Fey Troupers

Those who use fey magic to entertain.

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Aithris

Type: Poet

Aithrises (pronounced "ar-ish") are poets who have the power of fey True Names in their art.

The Name of a thing is the whole of a thing. All things have four component parts: body, mind, heart, and soul. These combined create their Names. Aithrises work these into their poetry to draw their magic out, giving energy to some, taking from others, shaping, reshaping, influencing, empowering, and more.

To wield this power, they must know their own True Name, which must have fey magic within it, and they must use it as collateral against the wielding of their magic. If they fail in their magic, their own True Name suffers. To learn how to do this requires that they have a complete understanding of their body, their emotions, their minds, and their souls. The process to do this varies by every individual, but it involves incredible magic and study. Some try to learn the magic with deals with powerful fey or other strange ways, but shortcuts always weaken the magic in the end.

Once they have this magic, they then need to find True Names to fuel it, specifically True Names of beings or things or places with fey magic. Any other kind of True Name will not work. True Names are not simply a Name given at birth, but a magical essence that is the fullness of a thing. As they wield their magic, they gain certain abilities:

• Name rhyming: finding something that rhymes with the fullness of a thing is no easy task, but doing so allows the aithris to alter the Name and the thing temporarily.
• Nominative poetry: using a Name as fuel for a poem allows the aithris to increase their writing or performance of the poem immensely.
• Free verse: if they use a Name to create free verse, they help the thing the Name describes more free, more loose, more adaptable.
• Structured verse: if they use a Name to create a structured poem, they help the thing the Name describes become more structured, more in line, more orderly.
• Metaphorical Name: finding a metaphor that applies to a True Name, as difficult as it is, protects the True Name from others.

Airthrises are extremely powerful and must make many deals, perform many rituals, and do much work to find Names for their work. They are poets first, though, and favor their writing and performance most of all.

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

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Ceolsraid

Type: Street Performer

Ceolsraids ("kyohls-rod") are street performers of any kind of entertainment (music, juggling, statuing, performance art, poetry, street theatricals, etc.) who draw magic from the response of their audiences. They specifically wield the magic of glamour, the magic of people's celebration of their work. They may dress in rags and live on the streets, but they have within them the magic of being beloved by those who see their performances.

Not everyone can draw the magic from a crowd. They must know the method of doing so, which can be gleaned either from study, making deals with the fey, or constantly glorying in the glamour until you have a powerful vision. The more it is used, the more it is honed to give them special abilities:

• Glamoured performance: the ceolsraid can heighten their performance using the magic they glean from the audience.
• One thousand masks: they can make themselves appear more amazing, a heightened version of themselves.
• Dancing with the crowd: they can engage the audience (not just with dance) and amplify how much glamour they draw from them.
• The world is a stage: they can perform anywhere, making an illusory stage appear around them.
• Shower of coins: they can cash in their glamour and convince the crowd to give money instead.

Ceolsraids are not professionals in terms of being employed by anyone, but find places in the streets to perform. They somtimes still have elaborate set ups or work with others.

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

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Cori

Type : Sensualist

Coris are part of a sisterhood of ancient power that pass on their own traditions. They are an old order of wielders of sex magic and witchcraft. They work together in covens of eleven for their witchcraft. In the colonies, they use their arts to help others with their bodies and hearts, working as physical and emotional sex therapists.

Their sex magic is part of an ancient tradition known as the "thirteen points", referring to thirteen parts of (most) bodies that are both targets for pleasure and magical energy. If all thirteen are invoked during sex, the culmination of the union will release enormous magical energy that all consenting parties in the spell can wield. They can choose to wield it in the moment, to store it for later, or to give it to one of the other participants. If they store it, they have 26 points of magic to use later. If they wield it, they can roll from a 13 to cast any spell that will affect the body of anyone involved who consents. If they choose to give it, they give 13 points to someone else.

If they store it, they usually keep that magic for their witchcraft. Coris have 13 spells they can cast individually, and 13 they can cast when the coven of 11 is together. All spells must be cast before they are needed, then kept by the cori for three days and three nights, at which point they will be gone whether they were used or not. They can cast only three individual spells per night and one group spell.

Individual spells include the following:

• Enticing aura: the cori is more enticing to anyone who sees them, +3 PRS for an hour
• Touch of grace: the touch of the cori grants someone a one-time escape from a diffuclty situation that must be used within 13 days
• Drop of life: a drop of the cori's sweat will heal wounds down one level (deep to normal, etc.)
• Violet hearts: the cori's heart glows violet and anyone they choose who can see it will feel themselves centered emotionally
• Point of relaxation: the cori gives +3 ATH for an hour to anyone they soothe
• Word of release: the cori speaks a word that releases a single target from a specific obligation
• Soothing whisper: the cori's voice becomes intensely soothing
• Inner beauty: the cori releases the 13 points of someone and unleashes their inner beauty
• Heart's barrier: the cori's feelings fuel a barrier that only allows through those they love or care about
• Smile of kindness: the cori's smile gives anyone who sees it +3 to their lowest base stat for 10 minutes
• Bodily emancipation: the cori releases someone's body's limitations for a short period of time
• Circle of power: the cori creates a circle of power that gives everyone around them +3 to STR
• Mirror of feelings: the cori enchants a mirror to show the emotions of those whose images it reflects

Group spells include the following, which all participants gain. They must be cast the day before being used, cast by the entire coven together, and given to a specific cori to wield via a trinket that will trigger the spell when they choose sometime in the next 24 hours. These are more witchcraft-focused than healing:

• Ritual of Calming Aura: when invoked, the cori can calm the emotions of everyone within 20' (WIL vs. PRS)
• Ritual of Fey Will: when invoked, the cori gains +1 WIL for every 3 points of PRS they have
• Ritual of Lunar Dance: when invoked, the cori gains +1 for crescent moon, +2 for half, +3 for gibbous, +6 for full, -1 for new, to every roll
• Ritual of Violet Storm: when invoked, violet lightning and rain are unleashed in a radius of 25', causing emotional damage and confusion to everyone
• Ritual of Potent Pleasures: when invoked, the cori knows what is the greatest source of pleasure for anyone they can see
• Ritual of Widow's Needle: when invoked, the cori communes with every woman within three miles who has killed an abuser, gaining +6 PRO against any abuser for the entire night
• Ritual of Twice Hexed: when invoked, the cori can inflict two targets whose name they know or whom they can see with a curse of their choosing
• Ritual of Inner Presence: when invoked, the cori gains +1 PRS for every 3 points of WIL they have
• Ritual of Coven Voice: when invoked, the coven speaks as one through the cori, combining their spells into one
• Ritual of Mother's Heart: when invoked, the cori provides healing to all allies within 100', perfectly healing all wounds
• Ritual of Child's Cries: when invoked, the cori becomes impossible to attack for 15 seconds
• Ritual of Crone's Laughter: when invoked, the cori intimidates any enemy who can hear it; anyone who fails exceptionally or critically goes mad with terror
• Ritual of Thirteen Souls: when invoked, the haritmu links souls with the coven and can use any of their innate powers or learned skills for 10 minutes

If any of the group spells have been cast, the player rolls a d12 every in-game hour to see if one of the other members of the coven uses the spell. This does not use it up, but their character will be aware and affected by some of them.

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

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Fabulist

Type: Storyteller

A storyteller whose stories draw from ancient and powerful legends. Fabulists are wandering storytellers, oral historians, poets, musicians, and genealogists whose power comes from the depths of the most ancient and powerful stories. These stories are so old as to be mythical or archetypal, and many balladeers know multiple cultural variations on them, adjusting them to their audience. They learn their traditions from other fabulists, but learning to wield their magical power requires one of two methods: making a deal with a powerful fey or immersing themselves in one of the stories and living through it. The latter requires a magical ritual that other balladeers whisper about. If they choose the immersion method, they will end up with various motivations, geases, curses, and/or characteristics because of it.

• Most ancient tale: the fabulist can tell a story - taking no less than ten minutes to tell and no more than ten days - that evokes the ancient roots of all who hear it, revealing their roots and thus their present selves, showing weaknesses and strengths, and stirring deep within them their primordial forms. Difficulty 17.

• Epic poem: the fabulist can write and/or recite an epic poem telling tales of mythic adventure and give bonuses to PRO, AWA, and STH to any allies who hear it. Difficulty 14. Bonuses vary by success level.

• Song of cycles: anyone who hears this song and is chosen by the balladeer senses the versions of their story that came before or might come after and has the choice to absorb that story for various effects based on that story. Difficulty 17.

• Legend lore: fabulists know the stories, myths, and legends of their own cultures and others.

• Bloodline tracing: the fabulist’s knowledge of genealogy may be rolled when meeting someone and learning their full name (not True Name, though that works, too) to see what they know of their family history.

• Archetypal commentary: the fabulist can read a person and see what story archetype they fit, then use that to mock and taunt them into foolish actions or to encourage and support them wisely.

• Invocation of the lore: the fabulist may invoke the lore of stories and force a consequence based on “how stories should go”.

• Mythic persona: the fabulist can awaken the mythic or primordial form of themselves or others with a telling of a relevant tale.

Fabulists may be employed by an individual for entertaining, or they may be wandering entertainers who keep these practices from their nation, culture, or community.

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

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Fool

Type: Fool

One who catalyzes an adventure. A fool is a clown, jester, or comedic figure who follows the Fool’s Way. They start a journey without preparation and find adventure along the way that is catalyzed by their decision, thus creating magic of the lore in doing so. As followers of the Fool’s Way, they are able to sense this magic and wield it if they have the correct tools.

Fools use special walking sticks to gather their magic. At the start of their journey, they strike the ground in a specific rhythm as they walk, and if they have set out duly unprepared and without knowledge of their direction or the obstacles ahead, they will draw in magic. The keenness needed to do this is remarkable, however, and few are able to do it right.

Once someone has captured the energy of the Fool’s Way, they can wield it in various ways. As fools, they are speakers of truth and mystics, jesters and japers, and they derive magic from this as well. Fools use the following powers:

• Send on their way: anyone they strike with their walking stick must roll WIL vs. 3 points per point of magic used or be forced to depart the area and not return for 10 days.

• Catalyze: for the cost of 10+ points of magic, the fool may strike something with their walking stick and create an unexpected chain reaction.

• Unseen obstacle: if they don’t see it, it isn’t there. For the cost of 4 points per point of difficulty, they may ignore an inanimate obstacle by not looking at it but feeling through or past it with a stick.

• Good friends: anyone who is with them at the start of their journey may be granted bonuses to ATH at the cost of 3 points of magic per bonus point to ATH. This includes animal companions.

• Grasshopper music: the fool may perform music in place of eating, finding shelter, sleeping, or drinking water at the cost of 10 points per basic need met.

• Foolish capering: the fool may dance with a stranger and make them an unexpected ally at the cost of 5 points of magic per point of PRS bonus they use to roll against the target’s AWA.

• Bauble speech: their staff, if topped with a head-like bauble, may speak truths that they dare not.

• Stunning punnery: they can either roll PRS to stun anyone who can hear them with a pun or the player may make a pun relevant to the situation and roll PRS+3 to do the same.

• Outwit step: they may roll PRS instead of STH to hide in a single step at the cost of 10 points of magic.

• Mocking laughter: if they make a joke at someone’s expense and inspire laughter in others, the person takes the low die until the end of the interaction.

Fools are a mixture of wanderer and jester, of clown and vagrant.

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

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Gasconist

Type: Bard

A bard whose boasting and talltales create powerful exaggerations

Bards are traditionally employed by a leader or group to maintain oral traditions, entertain, maintain genealogies, and praise the leader or group. Gasconists may be employed in this fashion, or they may be wandering entertainers who keep these practices from their nation, culture, or community.

The abilities of a gasconist come from tall tales. To be a gasconist, one must practice the telling of tall tales and boasts. The more they do this, the more they believe in the bullshit they spew, the more humorous or moral their tall tales are, the more they explain the world or just entertain, the more power they gain. If they are aware enough to notice the magic develop or if they have been taught to do so, they may tap into it and exaggerate themselves into special powers.

• Tall tale: the gasconist may tell a story - taking no less than ten minutes to tell and no more than ten days - of absurd proportions and features, making bold claims and exaggerations, and give any listeners exaggerations of their best stats for the same amount of time it took to tell the story. Difficulty 14, +3 per target above three.

• Unlikely poetry: the gasconist can write and/or recite a poem that makes unlikely claims, absurd styles, or silly punnery and lighten the hearts of any who hear or read it, giving them high die on their next rolls (number of rolls determined by success level). Difficulty 14.

• Hyperbolic song: the gasconist can write and/or perform a song that makes hyperbolic claims that give listeners increased confidence, allowing them +1 to +6 depending on success level. Difficulty 14.

• Exaggerated history: the gasconist knows a version of history that makes everyone larger than life.

• Bloodline tracing: the gaconist’s knowledge of genealogy may be rolled when meeting someone and learning their full name (not True Name, though that works, too) to see what they know of their family history.

• Boast: the gasconist can make a boast about their abilities that seems unbelievable. If they can convince three or more people it is true, they can roll their PRS, +3 per target above three, to make it temporarily true.

• Invocation of claims: the gasconist can invoke past unlikely claims they have made in tall tale, song, poem, history recitation, or boast and roll WIL to try to make it true.

• Exaggerated form: the gasconist can take an exaggerated form for up to three rounds, at the cost of an exaggerated reversal afterward for nine rounds.

Gasconists are popular wherever they go.

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

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Thespian

Type: Actor

An actor whose performances tell stories so powerful the characters come alive.

Thespians gain their abilities by performing stories on stage. If the stories are amongst the ancient ones, the powerful ones, and if they perform well enough, they may embody the stories, characters, plots, or themes well enough to draw magical power from them. Some gain this ability from deals with the fey, and some gain this by being so skilled at performance that the energies cannot escape them. The risk they run is that if they perform too well, they might end up never leaving the performance.

They gain different abilities from different performances. The role they play or the story they are performing might give different abilities, but the energies present will always be fey, even if the character or story has a different energy represented in it. The more it is associated with a different energy, the less real it is - performances of infernal, celestial, unaligned, or elemental energies will be fully illusory, performances of fey energies will be much more real.

The general theme of the abilities they gain is the ability to embody a different character or set of characters within the story, using their magic outside the performance as they carry it with them afterward. They gain magic based on the skill of their performance and response of the audience. The better the performance and response, the longer they carry the energies with them.

Some common abilities they have are as follows:

• Unreal mask: they can put on a nonexistant mask to change their appearance for a performance.
• Living performance: as they perform, if they switch characters, the previous character lingers as an independent illusory person.
• Illusory setdress: as they perform, the setting becomes real around them on the stage.
• Dramaturgical light: they can unleash a light that reveals how things are done in theatre, showing the mundane trickery.
• Lingering embodiment: for a time after their performance, they retain the magic of the character they were portraying.

Thespians are very rare - their magic is very difficult to attain. Thus, they are very expensive to hire for a show.

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