that is formed by the dance of a powerful parhelion and blocks esoteric attacks.
• Corona: the parhelion can imitate the effect of the corona (an aura of solar magic) through a special dance, which uses an enormous amount of magic to create a protective aura around the dancer.
• Solar elemental: parhelions can summon weaker solar elementals with a moderate amount of elemental magic via their dance.
• Solar hawk: the dance of the Solar Hawk unleashes a hawk-shaped solar elemental that acts as an independent being and fights of the parhelion for a brief period. This requires a large amount of magic.
• Solar lion: the dance of the Solar Lion unleashes a lion-shaped solar elemental that acts as an independent being and fights for the parhelion for a brief period. This requires a large amount of magic.
• Nova: a parhelion can perform a nova eruption (a sudden flash of solar magic and then rapid dimming) via a special dance that will deplete them of energy and leave them in a near-coma state for up to a year.
• Binary suns: two parhelions dancing together form a "binary sun" dance that doubles their power.
• Kilonova or luminor red nova: two parhelions dancing together can perform a these dances, which is essentially a double nova that nearly kills both dancers.
• Supernova: a supernova dance will kill the parhelion, but cause a devastating wave of solar magic.
• Sol Invictus: the dance of Sol Invictus lets the parhelion become an invicible solar elemental for a brief period. This requires a year's worth of stored up solar magic and leaves the parhelion very weak afterward for a year

Parhelions are part of elemental communities in the region. Their dances are famous and revered, and they are feared and restricted by the imperial powes.

PRO +2 ATH +4 STR +1 AWA +3 WIL +2 PRS +2 STH -2

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Sandsinger

Type: Musician

Those who dance, sing, and especiall whisper in the the deep desert to control the whispers of the deserts, which allows them control of the winds and sandstorms. They carry elemental sand in hourglasses that dance to their voices.

To become a sandsinger, one must wander the desert for 40 lunar-days and 40 lunar-nights, carrying only one bottle or skin of water. They must not spill any water upon the desert sands - not even their own sweat or urine - and so they must capture it. They wear special clothing and carry special containers for this. They are not allowed to remain in an oasis or near a body of water (not that there are any on the moons) for longer than six hours total over the course of the entire 40 lunar-days. And when, during the height of their exhaustion, the desert speaks to them, they must whisper back, and follow the voice, until they can hear the whispers clearly. Then they must sing with them. If they survive, they become a sandsinger. If they do not survive, they were not worthy, were not a friend to the deserts, the moons, or to nature. Most who wish to become a sandsinger train for years before attempting this.

Once they finish their 40 lunar-days, if they have been found worthy, they return home (if they do not die but also do not become a sandsinger, they go home in shame). They are given sustenance, which they drink and eat their fill of, then rest. Once they are recovered. they go back into the desert under a clear sky and sing to the spirits to thank them. If the spirits respond, they are allowed to remain in their home. If they do not respond, they must wander the desert as a sandsinger until the spirits answer. If they are allowed to return home, they serve their people and help them travel through or survive in the desert.

The voice of a sandsinger is their most profound power. Their voice makes the desert whispers respond, which causes the desert to respond. Because the volume of their voice affects the strength of their spells, they almost always whisper (even if not singing). If they sing loudly, the desert will respond loudly - with a sandstorm. Thus, their clothing always cover their faces as well, to dampen sound.

A sandsinger must carry sand from their own desert with them if they leave it, or they will lose their powers. If they have sand on them, they can control the wind, drain the air of humidity, move any nearby sand, cause intense heat, create mirages, sense water, or become a sand whirl.

They keep their sand in hourglasses, for they can measure how much time they have to get back to the desert. Depending on their proximity, power, and usage of their powers, their time varies, but it usually measures out to three days per point of skill. If they break open their hourglasses, a sandstorm will emerge. If they flip it back over to reverse their flow, it will drain their power more quickly, so they avoid this assiduously.

They are usually riders of some magnificent steeds.

PRO / ATH +1 STR / AWA +2 WIL +2 PRS +2 STH /

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Veramuccio

Type: Clown

Veramuccii are clowns who perform the rituals of the spring. In elemental communities, there are ancient traditions of special entertainments, pantomimes and theatrical troupes, and so on that travel the region. Among these are many kinds of fool, clown, and other ridiculous performers. The veramuccii are clowns whose main role begins in the spring.

To become a veramuccio, one must train in entertainments and performance, learn clowning and its various skills, and be part of the ritual and spiritual practices of elemental communities who worship the seasons and elementals thereof. They begin as youth, learning the faith from their communities, but when they become adults, they are either chosen or drawn to the performing arts and are called to magicks of the spring. They are taken to special rites during the springtime during which they meet the vernal elementals and are tested. If they pass, they prove themselves friends to nature and gain special performing abilities:

• Birdsong clamour: the veramuccio can conduct a symphony of birds into a mighty clamour.
• Vernal pratfalls: the veramuccio can perform a series of pratfalls that are part of vernal rites that bring refreshment via their entertainment value.
• Blossoming pantaloons: the veramuccio's pants fall down to reveal a plethora of magical flowers.
• Squirtflower: their flower pin squirts nectar and honey that heals emotional damage.
• Butterfly buffoonery: the veramuccio can summon magical protective butterflies by bonking themselves on the head with a mallet.
• Beebuzzer: their handbuzzer hits like a bee sting.
• Rejuvenating pie: a pie to the face will take five years off your age, metaphorically.
• Rainy umbrella: they can open an umbrella and have rain pour out of it on themselves, washing away any industrial toxins.
• Juggling puffs: they can juggle puffy flower petals that erupts into bright lights.

Veramuccii are powerful wielders of vernal magic. Outside of springtime, their magic weakens, but they can still wield it. They lose it only if they fail to perform the right rituals during the spring equinox.

PRO +1 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA / WIL -1 PRS +3 STH -1