The Balcbéimnech
Key Facts
- Favored Tribunals: Stonehenge, Hibernian and Loch Leglean Tribunals
- Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Evil Eye
- Minor Hermetic Virtue: Affinity with Perdo
- Major Hermetic Flaw: Blatant Gift
History
The most feared of all the Fomorians chieftains was Balor the Smiter. A giant warrior whose eye had accidently been exposed to baleful fumes from a potion brewed by druids. The eye turned into a powerful weapon, able to obligate anyone and anything it gaze upon. Balor would terrorize Ireland for many years before being killed by his grandson Lugh.
Balor might have passed but the tale of the destruction he wrecked long remained. So did the druids who accidently gave Balor his powers. These druids tried to recreate the fumes and potion which caused Balor powerful abilities. The evil eyes created in other attempts never become quite so potent as Balor’s. The fumes would affect different individuals differently both in power and appearance. Some would be left with three eyes, others a single large eye and yet others would remain relatively unaffected in appearance. The evil eye often becomes dark red in colour.
This minor tradition of cursers would spread along the British Isle and eventually become enemies of their former ally the Druids. No longer relying on them to brew their potions, the newly named Balcbéimnech learned to create their own. The tradition began fighting with the other magical tradition of the isle over magical resources, vis and Gifted children. This would all change with the arrival of Damhan-Allaidh. Damhan-Allaidh would recruit many of the traditions' enemies and thus they would refuse to join his side. Instead favouring Pralix.
As one of the many traditions originally recruited by Pralix for her army of new Order. Their powerful curses proved a potent weapon against the Spider and many times afterwards. The tradition welcomed the changes during the Schism War issued by Basilicus. The Balcbéimnech have historically always had a taste for warfare and are eager to take up arms once again. When these changes were abandoned and the Young House fell back into slumber, the Balcbéimnech were one of the loudest voices in blaming meddling from other Houses.
Culture
The tradition has always valued individuality, the members of the Balcbéimnech have few obligations to their tradition. Most live separate from each other and interact sparsely. There is however one project which the members get together. When Lugh killed Balor, he did so in a manner which separated the giant from his eye. The eye flew from Balor’s socket - killing many Fomorians before landing in the ocean. The Balcbéimnech have tried to recover this artifact, though to no success.
Characters
Balor himself was a giant and the tradition still favours apprentices with giant blood in their veins, either resulting in the Large or Giant Blood Virtue though it is not mandatory. Piercing Gaze is particularly common.
Flawed Powers (Magical Addiction) is common, resulting in cursing whole groups before the character may control himself again. The exact form of the evil eye might also result in different flaws. Disfigured or Horrifying Appearance are not uncommon if it manifests as an eye in the forehead or as a large single eye. Missing Eye and Poor Eyesight are also common for similar reasons. Some characters' evil eye is so potent they must keep it close lest curse all who look at it. All members of this tradition get the flaw Blatant Gift, perhaps this is a consequence of Balor's own sinister reputation or what caused it.
Major Supernatural Virtue: Evil Eye
To use this power the character must make eye contact with the intended victim. He then rolls a casting total determined by Presence + Evil Eye + Aura + Stress Die. Unlike many similar cursing powers, those of the Evil Eye always go into effect immediately and never have duration greater than momentary. The target must be a human or human-like character.
| Ease Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| 6 | Fill with terror, Paralyze for one round |
| 9 | Light Wound, Lose a Fatigue Level, Deform |
| 12 | Medium Wound, Strike Blind, Aging Crisis |
| 15 | Heavy Wound, Cripple, Reduce mental capabilities |
| 18 | Incapacitating Wound, Drive Mad |
| 21 | Death, Mindless husk, All Characteristics reduced by 1 |
| 24 | Total disintegration, All Characteristics reduced by 3 |
Specialties: A certain effect, a certain target (Supernatural)