Faeries of the Novgorod Tribunal

by Olaf Mahl



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This article describes some of the different types of faeries typical for eastern europe. I take them from different tales and legends. Please note that most of the powers of these faeries are not hermetic, even if they named after an hermetic spell, and thus cannot be resisted with Parma Magica.
  • Mountain Kings
  • Domovoje
  • Krosnyats
  • Rusalki
  • Lutkowa
  • Vilje
  • The book of Faeries mentioned many faeries, who are living in east Europe too. It seems that even some of them are more frequent in East Europe than in rest of Europe. These are the Leshiye, the hamadryads, who are called "Treespirits" sometimes and the Morae.

    Mountain Kings

    The mountain kings, of which Rübezahl is the most prominent, are mighty fae. They are dwelling under a mountain and often mankind gave them the names of the mountains (Rübezahl is a german nickname, his bohemian name is Krakanos, as the mountain where he is presumed to dwell). There are mountain kings in almost every greater mountains. Mountain kings are known to be wise and kind, but they get angry very quickly if they are not treated respectfully. Some mountain kings spend most of their time in their underground kingdoms, while others (like Rübezahl) are interested in the ways of man. All mountain kings have in common that they can grant mortal man gifts, if the man is worth the favor of the mountain kings. It is also said that mountain kings rule a kingdom of gnomes, goblins or krosnyates who are all skilled in crafting. The krosnyates of the Altvater should look like glass-blowers while the gnomes of Rübezahl resemble miners.
     
    Characteristics: Int+3, Per+2, Prs+1, Com+1, Str+4, Sta+4, Dex+0, Qik-1 

    Faerie Might: 40 - 60 

    Size: +3 / +0 in human form 

    Powers:  

    Make Gift: 
    (Cr/ReTe 40, 5 Points) - A mountain king can make gifts to visitors (or man whom he met) who got the favor of the mountain king. The gift is generally a jewel or something othe valuable from the earth - like gold. 

    Travel: 
    (In/ReTe60, 0 points) - A mountain king can travel instantly to every point of his realm as well over ground as underground. He is also able to hear every spoken word in his kingdom. 

    Transformed image: 
    (MuIm30, 1 point) - The mountain king can assume the form of every living thing he has seen is his life. Rübezahl for instance uses this power to test humans: He appears as a peasant, traveller, child or charcoal-burner to watch the humans, rewarding the upright, punishing the mean. 

    Size: +3 in natural form +0 in human form 

    Personality Traits: Wise +2, Curious +1 

    Weapon (Great Club/Young Tree): Init: +10  Atk.: +8 Dfn.: +6 Dam.: +21* 

    *Mountain kings seldom fight. If angered or attacked, they travel away to come back in disguise playing pranks on the victim. 
     
    Soak: +27 

    Fatigue: n/a 

    Body Levels: OK,-0/0,-1/1,-2,-4,-5, -6,  Incapacitated 

    Abilities: 

  •  Folk Ken 2-5
  •  Faerie Lore 10 
  •  Area Lore  8 

  •  Vis: The corpse of a mountain king contains 30 pawns of terram vis. Its heart contains 20 pawns of Creo vis. But remember that you have to kill not only the mountain king, but also his "subjects".

    Domovoje

    Domovoje, sing. Domovoj are the eastern kind of the goblins or brownies. Although similar in behaviour, they distinguish in appearence from their western brethren.
    If a domovoj didn´t wrap himself up completely in white clothes, you can recognize him by the tufts of white hair, who covers almost his entire body, leaving only a small spot around his red eyes. Another characteristic of the three feet tall domovoj is his rough speech: almost no one hearing the domovoj didn´t blush. He knows more abusives than a bunch of sailors.
    It is said that the domovoj, if treated right, not only guard the house or farm, but also warns the humans of dangers that will affect the house.

    Characteristics: Int+1, Per+2, Prs-3, Com-2, Str-2, Sta+1, Dex+2, Qik+4 

    Faerie Might: 15 

    Size: -3 

    Powers:  

    Invisibility 
    (PeIm 10, 0 points) - A domovoj is mostly invisible to the human eye. But not for smell or sound: dogs always perceive the domovoj and good listeners can hear them rustling behind the oven or in the stable. The domovoj can make him visible for anyone  he wants: 
    Only those who they trust. 

    Mastering the Unruly Beast 
    (ReAn 25,  1 points) - The domovoj uses this power to herd the live-stock and to preserve them from accidents. 

    Weapon (Brawl): Init: +9  Atk.: +2 Dfn.: +9* Dam.: +2 

    *Dfn. +9 only if he can be seen or otherwise exactly located , otherwise Dfn. is +21 
     
    Soak: +2 

    Fatigue: n/a 

    Body Levels: OK,-3,-5,  Incapacitated 
     

    Abilities: 

  • Hex 5 
  • Bless 5 (an ability like a reverse hex, a domovoj can bless the house he is living in)
  • Visions 3

  •  Vis:  The corpse of a domovoj comtains 2 pawns of imagomen vis

    Krosnyates

    Krosnyates are 2 - 3 feet tall, have black complexion, grey hair, long grey beards, long arms and feets like a goose. In any case they avoid humans seeing their feet, as they are very ashamed of their feet. So they wear long black tunics who reach the ground to hide theit feet. A single sun beam turns the krosnyat to stone. So if a krosnyat have to enter sunlight (mostly for putting "big people" in their place after they trampled above their underground passages), he wears clothing on his whole body and a big sloppy hat with a pheasant-feather. This hat acts as a magic hood and makes him invisible.
    Krosnyates knew everything that happens on the surface above their passages any many of them has perfected a craft like baker, healer or mason during their long life of many centuries. Although they act gruffy and absent-minded, no one has ever heared a unfriendly word from this fae. They seem to be of the Seelie Court if such a classification can be made by man.
    Nevertheless they get very angry if someone do "religious nonsense" during their presence. As a krosnyat is on principle peaceful, an excuse and no further religious practice in the presence of the krosnyat will do to keep him peaceful.
    The function of the krosnyates are to find, order and cultivate the treasures of the earth. The hording of treasures, as it is typical for gnomes, appeares degenerated to them.
    The close connection to earth makes krosnyates vulnerable to (worked) iron. Just seeing it causes fear in them and touching it (or beeing touched with iron) will blockade their free will and their fairy powers.

    Characteristics: Int+1, Per+2, Prs-3, Com-2, Str+2, Sta+4, Dex+4, Qik-2 

    Faerie Might:20 

    Size: -4 

    Powers:  

    Control Terram 
    (Cr/In/Mu/ReTe50,1-5 points) - A krosnyat can create any spell like effect with terram. The krosnyat must spend one point per magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 

    Weapon (Brawl): Init: +1  Atk.: +0 Dfn.: +6* Dam.: +0 

    Soak: +2 

    Fatigue: +2 

    Fatigue Levels: OK,-3,-5,  Unconcious 

    Body Levels: OK,-3,-5,  Incapacitated 

    Abilities: 

  • Craft (baking, glassworking, goldsmithing,no blackssmithing)   8-10

  •   Vis:  The corpse of a krosnyat contains 3 pawns of terram vis

    Rusalki

    Rusaki, sing. Rusalka, are mighty female faeries of the eastern rivers. Whereas their lesser brethren, the nymphae, loose their powers if they leave the waters, the rusalki retain their powers outside the waters. Nevertheless they alway stay near the river. Unlike the nymphae, the rusalki contact human not for the sake of curiosity. The rusalki uses their charming ability to drown humans ( They prefer good looking men). Mostly only one rusalka dwells in one river, and the rusalka often gets the name of the river (or vice versa?). Sometimes there is a legend, that the rusalka was a young maiden, who drowned herself in the river after her fiance let her down on the wedding day. And  from that day on she took revenge on young men. Famous rusalka are Thaya and Egeria in Bohemia, Pripaia at hand of Kiev. Probably the most famous rusalka is Loreley who is dwelling on a rock at the Rhine.

    Characteristics: Int+1, Per+1, Prs+3, Com+1, Str-1, Sta+1, Dex+2, Qik+2 

    Faerie Might: 25 

    Size:

    Powers:  

    Infatuation: 
    (CrMe 30, 0 points) - This power produces an intense attraction in any mortal towards the rusalka. The mortal is not directly controlled, but will want to do the faeries´s will and may fall in love with it. A mortal has only one opportunity to to roll a stress die on Intelligence + Alertness to resist the infatuation. Women must roll against 6+, men against 9+ and young, attractive man against 13+. Please note that this is a passive power, the victim only has to see the rusalka. The victim gets his INT for modification, magi can use his Mentem as a modification.

    Enslave the Male Mind 
    (ReMe40, 15 points) - This power is similar to Rego Mentem Spells like Ensalve mortal mind, with the victim getting an initial chance to resist with an Intelligenge roll against 9+. This power only affects men. 

    The Flowing River 
    (MuCo 40, 1 point) - This power permits the rusalka to assume a non-physical form. Physical objects cannot affect the rusalka, nor can the rusalka affect affect physical things while using this power. Normally she takes the form of her figure in watery or fog like state. 

    Weapon (Brawl): Init: +1  Atk.: +1 Dfn.: +3 Dam.: +1 

    Soak: +2 

    Fatigue: +4 

    Fatigue Levels: OK,-1,-3,-5, Unconcious 

    Body Levels: OK,-1,-3,-5,  Incapacitated 

    Abilities: 

  • Sing 5

  •   Vis:  The corpse of a rusalka contains 5 pawns of aquam vis

    Lutkowa

    The Lutkowa are even for other faeries difficult to recognize and many mortals didn´t even perceive them as living beings, as their tiny, spark-like, shimmering bodies are floating with the winds, lying on leafes or flowers or spreading like star-dust in the air, on the earth or water. The Lotkowa are incorporal With good awareness mortals can recognize moving Lutkowa due to their faint bell-ringing. This bell-ringing can only be heard from moving Lutkowa. Lutkowa cannot speak, but they understand any spoken word. They can only communicate through the colours of their spark like bodies: White or yellow are representing calmness, green love, blue happiness and red anger.
    The Lutkowa can distinguished into two diffentent groups: The Lutkowa-prana and the Lutkowa-valto. The Lutkowa-prana are friendly, they are moving fast and sometimes they dance around a living being, whirling around the being like colorful sparks.
    The Lutkowa-valto see themself as representatives of the sun, and can only be seen at darkness. The meaning of their life is to tend some plants like parsley or woodruff. Any mortal who carelessly touch or treat down such a plant will attract the curse of the Lutkowa-valto.
     
    Characteristics: Int+0, Per+3, Prs+2, Com-5, Str-3, Sta+1, Dex+4, Qik+6 

    Faerie Might: 10

    Size: -3

    Powers:  

    Chamber of Spring Breezes
    (CrAu 5 , 1 point)
    Like the hermetic spell

    Whispering Winds
    (InAu15 , 0 points)
    Like the spell but permanent duration

    Weapon (Brawl): Init: +1  Atk.: +1 Dfn.: +9 Dam.: +1 

    Soak: +0 

    Fatigue: +0

    Fatigue Levels: OK, Unconcious 

    Body Levels: OK, Incapacitated 

    Abilities: 

  • Curse 5

  •   Vis:  The corpse of a Lutkowa contains no vis

    Vilje

    The Vilje, sing. Vilja are unpleasant faeries. Their realms are the inaccesible, rocky or dense parts of faerie-woods. There their essence live in all wells and most of the plants and animals of this particular area. In this area they can assume any female form and cannot be defeated or killed, withouth killing the land too, to which they are bound. when a vilja make contact to humans, she appeared mostly as a young, good looking woman with long, red curly hair, wearing shimmering green and white garments and golden caps. Outside their territory a vilja can take only the form of a falcon or a wolf during the day.
    The predominant personality trait of a vilja is her almost morbid greediness of posession, which will only sometimes keep in check due to her capricousness. Everyone who enters the territory of the vilja have to reckon with many occurences to torment him unless he will leave the territory. If he doesn't or if he is foolish enough to kill a animal he risks his life: The meat from the animal will turn into poison, water will be infected, avalanching rocks will try to kill him, lumbago and sunstroke are his companions. The only protection from this vilja-curse is a medaillon from an mountain-ash or a hair from the corresponding vilja.
     Vilje are moody fae and good looking women are an eyesore to them. Only to cunning-women (see Hedge Magic) they act sometimes as a mentor, to show them many secrets of nature. To women with less presence and men the vilja sometimes offers help, if they behave corretly.
    To particular good-looking men a vilja acts like a dryad, with one great difference: If the man agrees to the marriage, the two are bound together. Both get the virtue of true love but without the possibility to break the bond. The vilja should be treated as a maga with high values in animal, auram, aquam, corpus, herbam and terram and no values in the other forms. The bonded vilja should be played not as a familiar or a companion, but as a strong-willed human, and she should always be a NPC!
     
    Characteristics: Int+1, Per+2, Prs+3, Com+0, Str-1, Sta+2, Dex+0, Qik+1 

    Faerie Might: 40 

     Size:  0 

     Powers: 

     Control Auram 
     (Cr/In/Mu/ReAu30,1-3 points) - A vilja can create any spell like effect with terram.
    The vilja must spend one point per  magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 

    Control Animal 
     (Cr/In/Mu/ReAn30,1-3 points) - A vilja can create any spell like effect with terram.
    The vilja must spend one point per  magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 

    Control Corpus 
     (Cr/In/Mu/ReCo40,1-4 points) - A vilja can create any spell like effect with terram.
    The vilja must spend one point per  magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 

    Control Herbam 
     (Cr/In/Mu/ReHee0,1-5 points) - A vilja can create any spell like effect with terram.
    The vilja must spend one point per  magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 

    Control Terram 
     (Cr/In/Mu/ReTe30,1-3 points) - A vilja can create any spell like effect with terram.
    The vilja must spend one point per  magnitude of the corresponding spell level. 
     
     Shape of the Woodland Prowler 
     (MuCo25,0 points) 
     As the hermetic spell. 

     Shape of the Falcon 
     (MuCo25,0 points) 
     As above, but into a falcon. 

     Weapon (Brawl, in human form): Init: +1  Atk.: +1 Dfn.: +2 Dam.: +2 

     Soak: +3 

     Fatigue: +2 

     Fatigue Levels: OK,-1,-3,-5, Unconscious 

     Body Levels: OK,-1,-3,-5 Incapacitated


    Vis:  The corpse of a vilja contains no vis, as the killing of her shape will only drive her essence from the shape. To kill her permanently one must kill her land too, which also destroy all the vis in her land.