Gothi

by Matt Thrower



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Assumptions

This system will work however you want to treat the Norse `realm'. I suggest that you either assume it's a special subset of the magic realm, or that it's a new realm in its own right. If you assume the former to be true, then Gothi ought to be able to use raw vis just like Hermetic magi do, although how the vis or various Arts would translate into the ideas here is up to you.

Gothi

`Order of Odin' is an epithet which has been made up entirely by magi of the Order of Hermes. The Viking wizards call themselves Gothi (Goe-th-ee). Gothi are priests of the Viking religion, and their magical powers come straight from the Norse gods themselves. All Viking wizards are Gothi, but not all Gothi have the ability to cast spells. They can all open a vey, however. The precise proportion of Gifted / non-Gifted Gothi is up to you, I would suggest about 20% / 80%.

Life of a Gothi

In stark contrast to the Order of Hermes, Gothi do not train apprentices. Since their Gift comes straight from the gods, they need to do very little training to use the magic powers, only instruction in the correct rituals to use (which they can get from books). They grow in power through practice, and through achieving the Viking ideal, not through study. As such, Gothi tend to have many more skills that Hermetic magi. Since the Viking ideal is basically struggle and war, Gothi tend to be very capable warriors as well as spellcasters. Gifted Gothi spend a lot of time away from mainstream society, casting runes and communing with the gods. However, they may be called on at any time by Viking peasants to officiate at religious ceremonies.

Magical Skills

Treat these as Knowledges under the rules, rather as you would Certamen and Parma Magica:
  1. Vey Opening
    Gothi can only use magic when standing inside a vey. A vey is a mystical connection to Valhalla, through which the gods can send their power. You can treat a vey as an aura (either magical or `Norse'), with a rating equal to the vey skill of the Gothi that opened it. Veys are a maximum of 10 yards square, and a minimum of half that size. Opening a vey is a ritual, during which the gothi walks round the area to be `opened' chanting the names of the Norse deities in turn. Anyone within the vey as it is opened can enter or leave it at will, but the Gothi who created the vey can deny anyone access. They may still enter the area, but all dice rolls made within the vey by such a person are at a penalty equal to the rating of the vey, no matter what power they are aligned to. Non-Gifted Gothi can open a vey with a rating of 0, which can still be used for religious purposes, or by a Gifted Gothi for spellcasting. A vey is fixed in place, and ceases to exist if the Gothi who created it moves outside its boundaries. It also ceases at dawn/dusk (whichever is sooner). A vey takes 10 minutes, +1 minute/level to open.

  2. Runecasting
    Runes are mystical letters which represent magic. It should be noted that magic runes are different from the runic futhark writing of old Norse. Anyone who can read futhark will spot magic runes instantly, but the inexperienced often get the two confused. Also, any Gifted individual can identify mystical runes amongst normal futhark. Runes have 2 uses. First, they can hold magic power in an enchanted item, so this skill is added as a bonus when Gothis try to make magic items. Second, runestones can be used to predict the future. For this, runestones are cast upon the ground, frequently following a blood sacrifice (which may give a bonus to the roll). The SG then rolls (stress) against a basic difficulty of 16. Success indicates that the Gothi receives a cryptic vision on the topic of which she sought counsel. Failure means no vision. Botching means a misleading or dangerous vision is sent instead.

Gothi Magic

Gothi have scores in only 3 Arts. These function exactly as Hermetic Arts do, but you will note that they cannot be increased through study. So, improving these Arts is a long, slow process. This is intended, as with only 3 Arts to practice, if a Gothi could study like a Hermetic mage, she would reach a staggering level of power in a very short time. Also note that Gothi cannot extend their lives like Hermetic magi can. The Arts are as follows: To cast a spell, the Gothi makes a roll just like a Hermetic mage, adding her Aesir score, plus `Form', plus Stamina, plus the level of the vey, plus a stress (always stress) die to overcome the level of the effect. Failure results in loss of a fatigue level, and no effect. A botch means the Gothi has incurred the wrath of the gods, to a degree determined by the botch roll. Effects of this would range from a short term loss (day/week) of magic power, to the wrath of Thor (thunderstorms) following the Gothi until she's struck down by lightning. Use your imagination!

It is worth noting that it is exceptionally rare for a Gothi to be skilled in both Geldr and Seidr magic, one or the other is more usual.

Limits

Gothi magic has none of the limits of Hermetic magic, since it is drawn from the power of the Norse gods, whom, the Gothi believe, created the Viking peoples. However, there is one very important stricture... Gothi magic cannot affect any place (and anything or anyone in that place) where the Viking gods are not worshipped. A Gothi could thus invoke a thunderstorm anywhere in Scandinavia or Iceland, but not in France. This means that Gothi cannot attack the Order of Hermes unless the Order of Hermes trespasses on Viking lands. This is one reason why the Order of Hermes is always pushing back the Gothi, rather than the other way around. It also means that as Christianity comes to the Viking lands, the power of the Gothi is dwindling. Although Gothi spells could restore the dead to life, or extend lifespan, in practice, this is rarely, if ever done. The reason is simple... a dead Viking or Gothi goes to the eternal paradise of Valhalla. To bring someone back from there, or to delay entry, would be an unimaginably terrible fate for that individual.

Spell Effects

The Gothi generate spell effects in accordance to invoking the powers of certain Viking gods. For example, to raise a thunderstorm, invoke Thor, to bolster a warriors courage, invoke Tyr, to infect someone with plague, invoke Hel. More on the deities below. Once a vey has been used to invoke a certain deity, it cannot be used to invoke a different one. Most spells involve drawn-out rituals to the god involved. Treat casting times just like Hermetic ritual magic, but no raw vis is needed. However, it should be noted that when assessing level effects, Gothi magic is far more potent than Hermetic magic. Creating a thunderstorm to totally devestate an acre of land might only be a level 35/40 effect. Causing someone's heart to stop would probably be about level 25. Remember that Gothi have no real equivalent to formulaic or spontaneous spells. The nearest they come to this is runic items, so they can pour all their magical energies into their ritual magic. Also remember that Gothi advance in magic power much slower than Hermetic magi. After casting a ritual spell, the Gothi must rest for a number of hours equal to the spell level, minus stamina.

Deities

Here is a short list of some Norse deities. With each of them is a description of what type of magic they grant a Gothi (Galdr or Seidr) together with some of the effects a Gothi might achieve when invoking that deity. Note that to some extent, all the Norse gods were warrior gods, so things like weapon/armour blessings can be carried out in a vey dedicated to any Norse deity. This list of deities is by no means exhaustive. There are many more Norse gods whose names have been preserved, but whose function remains largely unknown. If you want to do some more research for yourself, go ahead.

Please note that, just like Hermetic ritual spells, Gothi spells are not instant, but far-reaching effects. For example, Thor could not be invoked to create a lightning bolt from the Gothi's hand to a target 20 yards away, but could call down a thunderstorm on a party of travelling magi 100 miles away (provided they were in pagan Viking lands). Within the one limit, spells ranges are almost infinite, the further away the target, the harder the spell level. By all means, make up some formulaic type spells for gothi to use... but remember that a Gothi can attempt pretty much anything if she wants to, and is willing to take the risks.

Runic Items

The carving of runes onto items creates minor magical effects rather like spontaneous Hermetic magic. This includes the powering down of the effects from ritual level to spont/formulaic level. For example, a sword might have the following runes carved on it:

The making of runic items can be considered to be similar to the creation of enchanted items by Hermetic magi, except for the following modifications:

Use form and effect bonuses, and generate a vis and time cost in the same manner. However, vis can only be generated by Gothi in the form of human blood sacrifices. The amount of vis provided varies with the level of sacrifice. For example, the blood of a Viking king, nailed to an ash tree and pierced with a spear, as Odin was, might generate a rook's worth. A thrall might generate 1 pawn. Human sacrifice is a very serious business indeed amongst the vikings, so the making of runic items is not something to be undertaken lightly. Thus items are not made without very good reason.

Most Gothi keep at least on runic item with them, to help defend themselves if caught outside a vey. It is usually in the form of a staff or sword. Occasionally, a powerful warlord might be given such an item, if they aspired to the true Viking ideal. The continued functioning of such items is, however, at the whim of the gods.

Finally, remember that Gothi are supposed to live as paragons of the pagan Viking ideals of warrior-like self-reliance, and that failure to do so can lead to loss of power. The magical power of a Gothi, granted by the gods, should never be taken for granted.