Celestial Warriors

Those who use celestial or popular magic to fight.

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Junakinja

Type: Morrigan

A junakinja is a woman or other non-man who is attuned to their ancestry from before an event known as the Fall. The Fall occurred thousands of years ago and is not well understood by most, but stories of it are passed down amongst those oppressed by patriarchal powers as being a time when what were once egalitarian, loving societies collapsed or were destroyed or betrayed. Afterward, imperial rulers arose and began enslaving people.

Most who can access their ancestry cannot go beyond this point for unclear reasons, but junakinje find their way past it because they have eradicated the patriarchal influence from their minds. This takes years of training, even in non-imperial societies, because of how pervasive imperial culture is. They must not only untrain any patriarchal values from their mind, they must live their values. If they manage this, they are trained in combat by other junakinje, tested by them and celestial spirits, and then tasked with finding their matriarchal ancestor.

Matriarchy is not rule by women; it is a term for the societies that existed before patriarchy, when all genders were equal. A matriarchal ancestor is someone who lived when these societies existed - on Shem, this is before the Fall. To find their matriarchal ancestor, they must complete their training, then engage in a meditative practice involving henbane, visions, and deep thoughts while other junakinje sit around them singing. In their vision, if they are truly free of patriarchal thought, they will see an ancestor of any gender from before the Fall in blue light appear before them and take their hands. This figure will usually be someone with a deep connection to the junakinja.

Once this happens, they awaken with new abilities that let them fight against the patriarchy:

• Ancestral communion: they can meditate and connect to their ancestors daring back to ancient times, drawing one skill or lore from them for 24 hours.
• Matriarchal guide: they can speak directly to their main matriarchal ancestor and ask them questions regularly, though the ancestorwill not always be able to answer.
• Equal skill: if challenged by a patriarchal figure (an abusive man, a lord, an oppressor, etc.), they may temporarily have one score equal to that figure's skill, base stat, substat, lore, or complementary ability if applicable.
• Egalitarian mind: they can bond mentally with others who are subject to patriarchal oppression and share mental support with them magically.
• Turquoise shield: they can invoke their ancestral bond and create a shield of turquoise light that will not let a patriarchal figure harm a target.
• Defiant strike: if they are facing an oppressor, they may once per combat take a defiant strike back at them in response to an attack.

Junakinje are burnt as witches by imperials.

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

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Kaitsja

Type: Protector

A kaitsja is a warrior who has become a paragon of protection for others. In Surva, these protectors are sacred warriors bound to fight off imperial invasions.

Kaitsjad are chosen from the warriors of Surva. They come from many backgrounds; they are recruited for the love of their land and their people. If they are willing to give up their lives to stave off imperial invasion, they are taken to a special place, tested by the other kaitsjad and celestial spirits, and asked if they are willing to be protectors, giving up their lives for others. If they are sincere and willing, they are sent on a quest.

The quest sends them into imperial lands to save a Survan who has been taken slave, war prisoner, or otherwise victimized by them. They must find them, keep them safe, and bring them back. There is never a lack of victims of imperial violence, unfortunately, for these quests. During their quest, their abilities will start to come to them:

• Body shield: any physical attacks on the ward instead roll against the kaitsja’s full defense (toughness+armor) and the kaitsja receives the stun and wound instead of the ward.
• Shielding vow: any magical attacks on the ward instead roll against the kaitsja’s WIL. If the kaitsja normally succeeds, the magical attack suffers -3 against the ward; special success means -6; exceptional means -9; critical means -12. If the attack hits 0, it is negated completely. If it goes into negative numbers, it is sent back at the caster.
• Locate ward: the kaitsja can know the direction and distance to their ward is at any moment, no matter how far away they are.
• Aura of protection: if the kaitsja has three or more wards within 20', they can extend an aura of protection against all attacks at a power equal to their WIL+STR for up to 3 rounds. This barrier will not cause wounds to the kaitsja, but the kaitsja will have a -1 per point of damage repelled to WIL and/or STR for a round. If this takes them to 0 or below, they are not killed, but are stunned for the round.
• Counterguard: in place of a counter attack, a kaitsja may choose to add +3 to their next parry, dodge, toughness, or defensive WIL roll.
• Meek reflection: if the kaitsja protects anyone nearby, even if not a ward, who has a STR or WIL below 8, they will gain a bonus equal to the difference between the protectee's STR or WIL and the kaitsja to their respective stat for the next round. This only works if the protectee is not an exploiter, oppressor, abuser, or wielder of infernal powers.
• Unbreakable oath: if someone tries to coerce them into acting against their oath either mundanely or magically, the kaitsja gains +3 to resist it.
• Warding step: the kaitsja can exchange places with a ward if the ward is in a dangerous place and the kaitsja is not and if they are within 13 miles of each other.

The kaitjsad make an oath of protection and often have a specific ward, but sometimes their magic is more generally applied to non-imperial Survans or anyone fighting or suffering under imperial powers.

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

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Sedlosudija

Type: Mounted

Sedlosudijas are mounted warriors who wield the power of celestial flame, the fires of judgment. They are judges and executioners who are chosen by the people of Jedinstven to represent them against the powers of the imperials who are constantly attacking or infiltrating their city. They wield polearms wreathed in the blue flames of power.

To become a sedlosudija, one must be proven as a believer in the laws and people of Jedinstven. One must be of wise judgment. And one must have a belief in true justice. Then, one must train as a warrior and a rider. They are trained and tested by other sedlosudijas and celestial spirits for years before they are taken to a special part of the city where they face trials of knowledge, skill, and judgment. If they pass the trials, they are given their polearm. On their first mission, they are given a steed.

Their steed may be one of the following:

• Dobryvolk: a wolf from Veturia that is a symbol of resistance.
• Giant chrysalis snail: a symbol of transformation.
• Giant downy-back beetle: a symbol of hope.
• Giant swan: a symbol of justice.
• Golden hind: a golden deer who shines with celestial light.
• Griffin: a large lion-eagle.
• Hippogriff: a large eagle-horse.
• Horse: a mundane but good horse.
• Horse of Mourning: a horse who carries grief for its owner.
• Magyarosaurus dacus: a 9’ long sauropod with a long neck, this dinosaur is very rare and mostly ridden by Idangarian sedlosudijas.
• Ohzosnel: a horse ridden by a spirit of generosity.
• Pentacorn: a five-horned horse that embodies liberation; if the player chooses this for a steed, they forfeit two of their magical abilities to make up for how powerful this is.
• Tarpan: a slightly smaller, dun-colored horse.

Once they have been judged worthy by celestial spirits and received a steed, they begin to gain other abilities:

• Flame of judgment: they can bring blue flames to their polearm and make it mete out judgment on the iniquitous.
• Steed-call: they can call their steed from any distance and the steed will arrive within three rounds.
• Armor of justice: in battle, if they are attacked, they may call upon this in lieu of parrying or blocking, meaning they will only be harmed if it is just. This is forfeited if the player chooses the pentacorn.
• Wise listening: if they listen to a victim of injustice for more than a minute, they will gain magical insights. This is forfeited if the player chooses the pentacorn.
• Sacrificial blaze: they can give up their life and unleash a massive blaze of celestial fire if they are surrounded by foes.

Sedlosudijas are enemies of imperials and criminalized for it.

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

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Vojak

Type: Military

The soldiers of Jedinstven are bound by an oath of honor that empowers them magically to fight for their city.

Jedinstven was born out of a major rebellion that ousted the nobility and established a commune run by serfs, peasants, and workers. It has barely survived for many years by the grace of the popular magic their rebellion birthed, but that power is waning as they are under constant assault, both directly and indirectly, by the imperial powers around them. Still, they have a capable military of soldiers who are devoted to the people.

The military of Jedinstven is a democratic one, with every soldier electing their officers and having a say in how it is run. The only unchangeable rule is that they serve the people of Jedinstven and take an oath of honor to do so. The oath is sworn such that they are honor-bound to defend the people of the city, not its property, its leaders, or its laws. If they harm a citizen of Jedinstven, if they do anything that betrays their oath, their honor dies, and they are cursed.

From their oath, they gain magic. The longer they serve and fulfill the oath, the greater their magic is. They feel it deeply in their hearts, and it radiates throughout their bodies, minds, and souls. Some abilities they may have include the following:

• Honorbound defense: if they are defending a citizen of Jedinstven, they can fight without wound penalties until they are instakilled or until the fight ends.
• Danger sense: they can sense when the people of Jedinstven are in danger if they are nearby.
• Heart of the people: they can sense the emotions of the people of Jedinstven if they are nearby. If enough are feeling the same thing, they can draw on it to create an aura of protection.
• Honor’s blade: they can make any blade they wield in defense of the people of the city into a celestial weapon.
• Song of the revolution: if they and other vojaki sing together the anthem of Jedinstven, they can bolster each other in battle.
• March of integrity: if they draw from the power of their oath, they can march for a day and a night without rest.
• Respect of the city: if they are true to their oath, the city itself - not the people, the city - will offer them special protections.

Vojak are sometimes chosen for special missions outside the city. They are considered enemies of imperial countries (because they are).

If the player chooses to be a vojak, they can decide how long they have been one. If they decide they have been one for more than three years, they can roll to see if they have been elected to a higher rank (max of lieutenant).

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