Fey Combatants

Badorinc

A "woman" who disguises as a man to become a soldier, drawing power from old stories by deeply analyzing them.

A badorinc studies the many, many legends of women or non-men who disguise themselves as “men” or transition somehow to male or masculine gender presentations in order to fight in a military or act as a warrior. In their studies, they learn not only the arts used by these historical and legendary figures, but also how to draw from the legends themselves by analyzing their commonalities and finding the magic within them. Some learn this via decades of study while others gain the magic by making a deal with the fey.

Drawing from the legends of these transitional figures often grants medical skills, military training, bonuses to PRO and AWA, and the ability to switch between "man" and "woman" presentations at will. Their fey element is wood, meaning they are attuned to faeriewood trees, magical witch reeds, and fey plants. They can also summon cait siths (fairy cats), charm satyrs, speak to birds, enchant water to not overflow or reduce, induce leaves to sing, ride faeriesteeds, enchant chests to appear and disappear, make incredible boasts true, glamour themselves to heighten their appearances, and more.

Consult the GM or research historical wartime trans masc “crossdressers” / people for ideas.

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

Laochra

A warrior who uses the lore and the power of fey war magic.

Laochra are either fey warriors attuned to the magicks of war or people who have made a deal with powerful fey in order to gain the arts and magicks of war. Those who make a deal with powerful fey almost always make major sacrifices or go deeply into debt for their abilities, often swearing to serve as the fey’s champion warrior. Every ability they get has a deep cost, but also a great power. If they are fey, they must find a mortal to pay the cost. If they made a deal, they pay the cost for the power.

• Dance of silver blades: the laochra can perform a magical war dance that enchants their weapons to +3/+3 more for the coming combat, allows them to harm any being immune to mundane weapons, and makes them flash with every third strike (+3 to hit). Using this means the laochra is weak to iron or steel (-3 to dodge, parry, or block; -1/-1 stun/wound) for the fight.

• Terrifying glamour: +1 intimidation for -1 of every other aspect of PRS (penalty lasts until they next dream). On an exceptional or critical success, the intimidation lodges in the target’s subconscious and becomes permanent.

• Banishing word: with a word, the laochra can banish one enemy to the realm of Faerie or to the Nether Realm (if they are in Faerie), but they will owe the Wild Hunt an extra soul come autumn.

• Ward of sevens: casting this gives the laochra +7 to any stat for seven rounds, but costs then -7 to another stat for that time.

• Song of elevens: singing this allows the laochra to gain +1 per round for 11 rounds to any magical ability or power, but lose -1 to physical stats (ATH, STR) for the same amount of time.

• Spellblade: the laochra can imbue their weapon with a single spell for the duration of combat, but it will increase the blade’s chances of breaking.

• Unspoken challenge: the laochra gains +3 read people when seeking to see if someone is antagonistic toward them, gaining +3 reaction to a fight with that person at any point thereafter, but suffering -3 to all other PRS rolls against them.

• Fairy light burst: a burst of fairy lights confuse all targets within 40’, power 17, costing the laochra -6 STH for six rounds in combat and six minutes out.

• Fey arrow: an arrow made of faeriewood and tipped with toxins from fey mushrooms erupts from the laochra’s hands, leaving a normal wound in their palms but hitting at a 13/19/25/31 and poison power 17.

• Faeriefire charm: this spell unleashes a wave of faeriefire 20’ wide in a 50’ flow, burning everyone who believes it is real, damage rating 16/20/24/28. This costs the laochra their body heat for a week, making them more susceptible to disease, fire, and cold damage.

• Warrior’s feast: the laochra summons a fine feast for themself and up to six other companions. The feast gives them +3 STR and WIL, -1 ATH, -1 STH, and -1 AWA for either the upcoming combat or for a day. Any non-fey or non-fey-empowered being who eats it must also pay a special price to the laochra or fey benefactor or be trapped in the realm of Faerie.

• Battle omen: the laochra may roll a d100. 1-10 means someone on their side will die (low die and -6 to all allies and the laochra). 11-20 is an major ill omen (-6 to all allies and the laochra). 21-30 is a moderate ill omen (low die to all allies and the laochra). 31-40 is a mild ill omen (-1 to all allies and the laochra). 41 to 60 is no indication. 61-70 is a mild good omen (+1 to the laochra and all allies). 71-80 is a moderate good omen (high die to all allies and the laochra). 81-90 is a major good omen (+6 to all allies and the laochra). And 91-100 is assured victory (+6 and high die to all allies and the laochra).

• Exchange of blows: the laochra may challenge someone to an exchange of blows. They may take the first blow and live through it, no matter what it is, then return the exact same blow a year and a day later. If the person returns and accepts the blow, they may also live. If they attempt deception or any other attempt to get out of it, they suffer the blow’s effects.

• Trick shot: the laochra may sneak attack without sneaking once per combat, but will take -3 to AWA against sneak attacks until one is successful thereafter.

• Hunter’s price: the laochra must pay the Wild Hunt at least one soul per year as part of their deal with the magic of the fey. This means they must kill someone once per year and make them an offering to the Wild Hunt. Failure to do so means they themselves are taken.

• Cat’s paw: the laochra may take +3 ATH for a combat but suffer -6 ATH outside of that combat for a week.

• Mimicking defense: the laochra may invoke mimicry of their opponent in order to get +3 to parry (one opponent per combat), but suffer -3 to all other opponents in that combat (if there is only one person in the combat, they must take the penalty for their next combat).

• Witch’s waters: the laochra can summon magical water that dispels enchantments on a single target, but they must give up an enchantment of their own to do it.

• Poison edge: the laochra may give a weapon a poisonous edge, but they will be sick for a day afterward.

• Keening battle cry: the laochra may unleash a wailing battle cry that guarantees the death of someone in the battle. They roll a die equal to the number of combatants (or some multiple thereof, the GM determining distribution). The one they roll suffers low die and -6 for the combat.

• Warriorsblood: the laochra can spill enough blood to suffer a deep wound to heal a fellow warrior during combat.

• Winds of war: the laochra may give all allies +1 PRO, ATH, and STR by summoning the winds of war, but they suffer -1 AWA, WIL, and PRS for the same time.

• Dreamstone armor: the laochra may summon armor made of dreamstone (+8/+8 armor) for the duration of combat, but it will only work if they are in Faerie, the Dream Realm, or a place of fey magic. Anywhere else, it simply becomes an immovable prison of soft stone that offers no protection.

Laochras eventually find they cannot meet the Wild Hunt’s price and pay it themselves, ending up powerful figures of the Hunt, or they find a way to fully pay off their fey benefactor.

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

Musketeer

A rifle-wielder who draws power from the lore of legendary heroes and their deaths and endings.

All stories have endings. To draw from that, musketeers must go to the end of their own story, survive, and bring something of note back from beyond. This does not always mean death, though it sometimes does. To reach the end of their story without living their whole life, they engage the powers of the fey, making a deal and going on a special quest. When they complete the quest, they bring it back to the fey, and thus they are given a painting. This painting shows them their story's ending, and if they enter it (with magic given by their benefactor), they may find what is beyond and bring it back to the realm of the real. This token - which is always a musket - and the painting are the tools of their magic.

Once they have their painting, they may study the lore of legendary heroes and beings and how they died or ended, then mark the painting with symbols of those deaths and endings. Every time they do this, they roll their magic to see if the painting will take it. Powerful stories are more difficult to draw in. Most musketeers hide their paintings somewhere powerfully warded.

With their painting secured and empowered, their musket gains the power to inflict an ending on a target. This ending can be a death or it can be something else, depending on the story of the being. The musketeer rolls their magic, and the better they roll, the more likely the ending happens. The musketeer decides the ending they want before they roll or shoot.

Roll	Result
Normal failure	No effect
Tie	No effect
Critical failure	The intended ending is inflicted upon the musketeer
Critical success	The intended ending is narrated as a success
Exceptional failure	The intended ending is partially inflicted upon the musketeer
Special failure	The musketeer takes a very mild version of the intended ending
Normal success	The target takes a mild version of the intended ending
Special success	The target takes a partial version of the intended ending
Exceptional success	The target takes the intended ending but rolls to resist death

Endings can be anything ranging from death to a specific kind of wound to fleeing to an actual extended epilogue, depending on the power of the musketeer. Common musketeers simply dictate the level of injury and stun (difficulty 7 to 13). Elite ones can inflict instant death (difficulty 16). Only the most powerful can succeed in sending someone to their actual story’s end (difficulty 22). Some beings are so powerful the difficulties scale up. Anyone with a base score of any stat that is above 16 is +1 more, 19 is +2, 22 is +3, 25 is +4, etc.

Musketeers may also choose to simply shoot their guns normally with no magical effect.

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

Queensguard

A non-male warrior bound to serve the Queen of All Fairies.

The Queensguard are people - fey or otherwise - who are the personal elite guards of the Queen of All Fairies. There are three ways someone takes up this role:

• By owing the Queen a great debt.

• By falling in love with the Queen and swearing to protect her.

• By proving themself such a great fey warrior that they are recruited by the Queen.

Anyone who owes the Queen a debt is inflicted with the abilities of a warrior against their will if they cannot pay it. Anyone who swears to protect her out of love is given abilities so long as their love is true. Those recruited for their power as a warrior are always given abilities as a payment.

Every Queensguard gets abilities based on their own story and background. Species, previous occupation, choice of weapon and armor, and general story all affect what abilities they are granted. The more extensive the story, the more abilities they might have. Those in debt may be granted ironic or painful powers. Those in love may be granted powers revolving around emotion. And those who start as warriors are given blood powers.

All of their powers are contingent on the Queen’s favor. If they offend her, she will revoke powers (and take lives if debt is involved). Her proximity may also enhance their powers.

The Queen refuses to be guarded by men, so only those who are not men may serve her in this capacity.

Any Queensguard in this campaign will be someone on a special quest, sent by her to the colonies.

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

Swashbuckler

Take every pirate adventure story you've ever heard with every bit of bombast and folk heroic exaggeration, with every bit of rope-swinging, cutlass-slashing, jib-cutting grandiosity, and that is a swashbuckler. Their powers are entirely from the tales of the sea, which they gain by swearing to live by her - the story of the sea - for their entire lives. If they do this and start to live the life of a swashbuckler, the price is that they begin to lose themselves to the piratical story they have chosen to embody.

To start, a swashbuckler has four of these powers:

• Dance in the rigging: the swashbuckler can move through rigging, rafters, or other abovehead matrices with no ATH roll needed.
• Land, ho!: the swashbuckler gains +3 AWA when scanning for a safe location to dock - or hide a group, if on land.
• Flying rope: the swashbuckler gains +3 to hit if attacking from swinging on a rope with no need to roll ATH.
• Jolly roger high: if flying the pirate's flag from their ship, the swashbuckler gains +3 intimidation.
• Walk the plank: the swashbuckler can escape death at the last minute if they choose to do something absurdly audacious.
• Where away?: the swashbuckler may call "where away?" and someone will answer a direction (in nautical terms) to tell the swashbuckler where to go next.
• Polly want a cracker: the swashbuckler may call a non-native animal such as a parrot, monkey, warthog, lemur, civet, or jaguar to their aid temporarily.
• Hook hand or peg leg: the swashbuckler may have a hook hand or peg leg without penalty to movement or combat.
• Eyepatch: the swashbuckler may be missing an eye and use an eyepatch that gives them resistance to fear.
• X marks the spot: the swashbuckler may remember up to three different places they have hidden treasure over the course of a campaign.
• Triple duel: the swashbuckler may fight up to three people at once without penalty to parrying.

Other powers may be possible. Consult with the GM.

As the game continues and they use their powers, they roll PRS vs. the power of the story for every seven, then three, then every one use of their powers. As they fail, they gain more powers, but lose their personality and become a pirate stereotype, until they fade entirely into story forever.

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