Gwyddbwyll, the Chessboard of Gwenddolau ap Ceidio
(Seeing as it's mentioned in the description of Dyrnwyn I figured I'd post the magic chessboard Gwyddbwyll today. If you're wondering how to pronounce that so would anyone who isn't welsh - it's very roughly Goo-ith-boo-ill (with "ll" being a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative, a sound not found in English phonology, I recommend a quick google or just pronouncing it "th" if you can't be bothered. It's the same sound as the beginning of the name Llywelyn).
The magical chessboard Gwyddbwyll is one of the thirteen treasures of Britain. It was originally owned by a Brythonic king in the old north, what is now the Scottish borders, who legend claims was at one time advised by Merlin himself. Many in the Order of Hermes believe because of this that the chessboard was enchanted by Merlin. Gwyddbwyll, when it occasionally cares to speak on the topic, disdains the notion – referring to Merlin by such as shocking pejoratives as “that mad bard”, “the babbling hermit”, or simply “the fool”.
Gwyddbwyll can move the pieces on its board by itself and speak through the mouth of any of them.
Gwyddbwyll is a clever and insightful being with a very clear-sighted (if cynical) view of the world. Playing against it (it can move the pieces on its board, and can often be seen playing against itself when there is nothing else to do) is often an instructive experience in more than one way. For one thing the board is, unsurprisingly, a good chess player, but more importantly it will often use the game as a metaphor, giving advice through the way it plays and how the other player reacts.
Even just watching Gwyddbwyll can be an interesting experience for it has great foresight and seems to possess an awareness of events far outside the limited interactions it has directly with people. Those with the right mindset watching the board play out games against itself will notice that sometimes the games seem to reflect real events. It is said that king Gwenddolau always played the silver side in games. Just before the fatal battle that ended his kingdom Gwyddbwyll played out a game in which the silver side was defeated with the king slain…
Magic Might: 10 (Mentem)
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +4, Pre +1, Com 0, Str -3, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik -2
Size: -3
Season: Autumn
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Thing; Great Perception; Divination and Augury
Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Minor Virtue; Lesser Power; Major Virtue; Gift of Speech; Improved Abilities x4
Personality Traits: Gameboard +3*, Cryptic +3, Enjoys Contests of Wits +2
Combat: n/a, it takes damage as a normal chessboard and has no means of defence. Consider it to have a defence of 0.
Soak: 0
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–2), –3 (3–4), –5 (6–7), Incapacitated (8–9)
Fatigue Levels: n/a
Abilities: Divination and Augury (Ludomancy) 13*, Arthurian Britain Lore (Hen Ogledd) 4, Order of Hermes Lore (Diedne) 2, Folk Ken (Nobles) 4, Guile 2, Intrigue (Plotting) 3, Leadership (Combat) 3, Teaching (Leaders) 4, Welsh 5, Latin 5, Concentration (Powers) 2, Finesse (Terram) 3, Penetration (Divination) 4
*Gwyddbwyll can use this ability to perform divination as described in The Mysteries: Revised. However, this is not actually hermetic divination (just a similar ability) and he cannot teach the ability to hermetic diviners. His variant, Ludomancy, uses the playing of games of chess with random moves to perform the divination and has a bonus of +3 to “Kingdoms” and +5 to “Battles”.
Powers:
Motion of the Pieces, 0 points, Init -6, Terram
R: Sight, D: Concentration, T: Individual
This power allows the board to move small non-living objects in its vicinity, usually (ut not limited to) the pieces of the game. This is very similar to a longer ranged Unseen Arm effect.
(As per Unseen Arm +1 magnitude for sight range, ReTe 10)
Vis: 2 Mentem
Appearance: Gwyddbwyll is a gameboard carved from hazel wood in an archaic style. On it rest two sets of game pieces fashioned to look like two opposing armies. One set is made of silver and the other of red gold.
Where is it now?
Gwyddbwyll passed through the hands of several kings and magicians in Britain, highly regarded for its prophetic powers. At the time of Pralix’s arrival in Britain it was in the hands of a Northumbrian rune wizard and was of great use to the forces of Davanallus. In the aftermath of the Spider’s war it fell into the hands of house Deidne and was for many years housed in the Nameless Covenant.
It was captured during the schism war and placed in the care of the magi of Ungulus in the north of the Stonehenge tribunal. It remains there to this day as far as anyone is aware, although the Tremere magi of Blackthorn have made several attempts to acquire it in the past. As Ungulus slides into the tail end of its winter it remains to be seen what the fate of Gwyddbwyll will be.
(note: the actual game played by Britons in sub-Roman Britain would not have been chess, which is a later import. The chess-like game that was played at the time has an unknown ruleset, as no source ever explained how it was played. We do know it was played with two sides of roughly equal numbers of pieces, but not much else. Assume in 1220 Gwyddbwyll knows how to play chess or any similar game).