The Three Sisters

If no heirloom is taken, this means we may have to look at a rewrite of the “Keeper of Traditions” to a new background, as we’re removing one of the more important aspects of the existing one.

Speaker of the Stories
The Hunai, like many tribal peoples, pass their ancient stories down from one generation to the next by the use of an oral tradition. However, unlike other groups such as the Yhing Hir or the Undir, these Speakers of the Stories are not considered to be near nobility in just because of these stories. While in one of the above groups they might pass on an ancient artefact or great wealth to the next Keeper of their traditions, the Hunai are a pastoral people with nothing to give. As such, these individuals are more teachers than defenders of Tradition.

Nationality: Hunai Tribes
Race: human
Minimum Age: 20
Attributes: Logic, Charisma
Primary Skills: Etiquette,
Knowledge :Religion, Perform: Oratory, Wilderness Lore
Talents: Eclectic Knowledge, Herbalist
Starting Gear: Traveler’s Kit, Dagger, Common Garb.
Starting Silver: 4d10 (Charisma)

So, unless anyone else has things to add. . .

Speaker of the Stories
The Hunai, like many tribal peoples, pass their ancient stories down from one generation to the next by the use of an oral tradition. However, unlike other groups such as the Yhing Hir or the Undir, these Speakers of the Stories are not considered to be near nobility in just because of these stories. While in one of the above groups they might pass on an ancient artefact or great wealth to the next Keeper of their traditions, the Hunai are a pastoral people with nothing to give. As such, these individuals are more teachers than defenders of Tradition.

Nationality: Hunai Tribes
Race: human
Minimum Age: 20
Attributes: Logic, Charisma
Primary Skills: Etiquette, Knowledge :Religion, Perform: Oratory, Wilderness Lore
Talents: Eclectic Knowledge, Herbalist
Starting Gear: Traveler’s Kit, Dagger, Common Garb.
Starting Silver: 4d10 (Charisma)

Blessed Child
Few sentient beings grow up knowing the peace and tranquility of being truly blessed by their gods, of having all your worldly needs for food and shelter provided for you. Such a life can only be described as blessed.
Nationality: Hunai
Minimum Age: 18
Attributes: Resolve, Vigor
Primary Skills: Beast Lore, Empathy and Heal
Talents: Judge of Character, Strength of Faith and Herbalist (CoH)
Starting gear: Lantern, Mess Kit, fishing hook & line, needles & thread, knife (dagger) and common garb
Starting Silver: (Charisma)

The Terrors of Nayal
While the tenants of the Three Sisters calls for pacifism and peace with those around you, a group within their faith has begun accepting other callings. For centuries, the Hunai have been the targets of the Ossarion Empire and the hated Chauni slavers. For centuries, they have suffered the abuse and terror of these and other groups who prey upon their people. For centuries, the collective patience and pacifisim of the Hunai have begun to wear thing.

While those who have been taken as slaves—or have lost loved ones to slaving—seek solace with Belisarda for their freedom, or Lyssandra asking to grant them strength to endure, a small section of the population has begun looking to the Third Sister, Nayal, for their answers and justice. However, while Belisarda and Lyssandra know tranquility and peace, Nayal is known as the jealous sister, and the keeper of terrors. To that end, those who invoke her name for justice freezes their hearts towards their fellow man, and allows them to do what the Hunai as a people abhor: kill.
While these souls only wish to fight back against those who have wronged them, the rest of their kin views them with horror. It is the doctrine of the Three Sisters that all shall live in harmony, and for those to actively seek to cause harm to another human being as abhorrent. Known as the Shunned to their people, and the Terrors of Nayal to themselves, this group willingly tarnishes their soul and their position in society to do whatever it takes to protect their people.

Nationality: Hunai

Journeyman Terror of Nayal
Requirements: Former Slave (ba), Toughness, trained in a Melee or Ranged skill.
Skills: Mettle, Deceit
Talents: Owl Eyed, Nayal’s Dark Night.
Special: You gain the flaw Haunted by Nightmares, for those who look into the dark heart of Nayal often find themselves being consumed by it.

Master Terror of Nayal
Requirement: Terror of Nayal (Journeyman) (pa)
Skills: One Ranged or Melee skill, Stealth
Talents: Smite Heretic, Death from the Darkness
Special: You gain the flaw Chilling Presence, for the Nayal’s influence has become so strong in you that she can be felt even in those around you.

Nayal’s Dark Night [Limited]
To invoke Nayal’s name without the tempering effects of her two younger sisters gives you a small taste of her power. Alas, to view such raw power beings stripping away your own humanity.
Requirements: Must worship the Three Sisters.
Benefit: Once per day (Speed: 4, Duration: Instant, Range: 30’ radius) you may use yourself as a channel for the all of the terrors of Nayal that haunt the dark. You may create a zone of blackness similar to Dome of Shadow (sp) that only you can see through. All those caught within the zone become Shaken and take a -1 to all Action Rolls while they remain within the darkened area. While this condition can be lifted once they leave the darkness, it reactivates every time that they reenter it.

Death in the Darkness [Limited]
Where Belisarda is the Sister of life, Nayal is the sister of death. This does not mean she raises abominations to hunt the living, but she represents the final death. Those who place her above the other sisters gain the ability to channel this aspect of her powers to those who seek to prey upon the Hunai.
Requirement: Nayal’s Dark Night (ta)
Benefit: When fighting in darkened conditions, you gain the ability to invoke the ultimate of Nayal’s powers against those who seek to prey upon you and your people. Once per scene when fighting in darkness of at least Shadowy level, if you successfully attack any single humanoid minion or common creature that creature is instantly slayed (not Vanquished, but slayed) regardless of remaining Wounds or Stamina. If the target attacked is not a Common or Minion, you deal an additional d(Ch) damage to that target.

Caller of Beasts

It is a given that in most cultures, if you wish to partake in eating animals, you must indulge in the hunting and killing of animals. The pacifistic Hunai, on the other hand, are not known to use more than the most basic of tools and generally abhor the use of weapons such as bows and spears to gather their prey. Instead, the Hunai appealed to the Mistress Belisarda for an answer, and she responded instilling in her chosen people the ability to call beasts to them instead. So long as those trained in the sacred rites of Belisarda respect the animal being sacrificed for the good of the tribe, these individuals are given a certain ability to control the beasts of the Sea of Grass.

Nationality: Hunai, Must worship the Three Sisters.

Apprentice Caller of Beasts
Requirement: Animal Affinity (ta), at least 3 ranks in Beast Lore and Wilderness Lore.
Skills: Beast Lore, Knowledge: Religion
Talents: Skill Focus (Beast Lore), Summoner of Beasts
Special: If you ever call a beast to you except for peaceful purposes or to sacrifice it for food, you loose all of this paths abilities for a period of one week.

Master Caller of Beasts
Requirement: Caller of Beasts (Apprentice)
Skills: Wilderness Lore, Tracking
Talents: Loyal Companion, Merciful Kill

Summoner of Beasts [Skill, Devout, Limited]
You have been blessed with the ability to call animals to you.
Benefit: Once per day (Speed: 1 minute, Duration: Scene, Range: 1 mile) you may call a single prey animal (such as a deer, rabbit, etc.) within the power’s radius to you. The animal arrives Affectionate to you, and will allow you to kill it for nourishment as needed.

Merciful Kill [Skill, Limited]
You have been blessed with a means of peacefully dispatching creatures.
Benefit: Once per day (Speed: 3, Duration: Instant, Range: Melee (1 target)) you may perform a Beast Lore (Ch) Action Skill Roll against the Fortitude of any Minion or Common level animal. If you succeed, the creature is instantly killed.

Hunai Warden

Though the Hunai are known to be pacifistic and abhorant of violence, that does not mean that they are incapable of defending themselves. Among the tribes are a small group of individuals trained in the illusionary arts of Lyssandra. This small group of Hunai travel around, shielding their people from the Chauni slavers and other predators which come in Nayal’s dark night.

Nationality: Hunai, must worship the Three Sisters.

Journeyman Warden
Requirement: Stealthy (ta), must be trained in Stealth, Wilderness Lore, and Perception
Skills: Stealth, Wilderness Lore
Talents: Prestidigitation, Lyssandra’s Blessings

Master Warden
Requirement: Warden (Journeyman)
Skills: Tracking, Athletics
Talents: Lay of the Land, Lyssandra’s Blessings.

Lyssandra’s Blessings [Devout, Skill, Limited]
As Lyssandra uses her skills to ward away the preditors which stalk Nayal’s night, so do her Wardens protect the Hunai.
Requirement: Hunai, must worship the Three Sisters, trained in Stealth, Perception, and Wilderness Lore.
Benefit: Choose one of the following powers.

Lyssandra’s Illusions – Once per scene (Speed:6, Duration: Binding (D), Range: Special), you may create an illusion to hide up to 10′ square per your Tier. This illusion can be of an impassable obstacle, a rock, or some other barrier. All passing the area must make a Perception (In) Action Skill Roll against your Discipline Defence in order to see through this illusion.

Lyssandra’s True Sight – Once per day (Speed: 4, Duration: Scene) you may be able to see through all forms of darkness, including that of magical darkness, as if it were illuminated by a full moon. All sources of darkness become one step less for you (Darkness becomes Shadowy, Shadowy becomes Bright), with all items which alter your ability to see in darkness (torches, Owl Eyed (ta), etc.) changing accordingly.
Lyssandra’s Madness – You gain the talent Horrific Visage.

Devoted of the Three Sisters
Worship of the Three Sisters—Belisarda, Lyssandra, and Nayal—appears strange to a child of Coryan or the Khitani Empire. While those nations have well organized, structured priesthoods organized into a larger church structure, the worship of the Three Sisters is more similar to the tribal shamanism in lands like the Hinterlands. Part of this is because of the tribal nature of the Hunai, lacking a central authority in which to focus their priesthood, but the most part of it is how they view those called to the service of their Gods. Among the Hunai, it is those who feel most drawn to the responsibilities of shepherding their people that get called to serve the Three Sisters. Those who show sensitivity to the Gods, and an ability to master the prayers to all three are trained by a tribal elder in the ways of the Three Sisters. It is considered a calling, not a vocation among the Hunai.

Again, unlike the Mother Church of Coryan, the worship of the Three Sisters follows more of a Pantheonistic worship more akin to the worship of the Pantheon of Man at the dawn of the First Imperium. No one Goddess is viewed as more important than the other, with all three being viewed as essential to the existence of the world. To that end, the Devoted of the Three Sisters, the unofficial priesthood of their people are taught to value balance and harmony amongst all the Three in order to protect their people.

Nationality: Hunai

Initiate of the Three Sisters
Requirement: Initiate of the Gods (ba) OR Initiate Itinerant (pa), must worship the Three Sisters
Skills: Empathy, Wilderness Lore
Talents: Animal Affinity, Call of the Three Sisters*
Special: Divine Spell Casting is no longer a Limited Talent for you, and you may take Devout Talents as if you possessed the Divine Spell Casting Talent.

Adept of the Three Sisters
Requirement: Initiate of the Three Sisters (pa)
Skills: Arcanum (Cants), Beast Lore
Talents: Inspirational Presence, Call of the Three Sisters*

Devoted of the Three Sisters
Requirement: Adept of the Three Sisters (pa)
Skills: Heal, Knowledge Religion
Talents: Lay on Hands, Call of the Three Sisters*

Call of the Three Sisters [Devout, Limited]
By the grace and power of the Three Sisters, you have been granted a number of abilities to protect their chosen from depredations of the flesh and soul.
Requirement: Must worship the Three Sisters.
Benefit: Per Tier,
Tier I: Belisarda’s Song of Life – Belisarda is the maiden of Arcanis and of all life thereupon. You gain a +1 to all Beast Lore, Heal, and Wilderness Lore Action Skill Rolls.
Tier II: Nayal’s Biting Frost – Nayal is the mistress of the death of night and the freezing winters. You gain AR 6 against all cold-based damaging effects.
Tier III: Lyssandra’s Beacon – Lyssandra’s green light provides a break to his sister Nayal’s plunging darkness. Once per day (Speed: 5, Duration: Scene) if ever you are lost or need to find your way to a destination, you may invoke Lyssandra’s name. Doing so will point you along the most direct path to your destination.

Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters)
Tier I
Life’s Blessing
Snuff Light*
Hide my Children*

Tier II
Revitalize
Nightmare, Lesser*
Seeing the Flame Within

Tier III
Blessings of Plenty
Chilled Wind*
Shield my Children*

Tier IV
Life Well
Nightmare, Greater*
Shadowstride

Snuff Light
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier I]
Category: Base
CTN: 17
Speed (Strain): 4 (+2)
Range: Self (60’ Radius)
Duration: Scene (D)
Effect: You may reduce the light source ranges of any source of light by half its normal radius. For example, a Torch would only illuminate 20’ in Shadowy conditions instead of the normal 40’.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 3 and the Strain by 1 to reduce the light source to on quarter of its effective range, to a minimum of 0’. For example, a torch in shadowy conditions would not illuminate only a 10’ radius instead of a 40’ radius.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 4, Speed and Strain by 1 to change the spells range to 60’ (1 target). If the light source is natural, it is completely snuffed out regardless of size. If the light is magical in nature, you must make an Arcanum Action Skill Roll against the Passive Arcanum of the caster.

Hide my Children
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier I]
Category: Sustained
CTN: 18
Speed (Strain): 4 (+4)/2
Range: (30’ Radius)
Effect: All allies within range get a +1 bonus to all Stealth Action Skill Rolls.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN and Strain by 2 to increase the bonus by an additional +1. This can be applied multiple times to a maximum bonus of +3.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 6 and Speed and Strain by 1 to increase the radius of this spell by an additional 10’. This adaptation can be applied multiple times.

Nightmare, Lesser
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier II]
Category: Base
CTN: 20
Speed (Strain): 7 (+3)
Range: 30’ (1 target)
Duration: Special
Defence: Discipline
You reach into the subject’s mind, gently activating an old memory or fear, sparking sleepless nights and horrific drams.
Effect: Your target suffers from an onslaught of nightmares which flow into their minds. As a result, they are Exhausted and Shaken until they are able to get a full night’s rest. Though the Exhausted condition can be removed through effects which state such, the Shaken condition will persist until the target has had a good night sleep regardless of what effects are brought to bear upon it.
Special: Creatures who do not sleep are immune to this spell.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 4 and Strain by 2 to affect a second target. This adaptation may be applied multiple times to a maximum of three targets.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 3 to increase the range of this spell by an additional 10’. This adaptation may be applied multiple times.

Chilled Wind
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier III]
Category: Base
CTN: 23
Speed (Strain): 4 (+5)
Range: 30’ Cone
Duration: Instant
Defence: Fortitude
As the Lady of the Dark and the Dead, the chill of the grave falls into Nayal’s portfolio. You channel the chill of the night to weakens those who wish to prey upon the children of the Three Sisters.
Effect: All creatures in the spell’s area suffer a -1 to all Action Skill rolls and must make an Athletics: Balance (Qu) Action Skill Roll (including the negatives gained as part of this spell) against your Passive Arcanum or be pushed back 10’ and fall prone.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 3 and Strain by 1 to increase the penalty to Action Skill Rolls by an additional -1. This adaptation can be applied multiple times to a total modifier of -3.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 2 and Speed by 1 to push all affected enemies back an additional 5’.

Nightmare, Greater
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier III]
Component: Nightmare, Lesser
Category: Base
CTN: 25
Speed (Strain): 5 (+3)
Range: 30’ (1 target)
Duration: Instant
Defence: Discipline
You reach into the subject’s mind, and painfully pull forth an image of fear and dread.
Effect: You target is surprised by the mental onslaught you bring forth against them. The target must make a Horror Check against your Passive Arcanum.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 3 and Strain by 2 to inflict a Die Penalty against your target’s Resolve for their Horror Check. This adaptation can be applied multiple times.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 4, Speed and Strain by 1 to add an additional target for this spell.

Shield my Children
Tradition: Deity (Pantheonistic, Three Sisters) [Tier III]
Component: Hide my Children
Category: Advanced
CTN: 23
Speed (Strain): Push 4
Range: 30’ (1 target)
Any who wish to strike at your allies must first get through you.
Effect: In response to a successful attack, you may Push yourself to produce a magical shield between your ally and their attacker. Make an Arcanum Action Skill Roll, and you create a shield which grants an AR to your ally equal to your Arcanum Roll result.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 6 to use this spell while you are already under the effects of Push. This can only be applied if you are only under a single instance of Push.
Adaptation: Increase the CTN by 4 and Push by 1 to increase the range of this spell by an additional 10’. This adaptation can be applied multiple times.

I like it!

1. I think we should consider adding an extra spell per goddess per tier. That would give them 6 to choose from and a bit more flexibility to round out their culture. Each god currently has 2 spells per level and the Pantheonistic path available in CoH opens up those extra 2 for following 2 gods.

Personally, I think we’re good the way we are, especially since these spells are in the Blessed Lands book. We can always make more up for later supplements which are more focused on the Three Sisters maybe (or that mythical “Codex of Faith” supplement). We are working on a fairly tight page-budget for the Blessed Lands.

2. I’d like to see a Hunai specific background that either includes or opens up the Divine Spellcasting option. Either Blessed Child or Speaker of Stories as defined so far could work. Alternatively adding another background or two could provide that option. I was thinking an Herbalist type background could be good, or an Elder type could work.

Personally I’m not a huge fan of this, but I’m not against it. That is up to Henry to see just how prominent Divine casting is among the Hunnai.

3. In terms of additional spells, I was thinking of one that would ease troubled sleep. Casting time would be something like a minute plus and likely include at least as flavor either singing or storytelling representing a parent’s soothing of children to sleep. In terms of mechanical effects I would see it helping ensure that the individual sleeps through the night. This would give a bonus to rolls to resist the effects of the Haunted by Nightmares Flaw, but at a Perception penalty to be woken up and a period of grogginess growing in impact depending on how deep the sleep was. I was thinking that there would be a minimum time before the benefits or penalties were imposed so it’s harder to use offensively in combat, but could certainly impact recipients. Perhaps an adaptation for the Shunned would be an ability to increase the CTN to allow for restful sleep in armor, staged up and perhaps capped. Not sure if this would be a Nayal or a Lysandra spell as it could be flavored either way.

We’re writing them up as Pantheonistic spell, so exact Goddess isn’t necessary. If you had an idea, I’d love to see the spell!

4. In terms of another Path, perhaps something that takes the spirit of the Garden of Eden they live in with them. Perhaps better as a spell or set of spells. Something that would include effects that moderate harsh environments within a dome or radius, etc.

The way Henry has been describing it, they worship the Three Sisters, not the Spirits. In Arcanis the “Spirit of a Place” is a very tangible thing, so while not necessarily a heresy, I don’t see this as in the spirit of what we’re making up as it seems Shamanistic.