The Wolf Ring
Type: Entertainment
Description
In an open area on the edge of the tribunal grounds two concentric rope circles are pegged to the ground. At intervals signs posted around it proclaim:
DO NOT ENTER WHILST CONTEST IS IN PROGRESS
A single larger sign is placed where the ring is closest to the rest of the tribunal grounds:
"Wolf Duels
Take your wolves, and fight those of your opponent!
Rules:
- For single wolf duels the referee will provide you with a single wolf at the start of the duel. For pack duels, you will be provided with a pack of six identical wolves.
- You have 30 seconds to enhance your wolves as you see fit at the start of the match. All spells must be cast on your own wolves only. No-one else may cast any spells on either your wolves or anything else affecting the duel.
- Combat will last for one minute, and must remain within the inner circle. During this time no further spells may be cast. You must remain in the ring between the two circles.
- In the event that the fight does not have a clear winner, the referee will proclaim one based on tactics, clever use of spells and aggression.
- For "spells" also read any other supernatural or mundane effect intended to affect the duel.
- Other duel formats available by arrangement - please discuss with Acca of Tremere"
Background
This is largely a bit of fun (and also an opportunity to introduce new players to combat in a safe way). There is no entrance fee, but there is usually a mundane Tremere functionary around who will act as a bookmaker for minor bets.
The default wolves before buffing have the standard stats from the Book of Mundane Beasts:
Combat:
Size: -1
Teeth: Init +2, Attack +11 (+18/+0), Defense +9 (+0 /+18), Damage 0
Soak: +4
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–4), –3 (5–8), –5 (9–12), Incapacitated (13–16), Dead 17+
Abilities: Athletics 5 (distance running), Awareness 3 (smell), Brawl 5 (teeth), Hunt 4 (track by smell), Leadership 5 (wolves), Survival 3 (winter)
Max group bonus: +18, applied to either Attack or Defense
Appearence: The wolf has erect, triangular ears, a narrow muzzle, and a coat of shaggy fur. Its eyes are usually yellowish and have a steady, unsettling gaze. Its coat is always a brindled pattern of black and brown.
Acca can multicast a Cr(Re)An 30 spell to create 6 of them, then hand control of the wolves over to the duelists. She will usually cast the spells forcelessly; however, if aiming to penetrate (which she may do for some non-standard duels) she can achieve a penetration total of 31 + Aura + die.
Acca expects most duels to be fought between two other magi; however, she will accept casual challenges herself. Her standard "enhanced" pack has the following stats:
Size: +0
Teeth: Init +1, Attack +16 (+18/+0), Defense +8 (+0/+18), Damage +7
Soak: +9
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead 21+
Abilities: Athletics 5 (distance running), Awareness 3 (smell), Brawl 5 (teeth), Hunt 4 (track by smell), Leadership 5 (wolves), Survival 3 (winter)
Max group bonus: +18, applied to either Attack or Defense
Penetration: 0 / 18+Aura+die
Appearence: The wolf has erect, triangular ears, a narrow muzzle, a coat of thick fur and razor sharp teeth and claws. It is larger than normal, and its eyes are a firey red. Its coat is deep black, but with a brindled brown pattern superimposed on it, and it occasionally appears to breathe steam.
The inner ring has a Ward Against Mundane beasts, and the outer ring has a ward against humans (although this is cast forcelessly, and she will extend her Parma to anyone competing without magic resistance long enough for them to step over the line).
Acca is happy to agree to provide wolves for duels against other conjured creatures. She is more wary about providing wolves for duels against magi's familiars, grogs or the magus themselves, and will require the magi to first fight a duel against the proposed opposition using conjured creatures, and then make a statement in front of a Quaesitor accepting that any damage is upon their own head, and that they forfeit their immunity in respect of any damage that was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the duel, up to and including deaths. Any such duels must not be deliberately to the death (first blood or surrender are the default options, with the duel also ending at unconsciousness), but there is always a risk of accidents.
Personalities
Acca of Tremere
Personality Traits: Brave +2, Callous towards animals +3, Paranoid -1
Acca is a lean Slavic woman apparently in her mid fifties (but actually over 100), her hair almost entirely grey. She wears a suit of high quality chainmail with a (talisman) whip coiled at her belt, and a ring on one finger. She's a relatively new Archmage, and Master of Auxilleries for House Tremere. When casting her spells, she often uses the whip to extend her touch range - it appears to reach surprisingly far, and move in direct response to her will with no conscious effort on her part.
She's running the duels for a few reasons:
- She enjoys them (and has put a lot of effort in over the years developing her suite of spells)
- As an opportunity to train other magi in the tribunal in handling her wolves in preparation for future military use - she has other spells that last longer than the diameter she uses for the contests
- To see what ideas other magi have for buffing her wolves. Magi who appear to have developed interesting spells may be approached by her later to request a lab text.
Story Seeds
- Acca has taken various precautions to prevent accidents - which make it all the more worrying when one of the conjured wolf packs break out of the ring and attack one of the spectators. Is this just a magical botch, or is something more sinister going on?
- Acca suspects that one or more spectators is magically interfering with some of the bouts, but must keep her full attention on the ring whilst they are going on. She asks a player character (most likely a junior Tremere or Guernicus) to keep watch.
- Acca views her conjured animals as extensions of her will, and has little to no regard for their welfare. Whilst not gratuitously cruel, she considers that as such creatures will vanish anyway once the spell duration ends, how she treats them doesn’t matter. Some nature orientated magi may have different opinions.