Thirty for November: A Folk Witch Grog a day

[Cathelineau]

Avec Sodales,

Here will be my contributions for the 2018 November Challenge !
I will try to post here a new Grog character each day, but not any Grog : a Folk Witch Grog ! Because witches are funny but not that powerful opponents, and they can be either a danger, a possible servant for the covenant (if things go well) or even a future playable character. Most of them may even become companions with a few additionnal Vices or Virtues. Any tip, advice or remark will be appreciated.

Most of them may very well be either male or female characters, but the many cases will be discussed. Some of them could be affiliated to strong, well-defined and particular Folk Witch Traditions, and it will clearly be stated. Others may be included in any coven or may even be wild wanderers without magical friends. They may gather and create together more or less powerful covens. As Grogs, no one of them may be Gifted, But a bunch of ungifted casual hedge wizards may prove they are worthy for the local inhabitants.

Whatever could be their Folk Witch tradition, their favorite supernatural abilities will be dully stated.

Each one of them is presented as a full character with personality traits, age, sex and character. Feel free to adapt them to your desires. They may be viewed as simple templates for more general character concepts. (They could easily have brothers, sisters, relatives, children or apprentices with same powers, abilities and traditions).

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Bruno, the Surly Smith
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Sex: Male.
Age: 25 years
Overview: A strong man of great stature, a secret and untalkative villain, who manufactures and repairs the tools in her small hamlet. He has always had a strong bond with bears, and can himself become one of those wild beasts, whenever he wishes.
Characteristics: Com -1, Dex 0, For+3, Int -1, Per +1, Pre 0, Qik -1, Sta +2
Virtues & Flaws: Animal Ken, Craftsman, Hobbled, Skinchanger (a black bear), Vow (to protect the bears), Warped magic (bees appear and flutter around him – affects his Skinchanger power and his two supernatural abilities), Wilderness Sense.
Personality traits: Greedy +2, Love the nature +2, Grumpy +1
Abilities: Animal Ken 5 (bears) (Folk Witch’s favourite ability), Area Lore 2 (towns), Athletics 1 (to lift things), Awareness 3 (animals), Bargain 2 (minerals), Brawl 4 (attack), Carouse (feasts) 1, Concentration 3 (working), Guile 2 (his identity in a bear shape), Profession : Blacksmith 5 (tools), Survival 4 (cold), Wilderness sense 4 (food) (Folk Witch’s favourite ability).

Story hook: The Criminal
One of the servants of the neighbouring covenant killed a bear during one of his hikes in the woods (perhaps the one charged with poaching to replenish the food supply). Bruno found out about this unforgivable crime, and now he's going up the trail of the culprit. It is only a matter of time before groups of four or five rabid bears, guided by a black bear of an impressive size, begin to terrorize the mundane and desperate inhabitants of the covenant.

Story hook: The Damsel in distress
Bruno recently went to a small sabbat where he discovered other odd characters. During that night he understood other people with supernatural powers exist and may assist him. Only time could tell if he would become more friendly and benevolent. And time pass. One of the pretty witches who came to that saabat has been arrested by religious fanatics, a bunch of monks who keep her in a secret place in the monastery, and now the monks await for an inquisitor's visit. The witch sent a bird to ask help and the bird bring back Bruno. The blacksmith want to help the young lady - even if he hasn't felt in love, he feels it is the good thing to do. Many things could happen and many ways could make Bruno interacting with Magi. One of the monks may be slayed in the process - maybe a relative of a covenant's grog, or the monks may become more and more angry and dangerous for the local Magi. Now Bruno and her unfortunate friend are hunted, and they may seek protection at the covenant.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Priscilla The Milk Robber[/size]

Sex: Female. The Milk Robber most of the times is a woman. This uncommon tradition may be linked to the female nature, or simply be transmitted to young women only.
Age: 25
Overview: a young woman with opulent blond hair, wearing a farmer dress and a few gimcrack around her neck and her wrists. She has a dark and mysterious look, and frequently is seen prowling near isolated farms. She negotiates her supernatural competencies against eating, drinking or other casual favours. She is as much feared as respected by those of the serfs who are acquainted with her particular talents... Her mother and her grandmother had the same powers before her, and taught her how to develop and take advantage of them.
Characteristics: Com+2, Dex0, For0, Int0, Per0, Pre+1, Qik0, Sta+2
Virtues & Flaws: Animal Ken, Compulsion (to punish stupid or ennoying peasants), Infamous (Locale, Bad witch, 3), Milk rob, Puissant Discretion, Warped magic (all plants wither at 20 paces around).
Abilities: Animal Handling 2 (calming), Animal Ken 2 (cows) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Area Lore 3 (animals), Awareness 1 (animals), Bargain 4 (supernatural powers), Brawl 1 (animals), Carouse 2 (feasts), Charm 4 (persons whom she wants to curse the cattle), Etiquette 2 (peasants), Guile 3 (peasants), Intrigue 2 (gossip), Living Language 5 (insults), Milk rob 5 (cows) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Stealth 3 (farms).
Personality traits: vengeful +3, profiteer +3, dislike the children +2

New Virtue: Milk rob (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This ability grants you the power to curse female domesticated animals, such as cows, ewes and goats, so that they no longer produce milk.
This gives you the Supernatural Ability Milk Rob 1.

New Ability: Milk Rob
This new supernatural Ability may be linked to Faerie, Infernal or Magic Realm. It grants knowledge of mysterious gestures and magic words, disabling cattle to produce milk. It may be used against any type of domesticated animal, but is of no help against male animals or human beings. The Milk Robber must touch the desired victim, making movements and telling words of ancient power. Should she whisper or shout, she will add the bonus described in the Voice Bonus Table in the core rulebook.
When using this Ability, a character must make a Milk Rob + Ene roll, against an Ease factor which increases according to the desired duration: 3 for Diameter, 6 for Sun, 9 for Month, 15 for Year and 24 until the animal's death. Magi would be impressed by this power, which is able to act longer than common hermetic magic.
Specialties: cows, ewes, goats, at midnight.

Story hook: Bane of the Cattle
Peasants of a particular village displeased her. Maybe one of them tried to rape her, or she was rejected by their community without a chance. She tries and manages to curse any of their cows, letting the place starve into a bad situation. The farmers don’t understand what happens, but they may look for supernatural help – that of a Saint, a demonic rescue, or some investigation from the nearest funny guys who look at the stars in their isolated house (players’ Magi, of course). Should the Magi don’t agree to help the villains, they will face other supernatural forces disturbing the local balance of powers. On the other way, Priscilla is very blinkered and it will be hard to convince her she must leave the peasants in peace.

Story hook: The Most Precious Cheese
Local inhabitants use their milk to make the most delicious and praised cheese of the whole kingdom. Even the king himself cannot pass a day without eating that divine nourishment. To be honest, the locale cheese may even contain some pawns of Animal Vis, making all of the near farm’s caves a valuable source of Vis (producing around 1 pawns of Vis per year per cave). Though it seems the cows don’t give milk anymore. The locale peasants are devastated, the Magi may be in panic, and the king will be very angry in a few months, when cheese stocks will be too rarefied… Priscilla may have cursed the cows, following the orders of the neighbouring (and very jealous) village. Or she may have been recruited by a rival covenant.

[Gambrius]

Very well done! I'll definitely use some witches IMS. Keep it up!

[Cathelineau]

Oops, I forgot to post them !

[size=150]Yorla, a Daughter of Ice
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Sex: female. Sons of Ice may exist, but are rarer.
Age: 17
Overview: her pregnant mother was lost during a winter tempest and hid herself in a mysterious cavern. That subterranean place was a supernatural regio surrounded by ice stalactites and rivers of snow. Thus her child was tainted by magic. When she reached the age of 10, the young Yorla began to display strange and disturbing powers. She had to flee her village and she now lives alone in the wilderness, trying to gather food and to elude travellers. She has pale blonde hair and tanned skin, wears dirty patched clothes and behave cautiously with strangers.
Characteristics: Com-1, Dex0, For+3, Int+1, Per0, Pre0, Qik-3, Sta+3
Virtues & Flaws: Blow cold, Clear Thinker, Magical blood (Ice, Hands of Winter), Restricted power (negative feelings) (Folk Witch Flaw), Wanderer, Warped senses (sensitive to heat).
Abilities: Area lore 2 (hides), Awareness 4 (vigilance), Blow cold 5 (men) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Brawl 3 (defense), Guile 2 (hiding her powers), Hunt 1 (during winter), Living language (prosaic) 5, Natation 2 (quickness), Survival 2 (during winter).
Personality traits: aloof +2, depressed +3, jealous +3

Lesser Powers: Hands of Winter (Corpus)
R:Personal, D:Diameter, T:Individual
Her bare hands become acute and sharp, allowing her to deal +3 damages when she tries to hurt other people. Whenever she uses that power, her hands switch to icy stalactites and her hair become blue, and she loses one Fatigue level. (Base 10, +1Diameter, +1Aquam requisite, +1Part)
Notes: following her Restricted Power Flaw, she must have negative, passive feelings (such as sadness, despair or pain) to perform her magic - anger or hatred cannot qualify. As an ungifted Folk Witch, this Flaw applies to both her supernatural powers and abilities.

New Virtue: Blow cold (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This ability grants you the power to breathe cold wind in the direction of other people, harassing and hampering them. This gives you the Supernatural Ability Blow cold 1.

New Ability: Blow cold
This Ability allows the character to breathe a cold wind with her mouth, blasting snow and ice sharps onto those designated by the witch. That power may only target human beings (or Corpus supernatural beings) and is of no help against animals. The targeted character temporarily is blinded and must step backwards, trying to cover his face, and losing one Fatigue level.
The character makes a Blow cold + Ene roll, against an Ease factor of Target's Energy + Target's Magic Resistance + Range modifier (6 at Range:Touch, 12 at Range:Voice, 18 at Range:Sight and 24 at Range:Arcane connection). If the target is not at Range:Touch, and currently is moving, the storyguide may upgrade the Ease factor according to the target’s speed. Disasters may target other people or freeze the lungs of the witch, causing illness.
Specialties: men, women, first encounter, clerks, pretty ones.

Story hook: An Impossible Lover
Yorla now lives in a desecrated and secrete place in the mountains – a great cavern filled white crystals and ice columns. It may be a magical place with an aura of 2, or even a full region surrounded with magical phenomenon like snow plants, walls of glass and whistling air. The young lady rarely goes around, but encountered a few lumberjacks who spoke about the pure and pale damsel of the hills. Old grannies began to speak about old folktales, stories of queens and unforbidden love. The one who could meet her and impress her could become her beloved one, they say – but how could a man embrace a Daughter of Ice, without being frightened or repelled by her appearance? And will she be ready to open her heart?

Story hook: The Unfaithful Should Suffer
One of the covenant’s servants or companions fell in love with that strange lady and has been courting her assiduously during the last month. Yorla gave in to his advances, but was soon neglected by the servant. After all there is many things to do in a covenant, the man may very-well be already married, or have another love interest (characters with Curse of Venus apply). Yorla will now take revenge – maybe beginning with harassing or trying to kill the unfaithful lover, ending with fighting against the entire covenant, because she thinks that was the main obstacle for their romance. She may look for allies amongst other Folk Witches, or Aquam supernatural creatures.

[size=150]Siusan, a Snake Charmer
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Sex: female. (Snake charmers may be male or female, but most of them are female in Europe and male in the Muslim lands, for no particular reason – Saint Patrick might have been an European exception).
Age: 28
Overviews: a young gaelic woman with redhead, frickles and a smooth voice. She travels from place to place, befriending and using locale snakes as means to protect her. Her beloved one was bitten by one of her snakes and died, which let her devastated. Time has passed and she now tries to forget her lost love with any man she can seduce.
Characteristics: Com+2, Dex0, For0, Int0, Per0, Pre+2, Qik0, Sta+1
Virtues & Flaws: Animal Ken, Inoffensive to snakes, Lesser Immunity (snake venoms), Lecherous, Lost love, Wanderer, Warped magic (ophidian appearance) (Folk Witch Flaw).
Abilities: Animal Handling 5 (snakes), Animal Ken 5 (snakes) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Area Lore 2 (animals), Awareness 2 (snakes), Brawl 1 (women), Carouse 4 (sexual intercourse), Charm 3 (men), Guile 2 (legitimate spouses of her present lovers), Hunt 4 (snakes), Living language (flirting) 5, Medicine 3 (venoms), Music 1 (love songs), Survival 2 (swamps).
Personality traits: nymphomaniac +3, depressed +2, cautious +2

Notes: following her Warped magic Flaw, her voice hiss, her retinae retract and her tongue become forked, whenever she relies on her supernatural talents. As an ungifted Folk Witch, these physical changes equally apply to her body when she benefits from her Animal Ken, Inoffensive to Snakes, or Lesser Immunity virtues; that is, during any interaction with animals, and even more whenever she is touched or bitten by a snake. That may be a peculiar event if she currently is trying to cajole an attractive man while a garter snake sneaks nearby.

Story hook: The Altar of Medusa
Siusan is very interested in the research of ancient wizardry about snakes. She is convinced that Medusa and her two sisters were powerful witches, able to invoke wonders of magic. She embarked on the study of anything that could enlighten her about it. She discovered clues to the existence of a cult dedicated to the three gorgons, a secrete fellowship scattered in Greece. She is now recruiting companions courageous enough to accompany her in the exploration of catacombs, on the edge of the Byzantine Empire, in search of the altar of Medusa...

Story hook: Viper of Virtue in my Retinue
Siusan may find and handle a Viper of Virtue, a powerful snake with supernatural powers and medium Might (maybe 20 or 30). With her new pet, she may become a big opponent to any other wizard in the area, particularly when these people try to hunt and kill the viper’s offspring for their pawns of Animal Vis. All magi need Vis, after all. Even if the locale Magi aren’t that hungry for Vis, Siusan may become a menace when she founders a snake cult, gathering other hedge wizards around her secrete lair.

[size=150]Abaquacus, an Astrologist (5th November)
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Sex: male. In Mythic Europe, female Astrologists may exist altogether, especially in vast and wild places of Europe, such as Poland, Russia and other Eastern kingdoms –though educated people are rarer in those areas. That’s why astrologists tend to be male in West Europa. In the more tolerant Muslim places, like Aegyptus, Al-Andalus or Far Persia, women have equal chances to study astrology – in other Muslim states, male astrologists are common, but female ones tend to disappear.
Age: 50
Overviews: Abaquacus is an old man with grey hair and a long beard, wearing thick dresses and travelling with all sorts of curious things like potions, science books, handmade telescopes… Astrology is seen by religious authorities as a sinful activity, hence he may not be allowed to boast about doing it as often as he wishes.
Characteristics: Com+1, Dex0, For-1, Int+3, Per+2, Pre-2, Qik0, Sta+1
Virtues & Flaws: Clumsy, Esoteric Premonitions, Premonitions (wealth), Educated, Environmental Magic Condition (seasonal star alignments), Outcast.
Abilities: Area Lore 5 (libraries), Artes liberales 6 (astrology), Awareness 1 (first encounter), Bargain 3 (predictions), Brawl 1 (withdraw), Concentration 2 (seasonal activities), Craft: optical instruments 3 (star observation), Death Language : Latin 5 (esoteric), Etiquette 2 (burghers), Folk Ken 2 (burghers), Folk witches Lore 5 (writings), Living Language 5 (esoteric), Philosophy 5 (nature), Premonitions 6 (wealth) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Teaching 3 (Premonitions), Theology 2 (proving astrology is not a sin).
Personality traits: circumspect +3, superstitious +2, easily distracted +2

New Virtue: Esoteric Premonitions (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This virtue may only be selected for characters with the Ability Premonitions. Such characters learnt how to add calculus, star observations and study of natural phenomenon in order to improve their forecasts. Whenever he performs a Premonitions roll, this character may add his Artes Liberales and Philosophy scores, as long as he has a few hours and a laboratory at his disposal.
Notes: the Environmental Magic Condition Flaws means that, any time the stars align, that character encounter increased difficulties to calculate the future events. In such cases, the meanings of meteorological phenomenon seem to vanish, and the basis of his esoteric knowledge fades away. At any solstice, equinox, solar or lunar eclipse, and a few days before and after, his Premonitions totals are halved. Note that equinoxes and solstices are obvious events, and the Astrologist may be able to anticipate the other occurrences of star alignments (especially if he regularly success Int + Artes Liberales roll). As an ungifted Folk Witch, that is his Folk Witch Flaw, hence whatever he accomplishes to avoid it, that limitation cannot be eluded. The stronger he tries to elude it, the more devastating his failed Premonitions will be.

Story hook: Even Kings die
Abaquacus recently predicted the king's impending death. It goes without saying that such news was not appreciated by the sovereign. Although he did not take this information seriously, his majesty is increasingly worried as the fateful date approaches. Some schemers want to capture the astrologer to get details about the king's death, probably in the idea of facilitating it. The king, for his part, sends his soldiers and his most devoted knights to stop the old man, and bring him back to the king’s dungeon, in the hope of bringing him to make a contradictory prediction. Who's going to help poor Abaquacus?

Story hook: The Eye of Masha'allah ibn Atharî
The highly respected Masha'allah ibn Atharî was a great Persian astronomer of the 8th century. His studies on the movements of the planets and their influence on the world are unparalleled. But more important than his works, one whispers, in enlightened circles, that the learned man had made an optical instrument of exceptional precision and finesse. If Abaquacus could get his hands on this legendary astronomy bezel, he could probably multiply the speed of his research. Who knows? Serving a covenant, he could even help make a major hermetic breakthrough? This could concern the inclusion of the virtue Predictions to The Gift, or its transformation into a new Art, the Form Predictio.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Andrey, a Squire of the Black Knight[/size]

Sex: Male. Female Squires are a rare thing in Mythic Europe, though some Knights do love to be served by young women and don't give a damn what people could think about it. There are a few female Knights also, who tends to prefer female servants over male ones. The said Black Knight may very-well be a supernatural being (most of the times a Faerie one), in which case the gender of its retinue doesn't matter. Anyway, if you create a female Squire of the Black Knight, consider switching the Personality trait Obedient to Resolute (women making manly activities will have to be resilient).
Age: 15. Squires are the last step before knighted men. Even if some bad masters let their battle servants be immersed in apprenticeship for years, the large part of the squires are dubbed between 14 and 18.
Overviews: Andrey was raised as a servant for the Black Knight since he is 6, which means he passed the main part of his life as the dedicated servitor of his master. He follows his lord in any place, fill his goblets with wine, help him wear his armour, and make him helpful in any occasion.
Characteristics: Com-1, Dex+2, For+2, Int-1, Per+2, Pre-1, Qik+1, Sta0
Virtues & Flaws: Curse of Eris, Dowsing, Infamous (Ominous master, kingdom, 3), Prodigal Carrier, Puissant Prodigal Carrier, Wanderer, Warped magic (designated enmity) (Folk Witch Flaw).
Abilities: Animal Handling 1 (horses), Athletics 1 (bearing), Area Lore 1 (tournaments), Artes liberales 1 (grammar), Brawl 2 (withdraw), Concentration 1 (battles), Death Language : Latin 1 (poetic), Dowsing 1 (noble ladies) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Etiquette 2 (knights), Folk Ken 2 (noblemen), Living Language 4 (insults), One-handed weapons 1 (swords), Prodigal Carrier 4+3 (spears) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Ride 1 (travels), Natation 1 (speed).
Personality traits: Obedient +3, Bruiser +2, Festal +2

New Virtue: Prodigal Carrier (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This virtue grants you the power to invoke weapons at your master's demand. This gives you the Supernatural Ability Prodigal Carrier 1.

New Flaw: Curse of Eris (Minor, Personality flaw)
This flaw means you are incapable of building harmonious relationship or making good first impression. Whoever are the people you encounter, conflict and competition flowers. Any time you interact for the first time with other characters, you suffer a modifier of -1 to any social Ability roll. However, in any situation you earn positive Reputation points, reduce them of 1 point, down to a minimum of 1. Any time you earn negative Reputation points, increase them of 1 point.

New Ability: Prodigal Carrier
The character has the mystical power to create and invoke weapons requested by her superiors. Every time another character quotes a particular weapon, the Squire may try to materialize it in its bare hands, provided that the requesting character may be acknowledged as the Squire's master (a Black knight, a ruler, a group leader...). The invoked object only lasts two minutes and cannot be hold by anything else than the Squire and her master. This Ability may be aligned with any Supernatural Realm, and it is treated as a Terram effect (for hermetic purposes).

The Squire makes a Prodigal Carrier + Ene roll against an Ease factor of 9 if the required weapon is a common item in the surrounding area, like a one-handed sword in Mythic Europe. You may increase up to an Ease factor of 12 for uncommon weapons like two-handed swords or Welsh Longbow, 15 for very rare items like steel battleaxes or damascene sabres, and 24 for untraceable relics of unbelievable price, like the authentic sarissa of a Macedonian general - such tremendous weapons might have permanent supernatural effects.
This character may invoke a particular weapon, as long as he already touched it with its bare hands; it only requires the Squire to lose a Fatigue level. Already existing objects are brought as is (i.e. broken weapons stay broken).
Invoked weapons cannot be dispelled or cancelled. Weapons with Magic Resistance (e.g. swords with reliquary, enchanted weapons…) add their Magic Resistance to the Ease factor, and weapons owned and carried by characters with Magic Resistance must be called with the same drawback. As usual, only one Magic Resistance at a time can apply.

Specialties: swords, bows, axes, spears, religious superior, knighted master, parental authority, for a tourney, during battles.

Notes: the Warped Magic Flaw applies here for both Abilities Dowsing and Prodigal Carry. Whenever the Squire uses them, any opposite character feels the urge to harm the poor Squire, and during a fight she becomes the designated target for any near adversary. There is no hatred here – it simply looks like she must be killed before any else.
Should you create a Black Knight character endorsing this Squire’s master role, she would have to possess any of the following Flaws: Curse of Eris, Magical Air, Monstrous appearance, Offensive to (mundane people) or The Gift (without the Gentle Gift virtue).

Story hook: The Spear of the Master
Nobody saw where is the spear of the Black Knight, a long pike with dragon-decorated shaft and a deadly sharp tip. Even Andrey is unable to invoke that particular weapon, which is unusual. His master, this dreary horseman, who scares villains and merchants in the whole county, pledged to hunt for it as long as necessary. The angry knight now hangs around, looking for his beloved spear, defying and ransoming anyone. Maybe a Faerie creature or an angelic spirit cursed him. Whatever are the grounds of his failures, the Black Knight will net cease his acts of violence until his Squire can bring back his favourite spear.

Story hook: The Great Tournament
The king organizes a great tournament in order to celebrate his last victory against a great foe (e.g. Louis VIII’s victory in front of Avignon, King Henri III’s success in Bedford…) and the prize of the championship will be the hand of his younger sister. Knights of all countries assemble to compete. The Black Knight is here too, of course. And he wears a bunch of weapons that could make the bravest men fade: battle-axes of prodigious size, huge swords with a dreadful dragon-like handle, steel flails with hooked spikes, and so on. If nobody arrests him, he will manage to slaughter the other competitors and win the princess – to the king’s greatest dismay.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Bellus/Bella, a Son of Incubus, a Daughter of Succubus[/size]

Sex: male or female (alternatively).
Age: 22. This character doesn’t have true demon blood (this would transform this template into a Mythic companion) but you could reproduce some of the demon blood effects making him (or her) a companion with the Flaws: Age quickly, Immune to diseases, Magical air.
Overview: Bellus (or Bella) is a polymorphous human being, one blessed by Infernal Realm so that he (or she) can take any gender and any desired physical appearance (as long as it is the shape of a mundane human being, of course). One day he is a 60-year-old strict man of tall size and thin shape, and the other she is a very gorgeous 15-year-old harlot with black hair and voluptuous curves. He (or she) uses to observe and study the character and behaviour of people he (or she) encounters, planning to meet them the next day in a shape matching their most untold dreams, so that they couldn’t refuse anything…
Characteristics: Com+1, Dex+1, For-1, Int-2, Per+2, Pre+3, Qik-2, Sta+2
Virtues & Flaws: Corrupted Charm, Drape, Gender Shift, Lecherous, Lesser Power: Climax at Will, Restricted power (in a room) (Folk Witch Flaw), Wanderer.
Abilities: Athletics 2 (climb houses), Area Lore 2 (notoriously lecherous people), Awareness 1 (authorities), Carouse 5 (erotic games), Drape 4 (noblemen’s fantasies) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Intrigue 3 (gossip), Living Language 5 (sweet nothings), Guile 5 (fake love), Stealth 3 (hiding himself).
[b]Personality traits:[b] Observant +2, Funny +2, Inventive +3

Lesser Power: Climax at Will (Corpus)
The targeted characters experience an increasing climax for the duration. Designed characters must constitute a group (as defined in the hermetic spell target guidelines). Each member of said group is aroused for two minutes. Only characters with particular Virtues, High concentration or corresponding Personality traits might act during this distracting event. When the supernatural effect ends, the targets recover (they are not exhausted). Besides, any character triggering this power has to lose one Fatigue level any times he uses it, and he or she takes control of the effects, being able to stop them at any moment. Pretentious seducers may please the three or four women they brought to their bedroom in an easier way ordinary lovers could. (Base 2, +3Sight, +1Diameter, +2Group, +1control – Thanks to Atlas Games Forum user Callen who designed the spell “The Caress of Magic”)

New Virtue: Drape (Minor, Supernatural virtue)

That Virtue makes you able to guess which clothing would ease your interaction with a particular person, and to dress you with it. That Virtue grants the Supernatural Ability Drape 1.

New Ability: Drape

The character makes a Drape + Per roll against an Ease factor of 9. The Magic Resistance of the target might be added to the required score. If the check is successful, the character switches his (or her) dressing’s appearance for one which could appeal, reassure or convince the target. E.g., a vestment of office impresses bigoted peasants, a dress with plunging neckline would please pervert people, full-plate armour could temper bandits and a prestigious court outfit will satisfy noblemen.
This illusion of clothing lasts for the duration: Diameter. Any 3 points above the required Ease factor upgrade the Duration of the effect, following the ordinary hermetic spell durations, up to a maximum of Year. A Finesse + Int roll may be required to determine the accuracy, the elegance and the accessories of the new outfit.
Characters with Second Sight or similar powers may resist these effects. For hermetic purposes, this Ability is similar to a CrIm spell.

Notes: his (or her) Folk Witch’s Flaw is the Restricted Power Flaw, meaning the following virtues only can apply if the character actually is in a room (any building’s piece with four walls, a floor and a ceiling counts as a room) : Gender Shift, Lesser Power: Climax at Will, Second Sight. That restriction may be due to the particular nature of the incubi (and succubi), creatures that tend to visit and possess people when they are sleeping in their regular bedroom.
Pay attention this character doesn’t have the Demonic Blood Virtue, meaning he (or she) simply have been influenced by a demon, but isn’t actually a true heir of any evil spirit. Maybe the mother of that character was already pregnant when the demon visited her, or the father was having fun with a succubus every other day during the time he fecundated his dedicated and unaware wife. Remember this character has no Might, hence his (or her…) Lesser Power is of no help against Magi with Parma Magica, or zealous knights and pious nuns who most of the times wear relics (even when they sleep).

About Folk Witch Traditions: Sons of Incubus (and Daughters of Succubus) may be part of any Folk Witch Tradition, as long as this tradition provides some sort of teaching for social Abilities (like Charm, Etiquette or Guile) or supernatural Abilities influencing other people: Cursing, Enchanted music, Entrancement… Covens with such members eventually become a disturbed community, either having trouble between its ranks or perturbing locale villagers. Over the time, they build or extend their links to the Infernal Ream faster than their bonds to other supernatural Realms.

Story hook: A Bishopric Affair
Bella succeeded to seduce the locale bishop. Even if she couldn’t use her Lesser Power (as long as the faithful Bishop have enough Might Resistance to avoid such disadvantageous situation), it seems she managed to appear to him like the lady of his dreams, outside any Dominion aura. The Bishop may have stated his failure later, when Bella asked him an indecent amount of gold so that she would not speak about their affair. The Bishop is frightened but failed to recognize the girl who made him sin (Bella obviously is a poor beggar or a talented minstrel now). His Excellency might ask the Magi some help – if he knows it. Should the man of God be anaware of any living wizard in the area, chances are he will order mercenaries to hunt and kill any shapeshifter in his bishopric – let’s hope neither Maga nor servant will be harmed.

Story hook: Daddy is not pleased
The evil spirit which is the cause of Bellus' supernatural powers is worried. It hasn't planned such impersonator. Now it is time to ask his offspring to serve the Devil's agenda. Appearing in a night of darkness, the demon asks his "son" to use his powers against a particular group of people who seems to elude the promises of the Infernal Realm - namely, the Magi and their servants. Even though Bellus/Bella is forced to do so, he (or she) may find amusement and pleasure with his (or her) new targets. Moral depravity ensues amongst the ranks of the servants, which can be very annoying if they begin to be jealous, undisciplined and lazy.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Angie, a Genii Laturaria (Carrier of a Genius)[/size]

Sex: female. Supernatural Genii tends to not care about their servants’ gender, though Aquam, Animal, Corpus and Herbam Genii, all of them aligned to creative, living or life-supplying things, seem to love feminine helpers because women give life to new beings; whereas Terram and Ignem spirits do appreciate male ones. Genii from other Forms (Auram, Imaginem, Mentem and Vim) may pick either male or female emissaries. Most of the times, Genii aligned to the Magic Realm (i.e. Magical Aerie spirits) try to recruit mortal servants with the same sex as theirs, so that they share the same way of thinking. On the contrary, a few Genii aligned with the Faerie Realm (like ancient minor pagan gods) do prefer servants who can appeal them; these Faerie genii like to let their best servants to share their bed as a reward.
Age: 33
Overview: a young and pleasant lady with blue eyes and a simple dress, looking like a peasant, but able to speak with a very fluent and soft voice. She is a messenger of an Aquam Magic spirit, Dea Rhequiflavea. Angie wanders around a specific river; she occasionally takes orders from her master, when she travels to her underwater regio. Days and nights Angie is visiting the nearest villages and assuring no one of the inhabitants pollute the water, disturb the peace of the spirits or catch too much fishes. Some could think she is moralistic and eccentric (environmental concerns are not a thing in Mythic Europe). However, Angie is a very attentive and accommodating person. One day she may be angry about the villagers hunting too many crayfishes, but the next day she help them fight against baron’s tax collectors, without apparent ulterior motives.
Characteristics: Com+3, Dex0, For-3, Int+1, Per-1, Pre+1, Qik+3, Sta0
Virtues & Flaws: Versatile, Magical Friend (the locale genius), Personal Power: Body of Water, Personal Power (increasing the previous one), Wanderer, Warped magic (large puddles) (Folk Witch Flaw), Wilderness sense.
Abilities: Area lore 2 (water sources), Bargain 4 (settlements), Charm 3 (enemies of her genius), Etiquette 3 (Aquam beings), Finesse 5 (crawling), Folk Ken 1 (needs), Hunt 1 (underwater), Intrigue 2 (Aquam beings), Living language (prose) 5, Magic Lore 2 (creatures), Natation 6 (quickness), Wilderness Sense 6 (water) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Survival 2 (fire).
Personality traits: Talkative +2, Seriousness +2, Love baths +3

New Flaw: Versatile (Minor, Personality Flaw)
This Flaw means your personality is very impulsive, spontaneous and unsettled. Whenever you have to make a Personality roll, flip a coin: if tails, the relevant Personality trait scores are reversed. However, you are not allowed to decrease any Personality trait between two game sessions, except the storyguide let you do so. But you may still upgrade them, following the core rulebook.

Personal Power: Body of Water
R:Personal, D:Diameter, T:Ind.
This character must lose one Fatigue level to perform that power. She switches her body into a water body, letting her flow on the ground very slowly. She could cripple under doors but cannot hold objects, though her own actual equipment is turned into water too. Small quantities of water can be separated without harming her, but significant separations, hotness and chill may wound her. In this shape she must make Finesse rolls for any movement roll. (Base 30, +1Diameter)

Notes: this character has the Ability Magic Lore (without particular Virtue allowing it) because she had enough time to develop it through her many supernatural interactions along the past years. A Laturaria forcibly know how to manage her relationship with her masters – more or less.
Even if this character is designed as the servant of a Fluvii Genius, i.e. a supernatural spirit commanding to water and protecting a particular river, other Carriers of Genius may be bounded to fire spirits roaming around furnaces or volcanos; Terram spirits from old temples or Corpus spirits protecting an hospice. A Genius may be from any supernatural Realm and may be bounded to any place, concept or community in Mythic Europe, from the small ones (one house, one family, one crossroad…) to the bigger ones (kingdoms, Alps mountain ranges, Rhine, Danube, Forests, Celts, horses…). If you create a Laturaria aligned to a different Realm, be sure you switch her Ability Magic Lore to the appropriate one.
Laturaria bear the words of their masters, but they may receive more from time to time: the Genius may grant a gift, a small object proving the status of its messenger, and giving her some additional powers. Angie could have any of the following enchanted items; pay attention none of them fall under Hermetic magic. Hermetic Forms, Penetration and amounts of Pawn are suggested for game mechanics purpose, should a Maga study them or try to extract Vis:

Potion of the Troubled Waters (Aquam, 0Penetration, no Pawn): a small glass bottle filled with a nauseous and green mixture (one use only). If it is poured in a river, its waters are polluted to the point no living being up to Size-1 can survive. Bigger beings that live inside the river or drink its water including plants and trees on the banks, will fall ill. The magic effect lasts a month. The Fluvii Laturariae reluctantly resort to such methods when nothing else is possible. There is no penetration, meaning the Genius, its supernatural court and its beloved river, really don’t suffer from it.
Ring of Babble (Aquam, +10Penetration, 1Pawn): the owner may speak with Aquam creatures (fishes, salamanders, water rats, supernatural Aquam spirits…) fluently. Only people with Animal Ken or InAq effects can understand the conversation.
Fish-king staff (Aquam, +20Penetration, 4Pawns): a long stick whose top end is curved as a fish with wide open eyes and a gaping mouth. Any creature related to Form Aquam and at Range:Voice, must obey the bearer of that staff. Water usually shortens a character’s voice, but that is not the case if she bears the Fish-king staff. The effect lasts until next sunrise or sunset.

About Folk Witch Traditions: Laturariae (from the Latine word Laturaria : bearer) don’t mix very well with other Folk Witch Traditions, because they follow their masters’ agendas. Most of the Laturariae societies gather and train disciples in their own covens, only recruiting young ones who prove their allegiance to their supernatural Genii. Most of the times, this requires the candidates to have Essential traits, Personality Flaws or Lesser Powers thematically relating them to the Form of that Genius. In this case, Angie obviously conformed perfectly.
The masculine counterpart of the word Laturaria is Laturarius (plural: Laturarii), a specific type of servitors in the Roman Empire era.
Despite the name “Genius”, Laturariae don’t have to be very talented in intellectual activities; Genius (gu-é-ni-ou-ss) is a Latin word meaning “locale minor divinity”. In Ancient Rome, every place, concept or person was supposed to have its own Genius. In Mythic Europe, most of the Genii may be magical spirits or magical things, according to their particular portfolio. Others are Faeries or Infernal agents. Only a few of them are interested in knowledge or intellectual things. Many don’t have Intelligence, but could have high Cunning. Each Genius may have the very name of its domain (like Goat for the Leader of goats, Mosel for the lord of that river, Lutecia watch over Paris, etc.) or an original one (Legifer is the chaperone of the judges, Harapax commands to the hawks, etc.).

Story hook: No Fish in the Dish
Since a month, fishes and algae disappear from the nearest river. Locale inhabitants and covenant’s servants talk about it every day. The warning bells start to pound when fishermen, women going to wash their laundry on the river bank and bathing children fall ill, suddenly die or simply disappear. Birds, otters and frogs flew the country. Either a Laturaria quitted the region after she cursed it and only Angie could negotiate with the locale Genius to save the day, or the young woman will soon appear to investigate and look after the cause of the disaster. In both cases she may be approached by the Magi or their servants, investigating the case.

Story hook: The Drowned Child Returns
A locale peasant’s child, about 6-year-old girl, fell in the river and drowned. She miraculously survived, maybe protected by Angie or Rhequiflavea herself. A few years later, villagers speak about the lost child’s appearance and the fright they had. Is she back from hell? Is it a ghost or a hex? Magi may hear about that story. Faerie creatures could come to strengthen the legend. And what is the Laturariae’s masterplan for the young girl? If you look for the girl’s statistics, you may consider the Drowned Men section in the Magic Realm supplement book.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Tiana, a Wood Herbalist[/size]

Sex: female. Wood Herbalists may equally be male or female in theory, though men who desire to study medicine have easier ways to do it, going to university or cathedrals schools. Only men who cannot hold the rigidity of lecture and scholarship directly learn the rules of medicine in the wild. Women most of the times have to learn the various properties of medicinal herbs through practice, self-training in the woods or attending the teachings from the village’s old one.
Age: 32
Overview: an adult woman with strange hair made of green leaves, a thing she hides with a big cloak. She used to live in the forest, next to her native village, and had a good reputation amongst the poor ones; she healed and helped the villains and travellers, only asking a few bread or vegetables. Each time someone was wounded or ill, locale peasants drive her to the Wood Herbalist. All was fine until a wandering monk discovered her very life and began to worry about her soul’s destiny, as she wasn’t found of religious matters. That holy man made his best to convert her to the righteous path, either wedding a farmer or taking the veil as a devoted nun. Of course Tiana wasn’t enthusiast and she flew before being forced to make a choice. She travels now from place to place, thus she may encounter the Magi.
Characteristics: Com0, Dex+3, For, Int+1, Per+1, Pre-1, Qik-1, Sta+1
Virtues & Flaws: Dowsing, Herbam monstrosity (leafs instead of hair), Inoffensive to Forest inhabitants, Miscreant, Warped magic (sprouting flowers) (Folk Witch Flaw), Wanderer, Wise One.
Abilities: Athletics 2 (hiking), Area Lore 3 (forests), Awareness 2 (boiling potions), Chirurgy 1 (hands), Craft: Apothecary 5 (making potions), Dowsing 4 (medicinal herbs) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Etiquette 1 (peasants), Folk Ken 2 (superstitions), Living language (medicinal terms) 5, Medicine 6 (fewer), Philosophiae 6 (nature), Survival 3 (forest).
Personality traits: Compassion +1, Free spirit +2, Quiet +3

New Flaw: Miscreant (Minor, Personality Flaw)
You doubt there is a sole god, if any. Most of the times, you avoid religious matters with your interlocutors, because people who don’t trust in God are not well accepted in Mythic Europe. This character doesn’t have to actively criticize the Church or anything. It only is a matter of faith. Bearing Relics has no effects and grants no Magic Resistance, and you cannot have the Virtue True Faith.
Characters who overtly laugh at religious behaviour may have the Flaw Depraved altogether; characters that devote themselves to fight the Church’s influence may have the Flaw Obsession or Vendetta.

Notes: even if her green leaved-hair is strange and flowers magically appear around her when she practices Dowsing (as stated by her Folk Witch Flaw), neighbouring people quickly learn to love her. She saves many lives and is friendly – even wild animals and supernatural beings from the woods appreciate her. If you look for a savage and dangerous alternative of the “druid” tradition, see the Forest-dweller (coming soon).
About Folk Witch Traditions: this character may be a template for a large Folk Witch Tradition. Despite their love for discretion and isolation, Wood herbalists are sociable people and like their fellow ones. They may gather in big covens with numerous members. They may join any classic Folk Witch Tradition also, because Dowsing is a basic supernatural Ability amongst Folk Witches.

Story hook: Timothee’s ache
Little Timmy got serious headaches and cannot move from bed. Her family worries a lot and requested Tiana to make her best to save the boy. Tiana now tries every day to bring back Timothee’s health. She is a very obliging person, but there is more. Maybe the young boy’s family blackmails her, threatening her to speak to the religious authorities about her improper way-of-life. Maybe one of Timothee’s aunts is a member of the same Folk Witch Tradition. Maybe the boy’s farm is built near a sacred pagan wood, and the Wood Herbalist expects the farmers to help her protect the woods as a payment of their debt. This could create or improve a magic aura in the woodland, bring other Folk Witches to settle in the area, or disrupt the baron’s hunting.

Story hook: The Fragrance of Everlys
A few lettered monks recently published rediscovered Roman or Greek written works about animals and plants – maybe a long lost Aristotle’s treatise, or very rare parts of Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. In that book, the Everlys is described as a mythic herb, growing in secluded places and bearing flowers of great beauty. That plant might have incredible properties, like bringing back fertility to barren women, opening eyes to other realities, or even conferring connection with the gods – witches like Circe, Medea or Pasiphaë had used it for their magical potions. The book say the Everlys could grow in a far distant area, but a truly dedicated Wood Herbalist would try the trip – with a recruited party to protect and help her make the journey. The Everlys is a Plant of Virtue, could constitue a Vis source or be a means to make Hermetic breakthroughs about CrHe spells invoking magical plants, CrCo fertility spells or InMe telepathy spells.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Arayan, a Forest-dweller (10th November)[/size]
Sex: male. Even though trees do appreciate female servants as well, most of the Wood Wardens in Western Europe are heirs of the Druidic tradition, which was patriarchal in its most part. Women lost in the woods tend to be saved by glorious knights, rescued in small oratories, assaulted by bandits or eaten by wild beasts, whereas male wanderers more easily may survive by joining groups of robbers, then finding their own way. Female “druids” are more common in Slavic regions, where wild areas are larger and Folk Witches more widespread. They are called “baba”, “bosorka” or “syojatar”, and they are feared by villagers.
Age: 65
Overview: an old man with abundant beard and rugged face, whose skin is striated by ribs and wrinkling. He roves in the deep of the forest, hunting and killing every human he encounters; he only loves and protect wild trees and supernatural beings associated with plants. He uses its supernatural powers to summon the rage of the wood, frightening and destroying trespassers.
Characteristics: Com+1, Dex-1, For-1, Int+2, Per-1, Pre+1, Qik-2, Sta+3
Virtues & Flaws: Cyclic Magic (negative; autumn and winter) (Folk Witch Flaw), Fear (fire), Forest Speech, Outcast, Plant Healer, Uproot.
Abilities: Area Lore 6 (trees), Athletics 4 (running), Awareness 3 (intruders), Brawl 3 (attack), Faerie Lore 2 (places), Forest Speech 4 (oaks) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Leadership 5 (plants), Living language 5 (plants), Natation 2 (quickness), Plant healer 7 (oaks) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Uproot 8 (oaks) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Stealth 5 (forest), Survival 6 (forest).
Personality traits: Solitary +2, Suspicious about townsfolk’s habits +2, No modesty +3

New virtue: Forest Speech (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to speak with self-aware plants. As long as a plant is awaken (e.g. Herbam Aeries, Herbam elementals, Plants of Virtue…), you may speak with them as if they were people. You can refer to InHe spells in the core rulebook, which grant details about how to discuss with plants. This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Forest Speech 1, which is treated like a Living Language Ability.

New virtue: Plant Healer (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to mend wounds on any plants given – follow the rules and guidelines from the Healer Ability (see Hedge magic rulebook for more details). This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Plant Healer 1.

New virtue: Uproot (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to raise self-consciousness in trees, and to make them move and act as proper characters. Each tree may have his character, attitude and personal agenda. Some may be annoyed for being awaken. This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Uproot 1.

New Ability: Uproot
This Ability allows the character to awake the latent spirit of a tree, making it move freely. Trees usually have no mouth and cannot speak in human Languages – but they can whisper in their secrete language, the Forest Speech.
The character makes an Uproot + Com roll, against an Ease factor of 9 for a small tree (about 2m. tall), 12 for a medium tree (about 4m. tall) and 15 or more for bigger trees. The tree may act conforming to its nature, looking for light, protecting forest and fearing fire sources. The awakening lasts until the next sunrise or sunset. The tree is still a mundane thing.
Specialties: a tree species, a season, old trees.

Notes: following his Cyclic Magic Flaw, the supernatural powers of the Wood Warden are hampered during autumn and winter. As an ungifted Folk Witch, that is his Folk Witch Flaw and it applies to all his Supernatural abilities totals: Forest Talk, Plant Healer, Uproot.
About Folk Witch Traditions: Forest-dwellers are solitary and will not join an existing coven. They may associate with other Forest-dwellers, or other Nature lovers (like the Wood Herbalist or the Genii Laturaria, previously described) for short periods of time. Only a small part of the Forest-dwellers truly want to build lasting societies in the secrecy of the forest; those might be remains of the druidic religion, and may even be ruled by more powerful woodmen (e.g., Merinita renegades from the Quenvallon’s lineage, Diedne survivors or high-level Herbam entities).

Story hook: You Shall not Pass!
During the last months, too many travellers pillaged the ressources of the Spiderwood, a large wooded place. Now the forest will defend itself. A Wood-dweller settled in the area, answering the call of the wounded plants. As angry as the trees, the old man is ready to fight and kill any trespasser – in fact he already slaughtered a few foresters and journeymen. He sent living trees kill and frighten merchants who were visiting the country – one of them was one of the servants of the covenant, or a Redcap on her way to the covenant. It is obvious something is wrong in the Spiderwood.

Story hook: The War-torn Thorn
One of the oldest plants in the locale forest, a black thorn 20-feet tall covered with spines as big as a fist, currently is starving and dying. Maybe the place slowly is perishing thanks to the depredation of the peasants, the hunts of the baron, or the Vis gathering of the magi. Maybe some Faerie lord or Evil spirit cursed the area. Anyways, a Wood-dweller came to the forest in order to find the cause of the thorn’s illness, to save it and kill its enemies. The thorn is the key to the wood’s wealth. If it perishes, all the forest will decline and the nearest areas eventually will dry up too.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Martin, a Hedge Crow[/size]
Sex: male. Other Hedge crow characters may be women as well.
Age: 50
Overview: a tall and thin man, whose black hair stays dark despite his old age. He knows everybody in the town, though a few people really knows him well. He observes and hears more often than he speaks, which means he knows many about everybody. He uses his power of turning into a crow to spy the other inhabitants, increasing his knowledge of their small vices and other saucy trivialities. Nobody suspects he truly is the man who blackmails half the village’s population.
Characteristics: Com+1, Dex-1, Int+2, Per+3, Pre-1, Qik0, Sta-1, Str0
Virtues & Flaws: Confiding, Corrupted Bargain, Gossip, Lesser Power: Indiscretion, Nocturnal, Peasant, Skinchanger (a black crow), Warped magic (rotted eggs smell) (Folk Witch Flaw).
Abilities: Area Lore 5 (secret groups), Awareness 4 (small things), Bargain 5 (blackmail), Brawl 1 (defence), Concentration 3 (thinking), Confiding 7 (magic practitioners) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Etiquette 1 (peasants), Folk Ken 4 (people who hide something), Guile 4 (lies), Intrigue 6 (gossip), Leadership 3 (blackmailed people), Living Language 5 (prose), Stealth 6 (as a crow bird).
Personality traits: Friendly +2, Cunning +2, Never talks about him +3

New Virtue: Confiding (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to force other characters to tell you whatever confidential information they are aware of, as long as you already know one of their hidden deeds or secrets. This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Confiding 1.

New Ability: Confiding
This Ability may be used by a character to force other people to tell her one thing: a secret, a password or any other details known by only a few. If the Hedge Crow possesses a confidential connection (see later) with her Ability’s target, then she freely can use Confiding. Otherwise, she must lose one Fatigue level before each check. This Ability may be linked to any Supernatural Realm, even the Divine Realm, and it may be described as a Rego Mentem effect (from the Hermetic point of view – it is not hermetic at all).
The Hedge Crow must be near her target – near enough to be able to whisper into her target’s ear. She makes a Confiding + Com roll against an Ease factor of 6 in a small, peaceful and secluded room, 9 in a dark street or relatively-isolated place, 12 in a crowded tavern in the evening, 15 in a busy street during morning, 18 in a resonating hall where servants come and go, and 24 in a crowded marketplace at midday. If the target has a Confidence score, then add it to the Ease factor. If the target has Magic Resistance, then add it to the Ease factor too.
If the check is successful, the target immediately loses one Confidence point (if she has any), and must tell the Hedge Crow new information about a third well-designed character. If the check fails, the target doesn’t remember the experience and stay unaware of the Hedge Crow’s attempt; nonetheless it becomes immune to Confiding until the Hedge Crow find out about a new confidential connection with this targeted character.
This Ability cannot bring information about its immediate target. If the questioned character is a NPC, the storyguide must decide what the revealed data is. An interrogated character cannot give information about people she is ignorant of. The given information might be of any kind of secret and it could become a confidential connection to that third character.

New Rule: Confidential connection
In terms of gameplay, a confidential connection is a particular type of arcane connection; it may be any secret, personal data or hidden information about another character. All confidential connections are arcane connections, but most of the arcane connections are not confidential ones.
That information must be something shameful, very private or dishonourable. The true name of a spirit (Magic daimon or evil being) counts as a particular group of confidential connections. Obvious physical deformities (like a hunch or a clubfoot) don’t apply. A romantic affair, a hidden murder, an illegitimate daughter, demoniac practices or dubious sympathy for an opposing lord do qualify. Characters with one of the following Flaws are ideal samples of characters with possible confidential connections: Apostate, Dark secret, Eunuch, Excommunicate (if hidden), Faerie Upbringing, Fear (if it is not obvious and very uncommon or ridiculous), Greater malediction (in some cases), Pagan, Transvestite. Some Supernatural Virtues may qualify too.
Most of the confidential connections virtually are eternal, as long as they are kept a secret. The day that particular information is known by many people, it is no longer a confidential connection. Most of the confidential connections vanish when more than five people are aware of it (making it irrelevant as soon as the Hedge Crow speak about it with more than two or three friends).

Notes: a Hedge Crow is well-integrated in its settlement and live in a community without barriers, as long as he stays cautious enough. The more he learns about his neighbours, the more his influence grows. Alas, the day his dual personality is discovered, everybody wants to kill him.
About Folk Witch Traditions: Hedge Crows are popular people but they really don’t love others. Although nothing stops them from being in a coven, most of them prefer to remain solitary, free to gather and use secrets at their own convenience. A few of them have great schemes and might join other Folk Witches for greater power.

Story hook: Shadow above the Covenant
Martin has gathered a lot of little secrets about the various servants, friends and allies of the covenant. He now uses them to blackmail them. Chances are he is not himself interacting with each prey, because time and circumstances made him cautious. He may even be aware of the Magi’s presence and power – a thing which make him ever more eager to make use of his knowledge. Magi should consider stopping him, because he could bring the religious authorities to pay attention of the covenant’s existence. Dealing with the Hedge crow will not be easy, because he uses spokespersons and is a fulltime member of a large Folk Witch coven.

Story hook: Folk Witch Revolting!
Using the numerous things he knows about locale inhabitants, the Hedge Crow starts to avenge his coven. Maybe the witch he loved was burnt by the bishopric inquisition, or one of his fellows was arrested and killed by the baron’s knights. Now the Hedge Crow take advantage of all what he knows to sow discord and chaos between the official authorities, forcing the baron’s wife to doubt about her husband’s fidelity, making the inquisitor questioning the bishop’s piety, etc. This could bring a lot of disturbance and difficulties in the current covenant’s agenda.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Jonas, a Jolly Fellow[/size]
Sex: male (but could be female as well).
Age: 20
Overview: a young and pleasant guy with brown hair and good manners. Women and open-minded persons love him and make him a place in their house, whenever the inn or the hospice is full. Even if he doesn’t stay very long in the same village, he befriends whoever he wants. Sometimes his gallant behaviour and his liberties force him to quit a place.
Characteristics: Com+2, Dex0, Int+1, Per-1, Pre+2, Qik+2, Sta-1, Str-1
Virtues & Flaws: Blessing of Venus, Enchanted Music, Faerie Blood (satyr), Luxurious, Man of the Crowd, Wanderer, Warped Magic (his face develops animalistic traits).
Abilities: Area Lore 3 (taverns), Area Lore: another one 1 (taverns), Carouse 3 (songs), Charm 3 (crowd), Enchanted Music 5 (joy) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Etiquette 1 (peasants), Folk Ken 2 (minstrels), Living Language 5 (fin’amore jargon), Living Language (another one) 2 (prose), Music 4 (viol), Survival 2 (roads).
Personality traits: Jovial +3, Kittenish +2, Remains philosophical +3

New Flaw: Man of the Crowd (Minor, Personality Flaw)
Whenever you are not in the middle of large groups of persons, you feel a deep urge to look for bigger company. You are not happy with small bands of friends. You need the comforting agitation of the masses. You cannot regain lost long-term Fatigue levels if you are not surrounded by at least 10 people, distant to less than 20 paces. E.g., you cannot rest after a day-long hike, unless you sleep in a popular tavern with small bedrooms.

Notes: as a character with Faerie blood, Jonas could be an older adventurer, without suffering too many disadvantages from his age. His Folk Witch Tradition’s Flaw – Warped Magic – applies to Enchanted magic only, but will have effect on any supernatural Ability Jonas may learn in the future. Whenever he uses his supernatural powers, his facial hair grows faster, his ears widen, horns grow on his head and his mouth become big-lipped. All these effects disappear a few seconds after the ending of the supernatural activity.
About Folk Witch Traditions: Jolly Fellows make excellent recruiters and head-hunters for small groups of witches, increasing communities or very sociable covens. They are not often amongst the weird wizards, who hide themselves in the wild areas or in dusty labs; on the contrary, they mingle with mundane people, looking for pleasant company, potential sponsors or younger generation with supernatural abilities. That’s why Jolly Fellows are neither a well-defined group, nor a Folk Witch Tradition in this sense, but are part of or helping supporters for broader Folk Witch Traditions.

Story hooks: Might and Music
Merchants and hawkers tell a long-lost flute from ancient Rome was found by a poor fisherman during his journeys out at sea. He took in his nest the marvellous wind instrument. The artefact is made of gold and plays a suggestive music. Listeners start to see wonders and hallucination. People say this precious object was the property of a nymph who jumped in the sea when her sacred temple was destroyed by barbarian hordes. Whatever is the truth and whichever is the true power of the flute, Jonas look for it.

Story hooks: A Rondel for a Damsel
One of the errant knights had seen a Maga and fell in love with her, but has no hope to conquer her heart (for obvious reasons). Maybe the Maga used her Parma magica’s ritual on this noble man in order to ease official transactions, cancelling the Gift during their interview, or the knight has the Virtue Unaffected by the Gift. Anyways the lord recruited Jonas in order to compose songs about love and passion, and send this musician to his beloved lady. Maybe the Maga sent the poor Jolly Fellow to the players covenant, in an attempt to move this unwanted attention away, hoping her fellow Magi will manage the fancy guy; or the Jolly Fellow seek request aid from the Magi to negotiate this Maga’s benevolence. What will request the Maga in exchange to her heart? How the neighbouring knights will consider their knighted friend’s new love interest? Why Jonas seems to be so eager to serve the knight? In truth he is a spy from a near Folk Witch coven, trying to gather information about the Order of Hermes, determining of the Magi are a threat or potential allies.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Loïc, a Nibelung’s Child[/size]

Sex: male. There are many women among the Nibelung’s children too. Amongst the Nibelung’s daughters, some are washerwomen, weavers or dairy farmers – change the Ability Craft to a corresponding one.
Age: 20
Overview: a young man with pale hair and greyish skin, fond of smithing and a bit shy, who travels in various places and is bullied, recruited or prosecuted by robbers and rogues.
Characteristics: Com-1, Dex0, Int+1, Per+2, Pre+2, Qik+3, Sta-2, Str-1
Virtues & Flaws: Alberich’s Yearning, Craftsman, Avaricious, Disappear, Faerie blood (Nibelung, +2 in the mist), Small frame, Warped magic (loud voices laughing around).
Abilities: Area lore: birth place 3 (caverns), Area lore: another one 2 (caverns), Area lore: a third one 2 (caverns), Athletics 2 (climbing), Awareness 3 (jewels), Bargain 1 (metals), Brawl 2 (dodging), Craft: Blacksmith 4 (tools), Disappear 4 (caverns), Finesse 1 (moving), Folk Witch Magic Theory 1 (armours), Leadership 1 (craftsmen), Living Language 5 (prose), Stealth 3 (at night).
Personality traits: Polite +2, Humble +3, Elusive +3

New Virtue: Disappear (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to vanish in the air, becoming a mix of shadow and mist. This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Disappear 1.

New Virtue: Alberich’s Yearning (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This virtue grants you the power to “smell” precious ore. Characters with zero or negative score in Perception cannot take this virtue. Add +3 to any roll you make in order to discover, detect, or evaluate precious metal deposits of silver or gold. This bonus may also apply for change, artefacts made in gold, relics in silver shrines, etc. This grants no bonus for crafting, repairing or using such items. You may smell existence of ore through a broad density of rock or stone wall, up to as many meters as your Perception score.
Characters with a bad sense of smell could have this virtue based on another minor sense like hearing, touch or taste. Any character with permanent, supernatural sense, like Magic Sensibility, Second Sight, Sense Holiness and Unholiness or Wilderness sense, could make other good alternatives.
The name of this Virtue refers to an ancient king of the Nibelung, Alberich, who had been driven insane by its thirst for treasure and richness.

New Ability: Disappear
Any time this character wants to dissolve into the air, he makes a Disappear + Pre roll against an Ease Factor of 3 in a misty and dark winter night, increasing the required total following the state of the atmosphere (from +3 to cloudy sky, to +9 in totally empty sky), the period of the year (+3 if in fall or spring, +6 if during summertime), the hour (+3 in the morning or the evening, +6 in the bright day, +9 at midday), making the hardest moment a dry and clear midday in summer (a theoretic Ease Factor of 27).
Should he succeed this roll, his body will melt in the air, making him impalpable and non-targetable by mundane means. The new body may look like a small cloud, drizzle or deep haze, at the character’s will. A Finesse + Int roll could make him smell like bad winds or perfumed fragrance.
This is a true metamorphosis, making him a mist-being for a short period of time. His body come under Auram hermetic magic until the end of the transforming. This end will be the next sunrise or sunset, or the next time this character wishes so – this require a successful Concentration roll. His mind is the same, should he be either a human or a mist being. When in a mist shape, he can hear, smell and feel, but can neither speak nor manipulate items. At the end of the metamorphosis, this character loses a long-term Fatigue level.

Specialties: when in a specific area (forest, city, swamp, underground etc.)

Notes: The Ability Disappear grants no particular bonus to hide him (this requires the Ability Stealth). Loïc uses both Folk Witch Magic Ability and Craft: Blacksmith to create magical armours filled with its power of Disappearing, allowing other people to use the Ability Disappear whenever they bear his creations. This is treated as if the armours were potions (The Nibelung’s child might reactivate the magical effect with additional seasons of crafting on the same object).
About Folk Witch Traditions: the supernatural talents of a Nibelung’s child are very precious for any poor community – most of the covens would be more than pleased to accept such a new member. Alas many Nibelung’s child are not very sociable, and only a few manage to stay a long time in the same place – because gold and jewels sooner or later cause jealousy. Many of the Nibelung’s children live in the Rhine Tribunal, others wander in the far North or East areas of Europe. They are rarer around Mediterranean Sea or in the British Isles.

Story hook: Cursed Gold
Loïc found, crafted or bought a golden item – a sword or a cap – which seems to be cursed. Maybe its crafter failed the enchanting, or it was tainted by evil. Whatever is the true story, Loïc tries to get rid of that nuisance, and he may have sold it to a redcap or a servant, who brought it to the covenant a few days later. Whatever is the curse and whatever is the way to cancel it, Loïc could help to find the origins of that item. The object must have some interesting powers in order to force the players to try to purify it.

Story hook: The Captive of the Woman Without any Heart
The supernatural talents of Loïc attracted the attention of an amoral young baroness, a woman whose avarice has no limits. She forces him to find or craft more and more jewels, goldsmithery or other precious treasures. Locale burghers, monks and travellers are hunted, killed and cleaned out. Trapped in the baroness’ castle, the poor Nibelung’s child asked one of the place’s maids to help him. The domestic felt sorry for the prisoner and tried to find some people talented enough to defy the soldiers, the walls and the cruelty of the noblewoman. Overthrowing the bad lady could bring the Magi a bunch of gold wealth. Even if Magi don’t care about mundane richness, this could help negotiating another lord’s fidelity.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Lucie, a Tempesteer[/size]

Sex: female. Tempesteers rarely are male ones in Mythic Europe – the reasons of this situation are not clear. Maybe young boys who summon wind and bully other children tend to be killed sooner than girls are, causing them to starve and die in the wilderness. Scandinavia, Scotland and Russia appear to let more male Tempesteers survive than in other areas. Legends about wind binders are standard in these countries.
Age: 20
Overview: as far as one can say, Lucie was a rebellious child. Her parents failed to teach her how to be a good girl and she grew more and more impulsive and out of control. To be honest some of her family difficulties may come from the fact her true father was a tempest spirit, an aerie creature who abducted her mother when she was betrothed to her future husband. The men of the village tried to bring her back to her house, exploring the bays and the coasts during two months. They finally found her in a cave and saved her, but she was already pregnant –though she hid this. Lucie was supposed to be her husband’s true daughter. When her supernatural powers and her bad temper became unbearable, she quitted the town and started a life of adventure.
Characteristics: Com-2, Dex0, Int+2, Per+1, Pre-1, Qik+1, Sta0, Str+2
Virtues & Flaws: Faerie blood (wave-spirit, +1 whenever she is at 100f. of running water or a coast), Fragile Constitution, Lesser Power: Rise of a Tempest, Non-combatant, Warped Magic (her skin is covered by small thunderbolts), Waves’ Dance.
Abilities: Area Lore 2 (water), Athletics 1 (dancing), Awareness 1 (birds), Brawl 3 (animals), Leadership 3 (intimidating), Etiquette 3 (peasants), Finesse 2 (targeting), Folk Ken 1 (sailors), Folk Living language 5 (prose), Folk Witch Lore 2 (covens), Survival 1 (Sea), Swim 4 (endurance), Waves’ Dance 5 (Folk Witch’s Favorite Ability).
Personality traits: Irascible+3, Authoritarian +2, Having her sea legs +2

Lesser Power: Rise of a Tempest
Summon a tempest of salty water, covering the sky with dark clouds, filling the air with raging winds and torrential rain. The more the Tempesteer holds her concentration, the bigger the tempest will be. The magical effect ceases when the Tempesteer’s concentration is lost or relieved. Then the rain stops and the clouds slowly disperse.

New Virtue: Waves’ Dance (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to walk on the waves, as if it were solid ground. This Virtue gives you the Supernatural Waves’ Dance 1.

New Ability: Waves’ Dance
This virtue allows a character to walk on running waters, on the waves of a sea, or other stretches of water. This power has no effect on other liquid things, like acid or lava. The character makes a Waves’ Dance + Sta roll against an Ease Factor depending the particular circumstances, going from 3 on a placid lake, 6 on a cool and small river, 9 on a large river, 12 on the seashore, etc. up to 24 for a roaming ocean during a hurricane. If the check is successful, the character is able to walk on the water, as if it were solid ground, but other rolls may be required to move in a particular way (Stealth for discrete arrival, Atheltics for a run, etc.). This Ability cannot help a drowning character who currently is sinking.
Despite the name, this Ability is not related to the Art of dancing.
Specialties: a named sea, the rivers of a specific country.

Notes: Lucie is not a bad person, but her personality is strong and she fights against many of the prejudices and bias about the women, things like women being incapable of fighting, taking strategic decisions or ruling their own business. Lucie really is a good leader and a smart thinker, but fail to prove it to many of the people she encounters. She refuses to hold weapons, because she wants to prove men her intelligence and powers can vanquish brute force.
About Folk Witch Traditions: Tempesteers are not good fellows and most of the time live alone on the coasts, in small huts or hidden caverns. But covens can offer them the chance to be a part ofa group, a supernatural society of talented magicians (Magi would say a bunch of hedge wizards…) Tempesteers are determined folks and may be the group leaders or patrol lieutenants for a coven’s guard. They are honoured to be members of a coven and will defend it at any price. Lucie is not an isolated case.

Story hook: The Sea Unicorn
Seafarers say there is a very strange type of beast undersea, a mix between sirens and unicorns. They call it the Sea unicorn and pretend its song is the most splendid one on earth. Magi may have heard of it and may wonder what kind of Vis or Sympathic properties could this beast’s horn possess. Of course Tempesteers consider the Sea Unicorn as a holy animal and protect it from hunters. They may hide in a misty isle, hidden right in the middle of the ocean.

Story hook: Wind of Change
Lucie was engaged by a noble man, Count Keneth, as a counsellor and court wizard. Since a few weeks peasants complained about a strange girl wandering near the seashore. The count tried to capture her. Even if Lucie avoid to use her supernatural powers in front of observers, she was forced to use it in front of the count’s soldiers, when they were trying to encircle the young woman. The count was impressed by her magical talents and offered her to pass at his service. Now she live next to him at the king’s court. Rumours of war rise and she will use her power during a massive battle – maybe a well-known one, changing the course of history. Magi of course could be concerned – when people speak about court wizards, the order of Hermes frowns.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Rachel, a Keeper of Bread[/size]
Sex: female. Keepers of Bread tend to be women, but a few male ones may exist. Maybe the power to generate food intrinsically is related to women, or men don’t even figure they have such a power and live their life of peasants or soldiers without knowing.
Age: 20
Overview: a young and frail woman who uses to sell bread around the village, but never go to the mill. As long as her pastries are cheap, delicious, and she rejects nobody’s advances, she can stay in the same place as long as she wishes.
Characteristics: Com+1, Dex+3, Int+1, Per0, Pre-1, Qik-2, Sta+3, Str-2
Virtues & Flaws: Craftsman, Fear (rats), Magic Sensibility, Mythic Baking, Nocturnal, Puissant Folk Witch Magic Theory, Warped magic (burning fire illusions).
Abilities: Area Lore 1 (farms), Bargain 2 (food), Charm 2 (guests), Craft: Baking 1 (pastry), Etiquette 2 (peasants), Finesse 2 (precision), Folk Ken 1 (appetite), Folk Living language 5 (prose), Magic sensibility 1 (aurae) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Mythic Baking 15 (bread) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Folk Witch Magic Theory 5+3 (mythic baking).
Personality traits: Polite +3, Meticulous +2, Talkative +2

New Virtue: Mythic Baking (Minor, Supernatural Virtue)
This Virtue grants you the astonishing power to change sacks of wheat seed into baked bread, pastry or cakes. This gives you the supernatural Ability Mythic Baking 1.

New Ability: Mythic Baking
Characteristic: Energy
Form: Herbam
Method: Incantation
Defense: bonus of Soak against supernatural poisonous food and beverage, equal to (Mythic Baking)/5
This supernatural Ability is a Mythic Ability, a new type of Ability. Mythic Abilities are accelerated Abilities (see HoH: Societates, or Art & Academe for details about Accelerated abilities). Mythic Abilities must be considered in a similar way as hermetic Forms, and they cannot be used solely: they require to be combined with a proper Supernatural Ability, in the way Forms are combined with hermetic Technic. Basically, this secondary Ability must be that representing the Opening of a Gifted character. In the case of a Folk Witch, it will be Folk Witch Magic Theory.
When this character wants to use this Ability, she makes a Folk Witch Magic Theory + Mythic Baking + Ene roll. The Ease Factor must be equal to the level of an enchanted effect allowing the desired effect, as stated in the core rulebook. Basically, this effect may be described as Rego Herbam hermetic magic, with a base effect of 5, Range Voice, Duration Moment, Target Room, resulting in an Ease Factor of 30. This would change all the seed in the room into the desired pastries. As it is similar to a Rego effect, the cooked items will stay in their new shape. This Ability cannot reach magic levels which would correspond to a ritual hermetic spell (that is, 50 or more).
Products of this Ability are fully mundane objects and eating them doesn’t cause warping. You may use Finesse + Int rolls to define the invoked food’s refinement, flavour and appearance.
This Ability could apply to buckwheat, barley or other cereals, and can create any type of pastry and fruit pies but can neither create soups nor meat cakes.
Specialties: one type of cereal, one type of pastry.

Notes: because of the required Ease Factor in order to perform Mythic Baking, Rachel had to develop high scores in both the required Abilities, and currently has a total of +28 (thanks to her specialties). This means she can reach a total score of 29 if she speaks loud, makes exaggerated gesture and stands in a supernatural (aligned) aura of at least 1 (which is common and may easily be found thanks to the Ability Magic Sensibility), hence she is able to success as long as she avoid botches. She may perform smaller and easier Mythic Baking scores, using only a few seed to create a single pastry, but that wouldn’t be sufficient for commercial activities.

Both “lady” and “lord” are words coming from old English roots respectively meaning “bread maker” and “bread keeper”, because bread and food storage were serious business for Indo-European people. This character is a nod to that concept. In Mythic Europe, bread is the main part of the diet for most of the people; wheat and food supplies are the sinews of war. Even the French Revolution will start because of bread’s lack.
Her Folk Witch’s Flaw makes wild illusions of fire appear around her, which means she may be cautious nobody is here when she “cooks”.

About Folk Witch Traditions: many Folk Witch’s covens are fighting to survive and have hard time like other small communities, when the winter is long, the harvest bad or the country at war. Keepers of bread are able to bring food whenever it is required, plus their ability to generate bread make them both a quick way to win the heart of the nearest villages, and to earn some money easily.
Most of the Keepers of Bread look for people who can protect them against rats, making the following characters particularly-praised partners: cat-like Faerie beings, magical cats from the Magic Realm, a certain kind of German troubadour, the Rattenfänger, who is a flautist whit the power of controlling rats. All of them are more than valued by Bread Keepers.

Story hook: The Nazarene Theory
Maybe Rachel comes from a village where an open-minded Jewish community was established, a small group of Talmudic learners fond of proselytizing; or she was raised in a parish with a very lettered priest. Whatever is the case, she studied a lot the Biblical stories and is now convinced Jesus Christ himself was the founder of the Bread Keeper’s Folk Witch Tradition. Oft times, He indeed was able to invoke bread in large quantities. This opinion is highly debated, because the supernatural powers of Jesus Christ were of Divine origin, whereas those of the Bread Keepers may not. Maybe she isn’t wrong, and the Divine Tradition was twisted by some Magic, Faerie or Infernal agent, something Magi could investigate closely, because Divine powers are regarded as unalterable. This opinion is heretical and dangerous too, even in mundane standards.

Story hook: The Bedded Bride and The Braided Beard
Rachel was kidnapped when she was ten, and was hold in a supernatural prison, in a very remote place in some strange Faerie (or another Ream) regio. In a red castle surrounded by weaponry, dust and moss, she lived like a captive and was forced to train her powers of invoking bread, serving the master of the stronghold: a voluminous giant with redhead and a breaded beard, the fearful Branahan Trywn, whose laugh make the walls rumble. Now the girl has grown up and the giant plans to marry her. If Branahan is a Faerie Lord, he simply feasts upon her sad feelings; if he is a Magic Human, he may have been twisted by the Magic Realm centuries ago and desperately tries to rebuild a parody of a normal life. An evil spirit always have agendas for making people suffer of course, and this one could try to taint the Virtue Mythic Baking, converting the young woman into an Infernalist, or convincing her to start a sinful community based on gourmet pastries. Rachel may contact other inhabitants of the regio, looking for aid (Magi might receive her messages thanks to these intermediaries).

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Echidna, an Old Curser[/size]

Sex: female. Male counterparts exist too.
Age: 50
Overview: an old woman with grey fraying hair, living in a small hut near a swamp, three miles away from the nearest village. People fear her and don’t mess with her, because they now she may call upon them the evil eye.
Characteristics: Com-1, Dex+2, Int+3, Per-1, Pre-1, Qik0, Sta+2, Str-1
Virtues & Flaws: Arthritis, Corrupted Abilities (supernatural ones) (Folk Witch Flaw), Harass, Mythic Binding, Poor memory, Wise One.
Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (crows), Area Lore 4 (vis sources), Artes Liberales 2 (grammar), Bargain 3 (powers), Brawl 2 (defence), Folk Witch Magic Theory 6 (laboratory activities), Harass 6 (townsfolk) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Leadership 4 (covenfolk), Living Language 5 (esoteric), Mythic Binding 15 (crows) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Profession: Scribe 3 (Folk Witch Magic Theory), Survival 5 (swamps), Teaching 4 (Harass).
Personality traits: Secretive +3, Love animals +2, Cruel +2

New virtue: Harass (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to cast hexes and curses upon your enemies. It cannot be related to the Divine Realm. This Virtue gives you the supernatural Ability Harass 1.

New virtue: Mythic Binding (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to strengthen and develop the bound between a Folk Witch and her Familiar. This Virtue gives you the supernatural Ability Mythic Binding 1.

New Ability: Harass
Characteristic: Communication
Form: Corpus
Method: Potion or Incantation.
Defense: grants a bonus to the Magical Resistance, against any supernatural effect forcing this character to lose any Fatigue levels.
This character makes a Harass + Com roll against an Ease Factor according to the desired effect; the various allowed curses are the following:

“A colourful mind is a spirit becoming blind”
Ease factor: 3
The target’s mind is lured by explosions of illusory colours, hence losing concentration.

“Suffer a brief weariness, should you please it more or less”
Ease factor: 6
The target loses a long-term Fatigue level.

“Fear the wizard, for she brings the hazard”
Ease factor: 9
The target is frightened by the Old Curser, like a character with the Flaw Fear.

“Now you earn plaintive sleep, you stupid naughty sheep“
Ease factor: 12
The target loses a long-term Fatigue level.

“Distortion of the flesh will lead you to a mess”
Ease Factor: 15
This gives two additional botch dices, any time the target has to make a botch roll. One target may only be under the effect of that curse once (if this curse is casted multiple times on the same target, the effect is renewed but doesn’t stack).

Each of those curses is designed with the following parameters: Range: Touch, Duration: Sun, Target: Individual. Any of the range, duration and target could be extended up to greater hermetic range, duration or target, if you apply a +3 increase to the Ease Factor for each range, duration or target rise (to a maximum of +15 for Range: Sight, Duration: Moon and Target: Structure).
If the target has Magic Resistance, you have to add it to the Ease factor score.
Specialties: pretty people, townsfolk, married people, hosts, guests.

New Ability: Mythic Binding
Characteristic: Intelligence
Form: Vim
Method: Incantation.
Defense: grants a bonus to the Magical Resistance, against any supernatural effect casted by a familiar.
This Ability is a Mythic Ability, allowing a Folk Witch to enchant a Folk Witch’s familiar, much like a magus could enchant her hermetic Familiar. The character makes a Folk Witch Magic Theory + Mythic Binding + Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of the same level as the magic level she tries to invoke, following the spell guidelines for Vim effects in the core rulebook. Mythic Bonding can reproduce any Vim spell, regardless of the combined Technique Art, as long as it follows those two rules: firstly, this effect must be designed as a Familiar enchantment, one making sense for a familiar (see the core rulebook for more details about enchanting a familiar); secondly, it must be free of any other Form prerequisites.
This Ability must be used as a seasonal activity, making it risky if the Folk Witch tries to reach a too high level effect and need a Tense die – in every way, the Folk Witch may use a simple die, and might wish to avoid botches at all cost, given it would spoil a full season’s work. Like for any other seasonal activity, the Folk Witch can benefit from laboratory assistants – it may be her own familiar, even if that animal already is the target of the Mythic Binding roll.
Mythic Binding can neither create mystic bonds, nor allow other types of enchantments. This enforces the binding between the familiar and its master, though. Any direct offspring of a familiar which has been granted a supernatural effect through Mythic Binding will require a lower score of -10 to be bound by Folk Witches, and an upper score of +10 to be bound by hermetic means. This incidental result makes their hatchlings hard to be stolen by Magi and highly-valued by the other members of the coven.
Example given, Shell of False Determinations, Sense of Magical Power and Demon’s Eternal Oblivion are good ideas for familiar enchantments. Conversely, Wizard’s communion, The Wizard’s Fork and Opening the Intangible Tunnel are not authorized.
Even if the familiar has Magic Resistance, you can ignore it for the purpose of Mythic Binding.
Specialties: during one of the four seasons, in a specific type of area (forest, swamp, mountains...), a specific group of animals (birds of prey, cattle, horses, deer, amphibians…)

Notes: Echidna may use the Mythic Binding on other Folk Witches’ familiars, as long as those animals belong to other members of her own coven and they stay near her during this seasonal activity.

About Folk Witch Traditions: Old cursers make great directors for Folk Witch covens, especially when both their aggressive and useful powers make them a keystone for the hedge wizards. That is why they generally are scattered among the various covens of a country, leading or counselling their counterparts. Each of them may manage a small family-like association of around five witches, a larger group of a dozen subordinates, and in the most extreme cases a full sect of at least thirty partisans.
Like any other Folk Witch Tradition, Old Cursers may be heirs of Druidic societies, or even older Pagan cults. Many of them pay attention to transmit their knowledge to future generations.

Story hook: The Strangest Toad of All Creation
A very odd toad appears in the area, a small beast of great power, frightening peasants and settling in a duck pond near the Magi’s covenant. Even the servants start to speak about the marvellous creature, because it looks like an obese frog with a wild aura of pure magic. Maybe water nearby switch to dripping blood, the reed start to turn into stone, or the weather worsens. The toad may be the familiar of a recently deceased Folk Witch, and it now wanders, desperate and aggressive. It may cast magic bolts of pure supernatural energies, making it a great hazard for Magi. Of course Echidna is the one who enchanted it, and she may either come to calm the beast, or be searched for by the players.

Story hook: A Beast of Great Prize
One of Echidna’s friends encountered the Familiar of one of the Magi – maybe the familiar simply was noticed and observed, without knowing it. This Folk Witch is eager to possess this animal, in order to make it her own familiar. She obviously doesn’t figure it already is bound to a Maga. Now Echidna has been charged to kidnap the coveted familiar, a thing she will plan carefully – maybe using other Folk Witches talents, or an helping hand from close farmers.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Echidna, an Old Curser[/size]

Sex: female. Male counterparts exist too.
Age: 50
Overview: an old woman with grey fraying hair, living in a small hut near a swamp, three miles away from the nearest village. People fear her and don’t mess with her, because they now she may call upon them the evil eye.
Characteristics: Com-1, Dex+2, Int+3, Per-1, Pre-1, Qik0, Sta+2, Str-1
Virtues & Flaws: Arthritis, Corrupted Abilities (supernatural ones) (Folk Witch Flaw), Harass, Mythic Binding, Poor memory, Wise One.
Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (crows), Area Lore 4 (vis sources), Artes Liberales 2 (grammar), Bargain 3 (powers), Brawl 2 (defence), Folk Witch Magic Theory 6 (laboratory activities), Harass 6 (townsfolk) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Leadership 4 (covenfolk), Living Language 5 (esoteric), Mythic Binding 15 (crows) (Folk Witch’s favourite Ability), Profession: Scribe 3 (Folk Witch Magic Theory), Survival 5 (swamps), Teaching 4 (Harass).
Personality traits: Secretive +3, Love animals +2, Cruel +2

New virtue: Harass (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to cast hexes and curses upon your enemies. It cannot be related to the Divine Realm. This Virtue gives you the supernatural Ability Harass 1.

New virtue: Mythic Binding (Minor, Supernatural virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to strengthen and develop the bound between a Folk Witch and her Familiar. This Virtue gives you the supernatural Ability Mythic Binding 1.

New Ability: Harass
Characteristic: Communication
Form: Corpus
Method: Potion or Incantation.
Defense: grants a bonus to the Magical Resistance, against any supernatural effect forcing this character to lose any Fatigue levels.
This character makes a Harass + Com roll against an Ease Factor according to the desired effect; the various allowed curses are the following:

“A colourful mind is a spirit becoming blind”
Ease factor: 3
The target’s mind is lured by explosions of illusory colours, hence losing concentration.

“Suffer a brief weariness, should you be pleased by it more or less”
Ease factor: 6
The target loses a long-term Fatigue level.

“Fear the wizard, for she brings the hazard”
Ease factor: 9
The target is frightened by the Old Curser, like a character with the Flaw Fear.

“Now you earn plaintive sleep, you stupid naughty sheep“
Ease factor: 12
The target loses a long-term Fatigue level.

“Distortion of the flesh will lead you to a mess”
Ease Factor: 15
This gives two additional botch dices, any time the target has to make a botch roll. One target may only be under the effect of that curse once (if this curse is casted multiple times on the same target, the effect is renewed but doesn’t stack).

Each of those curses is designed with the following parameters: Range: Touch, Duration: Sun, Target: Individual. Any of the range, duration and target could be extended up to greater hermetic range, duration or target, if you apply a +3 increase to the Ease Factor for each range, duration or target rise (to a maximum of +15 for Range: Sight, Duration: Moon and Target: Structure).
If the target has Magic Resistance, you have to add it to the Ease factor score.
Specialties: pretty people, townsfolk, married people, hosts, guests.

New Ability: Mythic Binding
Characteristic: Intelligence
Form: Vim
Method: Incantation.
Defense: grants a bonus to the Magical Resistance, against any supernatural effect casted by a familiar.
This Ability is a Mythic Ability, allowing a Folk Witch to enchant a Folk Witch’s familiar, much like a magus could enchant her hermetic Familiar. The character makes a Folk Witch Magic Theory + Mythic Binding + Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of the same level as the magic level she tries to invoke, following the spell guidelines for Vim effects in the core rulebook. Mythic Bonding can reproduce any Vim spell, regardless of the combined Technique Art, as long as it follows those two rules: firstly, this effect must be designed as a Familiar enchantment, one making sense for a familiar (see the core rulebook for more details about enchanting a familiar); secondly, it must be free of any other Form prerequisites.
This Ability must be used as a seasonal activity, making it risky if the Folk Witch tries to reach a too high level effect and need a Tense die – in every way, the Folk Witch may use a simple die, and might wish to avoid botches at all cost, given it would spoil a full season’s work. Like for any other seasonal activity, the Folk Witch can benefit from laboratory assistants – it may be her own familiar, even if that animal already is the target of the Mythic Binding roll.
Mythic Binding can neither create mystic bonds, nor allow other types of enchantments. This enforces the binding between the familiar and its master, though. Any direct offspring of a familiar which has been granted a supernatural effect through Mythic Binding will require a lower score of -10 to be bound by Folk Witches, and an upper score of +10 to be bound by hermetic means. This incidental result makes their hatchlings hard to be stolen by Magi and highly-valued by the other members of the coven.
Example given, Shell of False Determinations, Sense of Magical Power and Demon’s Eternal Oblivion are good ideas for familiar enchantments. Conversely, Wizard’s communion, The Wizard’s Fork and Opening the Intangible Tunnel are not authorized.
Even if the familiar has Magic Resistance, you can ignore it for the purpose of Mythic Binding.
Specialties: during one of the four seasons, in a specific type of area (forest, swamp, mountains...), a specific group of animals (birds of prey, cattle, horses, deer, amphibians…)

Notes: Echidna may use the Mythic Binding on other Folk Witches’ familiars, as long as those animals belong to other members of her own coven and they stay near her during this seasonal activity.

About Folk Witch Traditions: Old cursers make great directors for Folk Witch covens, especially when both their aggressive and useful powers make them a keystone for the hedge wizards. That is why they generally are scattered among the various covens of a country, leading or counselling their counterparts. Each of them may manage a small family-like association of around five witches, a larger group of a dozen subordinates, and in the most extreme cases a full sect of at least thirty partisans.
Like any other Folk Witch Tradition, Old Cursers may be heirs of Druidic societies, or even older Pagan cults. Many of them pay attention to transmit their knowledge to future generations.

Story hook: The Strangest Toad of All Creation
A very odd toad appears in the area, a small beast of great power, frightening peasants and settling in a duck pond near the Magi’s covenant. Even the servants start to speak about the marvellous creature, because it looks like an obese frog with a wild aura of pure magic. Maybe water nearby switch to dripping blood, the reed start to turn into stone, or the weather worsens. The toad may be the familiar of a recently deceased Folk Witch, and it now wanders, desperate and aggressive. It may cast magic bolts of pure supernatural energies, making it a great hazard for Magi. Of course Echidna is the one who enchanted it, and she may either come to calm the beast, or be searched for by the players.

Story hook: A Beast of Great Prize
One of Echidna’s friends encountered the Familiar of one of the Magi – maybe the familiar simply was noticed and observed, without knowing it. This Folk Witch is eager to possess this animal, in order to make it her own familiar. She obviously doesn’t figure it already is bound to a Maga. Now Echidna has been charged to kidnap the coveted familiar, a thing she will plan carefully – maybe using other Folk Witches talents, or an helping hand from close farmers.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Pertinence, a Walker of Dreams[/size]
Sex: female. (Male Walkers are as rare as the women).
Age: 20
Overview: this young lady was raised in a small castle of the area, as the third daughter of a poor baron. Maybe she married another knight, or now live in the castle of her father, as the place’s high lady, in the case her sisters are already married and her mother is deceased. Pertinence always is nice and polite, but she refuses to wear her flashy and precious family jewels, which is unusual among the young and stylish ladies of her rank.
Characteristics: Com+2, Dex-1, Int+2, Per+3, Pre-1, Qik-3, Sta+2, Str0
Virtues & Flaws: Deleterious Circumstances (metal) (Folk Witch Flaw), Gentleman/woman, Meddler, Oniric Travel, Sway.
Abilities: Area Lore 2 (castles), Artes Liberales 2 (mathematics), Carouse 1 (in a castle), Charm 1 (men), Concentration 1 (working), Craft: Embroidery 2 (tapestry), Dead Language: Latin 3 (economics), Etiquette 3 (nobility), Folk Witch Magic Theory 1 (fetish making), Guile 1 (her relatives), Folk Ken 1 (knights), Intrigue 2 (marriages), Leadership 3 (domestics), Living Language 5 (poetry), Music 1 (songs), Penetration 3 (men), Sway 3 (men) (Folk Witch’s Favorite Ability).
Personality traits: Compassionate+3, Serene +2, Proud +2

Lesser Power: Oniric Travel (Mentem)
This power allows the Walker of Dreams to see (and hear, feel, etc.) whatever appears in the dreams and nightmares a sleeping character currently makes. The Walker of Dreams has to touch the target and must stay alongside, in a state of trance, as long as she concentrates. She is no longer aware of what happens around her in the mundane world. When the Oniric Travel ends, the Walker of Dreams suffers one Long-term Fatigue level.

New Virtue: Sway (Supernatural, Minor virtue)
This Virtue grants you the power to subjugate and influence other people, so that they no longer see you as a threat or a potential enemy. You may be allowed to select this Virtue if you have at least Presence +1, otherwise you cannot select it. This Virtue gives you the supernatural Ability Sway 1.

New Ability: Sway
Characteristic: Presence
Form: Imaginem
Method: Fetish (a piece of clothes or a decorative object).
Defense: grants a bonus to the Magical Resistance, against any supernatural effect making you ugly or repellent.
This is a supernatural Ability, as stated before. The character is able to spread out a mystical veil of illusion, deceiving one specific character who is looking at her. The character must touch her target, then makes a Folk Witch Magic Theory + Sway + Pre roll against an Ease Factor of 3 if the target doesn’t know the Walker of Dreams, 6 if the target already encountered her but has no opinion about her, 9 if he (or she) doesn’t like her, 12 if he (or she) frankly dislike her, and 15 if he (or she) hates her. If the Folk Witch successes, the target now is devoted to the Walker of Dreams, as if she was the most precious being in the universe.
If the target has Magic Resistance, you have to add it to the Ease factor score (and the Folk Witch may have the use of the Ability Penetration). If the target has relevant Personality traits, add them to the Ease Factor too. The supernatural effect of subjugation lengths until the target no longer sees the Walker of Dreams (whatever is the cause of that break). Any exceeding point above the required Ease Factor may be considered as a part of a Magic Resistance against any opposite supernatural effect targeting the same victim.
This Ability doesn’t replace mundane social Abilities, and it can be used with them for combined effects, like Music and Enchanted Music could. You must make a Sway roll in order to control another character, but another Ability roll may help you figure the nature and the strength of your victim’s devotion. A really good Charm score means the target is in love with the Walker of Dreams. A high Leadership score make her an ominous overlord. A high Guile score makes the target see her as a beloved sister, etc. If the Walker of Dreams uses the Ability Sway without any other social Ability roll, the target may recover her sense at the first opportunity.
Specialties: noble people, peasantry, clerks, in a chamber, in the street, at dawn, in the evening.

Notes: the Folk Witch Flaw Deleterious circumstances (metal) means this character cannot use her supernatural talents (both her supernatural abilities and powers) as long as she wears metal (buttons, weapons, armours and money apply). If she is touched by some metal parts she doesn’t carry herself, she benefits from her full totals after all (e.g. when she is hurt by an opponent’s iron sword, brushed by the hand of a knight bearing a mailed gauntlet, or lays her hands on the lid of an iron chest).

About Folk Witch Traditions: Walkers of Dreams are a rare category of Folk Witches, because most of them are not aware of their supernatural powers. Due to their social class leading them to often wear metal items, hence letting them ignore what they are able of. Women wear necklaces, precious metal belts and jewellery; men develop war skills only and each day practice with armours and weapons.
When a Walker of Dreams figures her powers, she discreetly uses them to lower the pain and the suffering of her family. If she encounters a nobleman with the same talent, she of course will make anything to marry him, letting him “kidnap” her or making him her hidden lover, because a man having the same powers would understand and appreciate her for what she really is. Due to their hard life as a secrete magic practitioner in a very controlled and constrained social standing, Walkers of Dreams tend to both disdain peasant Folk Witches and appreciate other noble Folk Witches, leading them to organize small, very rare, but very influential covens.

Story hook: An unwanted Marriage
Pertinence has been promised to a future husband, a man who is celebrated for his courage and his toughness during battles. This man is a brute also, and many rumours report he hurt, persecuted or tortured innocent peasants, domestics and strangers. Pertinence took advantage of a visit in his castle to slide in his room and spy his dreams – now she knows it is a pure monster. But who can help the young lady? Maybe she has heard about the covenant, or search for help in their area without knowing about the Magi.

Story hook: The Nightmare of the Duke
The young Walker of Dreams discovered the locale Duke makes strange and frightening dreams about fire, destruction and misery, a fact the noble man hides to everybody, but Pertinence learned of it during her last visit in the Duke’s castle (it is her habit to check the dreams of her hosts). Now she is persuaded these nightmares are prophecies, as is the Duke. She may launch many measures to force the hand of destiny, or may have heard about the covenant, and introduce herself to the Magi in order to stop the gruesome fate of the country.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Pandore, a Firstborn Maleficer[/size]
Sex: female.
Age: 20
Overview: a young black-haired woman, who lives in the periphery of a small village; she is the owner of a small, proper and in vogue inn. She manages the mundane business with the locale inhabitants with resignation, suffering the teasing or the hatred from the neighbouring peasants, but receiving money and esteem from her guests. She prefers to be the scapegoat of the town to her sister being bullied else. Nobody really loves her, partly because she sometimes has curious activities with other infamous women, partly because she is not very agreeable.
Characteristics: Com-2, Dex+2, Int+1, Per+2, Pre0, Qik-1, Sta+2, Str+1
Virtues & Flaws: Merchant (innkeeper), Dutybound (her sister), Lesser Power: Winds of Malaria, Premonitions, Social Handicap (scapegoat), Thriving, Warped Magic (coldness spreads) (Folk Witch Flaw).
Abilities: Awareness 2 (dangers), Bargain 2 (food), Brawl 3 (attack), Folk Witch Magic Theory 2 (laboratory), Guile 3 (family), Leadership 2 (folk witches), Living Language 5 (esoteric), Penetration 1 (peasants), Premonitions 3 (family) (Folk Witch Favourite Ability), Stealth 1 (villages), Survival 1 (villages), Swim 1 (rivers).
Personality traits: Tortuous +3, Revengeful +2, Sense of family +2

Lesser Power: Winds of Bad Air (Auram)
Whenever the Maleficer uses this Power, she suffers one Fatigue level. In her area of sight, a deep barrier of nauseous clouds appears, about 6 meters large and 3 meters high, deriving according to the current wind direction. Any character inhaling this air must make a Stamina roll against 9, or suffer a Medium Wound, treated like a lung disease. One character cannot suffer twice from this spell. The Firstborn Maleficer must concentrate in order to maintain this supernatural atmosphere, and she is not immune to her own power.

New Virtue: Thriving (Minor, General virtue)
Whatever work or profession this character begins, she is successful and earns money quickly. This virtue grants no extra time, because the character manages her own business, and even if she has domestics, she is concerned by her professional activity. That is why this virtue grants no extra season activity per year. It does increase the character’s revenue a little, meaning she can support her immediate family, granting her and her close relatives a Living Conditions modifier of +1, as long as they stay in their casual settlement. If the character move house, she must wait one year until her prosperity comes back.
This virtue is not compatible with other virtues affecting the richness of the character, like Wealthy, Poor or Tainted Treasure.

Notes: Firstborn Maleficers may have other powers than the Winds of Malaria, though the oldest witches of a same family tend to have similar violent or baleful powers, like invoking fire, causing wounds or diseases, etc. These malefic charms justify the name of “Maleficers”. Nobody knows why older witches have more dangerous or more violent powers, but this phenomenon could be a good subject for a curious Bonisaga. This character template is a wink to the character concept of the elder sister in the Charmed sitcom.

About Folk Witch Traditions: Pandore must be related to another Folk Witch (maybe one from this thread). She is the elder of the family, hence taking her role of protector as a serious duty. Firstborn Maleficers aren’t coven leaders automatically, but they like giving advices to their superiors, commanding small groups of wizards in missions, or even trying to take control of their coven if they feel they could become greater leaders then the actual ones. Firstborn Maleficers worry a lot about their relatives and in fact are more loyal to their family than to their coven.

Story hook: A new Haven for the Coven
Pandore is sent in the covenant’s area in order to find a place where her coven could move their actual area is surrounded with enemies - busy faeries, angry evils, pious priests and devoted hermits… Who knows? Whatever is the case, Pandore is accompanied by three or four other Folk Witches. Together, they study the inhabitants, spy the Magi and their servants, and start to rob Vis in the covenant’s precious sources. And it only is the beginning.

Story hook: Revolution among the Hedge Wizard
Pandore wants to overthrow her actual chiefs. Since the Folk Witches’ matriarch humiliated or betrayed her smaller sister, the Firstborn Maleficer is dedicated to this new goal. She leads a rebel group of other Folk Witches, trying to destitute the actual coven’s master. They plot in the forest, gather allies among the Faeries and the Magic Things and Magic Animals of the land, and look for other potential supports. Maybe the rebels could ask help from the Magi. What exactly occurred to the unfortunate smaller sister remains uncertain. If she still can be saved, maybe the Folk Witches could be reunited.

[Cathelineau]

[size=150]Pandore, a Firstborn Maleficer[/size]
Sex: female.
Age: 20
Overview: a young black-haired woman, who lives in the periphery of a small village; she is the owner of a small, proper and in vogue inn. She manages the mundane business with the locale inhabitants with resignation, suffering the teasing or the hatred from the neighbouring peasants, but receiving money and esteem from her guests. She prefers to be the scapegoat of the town to her sister being bullied else. Nobody really loves her, partly because she sometimes has curious activities with other infamous women, partly because she is not very agreeable.
Characteristics: Com-2, Dex+2, Int+1, Per+2, Pre0, Qik-1, Sta+2, Str+1
Virtues & Flaws: Merchant (innkeeper), Dutybound (her sister), Lesser Power: Winds of Malaria, Premonitions, Social Handicap (scapegoat), Thriving, Warped Magic (coldness spreads) (Folk Witch Flaw).
Abilities: Awareness 2 (dangers), Bargain 2 (food), Brawl 3 (attack), Folk Witch Magic Theory 2 (laboratory), Guile 3 (family), Leadership 2 (folk witches), Living Language 5 (esoteric), Penetration 1 (peasants), Premonitions 3 (family) (Folk Witch Favourite Ability), Stealth 1 (villages), Survival 1 (villages), Swim 1 (rivers).
Personality traits: Tortuous +3, Revengeful +2, Sense of family +2

Lesser Power: Winds of Bad Air (Auram)
Whenever the Maleficer uses this Power, she suffers one Fatigue level. In her area of sight, a deep barrier of nauseous clouds appears, about 6 meters large and 3 meters high, deriving according to the current wind direction. Any character inhaling this air must make a Stamina roll against 9, or suffer a Medium Wound, treated like a lung disease. One character cannot suffer twice from this spell. The Firstborn Maleficer must concentrate in order to maintain this supernatural atmosphere, and she is not immune to her own power.

New Virtue: Thriving (Minor, General virtue)
Whatever work or profession this character begins, she is successful and earns money quickly. This virtue grants no extra time, because the character manages her own business, and even if she has domestics, she is concerned by her professional activity. That is why this virtue grants no extra season activity per year. It does increase the character’s revenue a little, meaning she can support her immediate family, granting her and her close relatives a Living Conditions modifier of +1, as long as they stay in their casual settlement. If the character move house, she must wait one year until her prosperity comes back.
This virtue is not compatible with other virtues affecting the richness of the character, like Wealthy, Poor or Tainted Treasure.

Notes: Firstborn Maleficers may have other powers than the Winds of Malaria, though the oldest witches of a same family tend to have similar violent or baleful powers, like invoking fire, causing wounds or diseases, etc. These malefic charms justify the name of “Maleficers”. Nobody knows why older witches have more dangerous or more violent powers, but this phenomenon could be a good subject for a curious Bonisaga. This character template is a wink to the character concept of the elder sister in the Charmed sitcom.

About Folk Witch Traditions: Pandore must be related to another Folk Witch (maybe one from this thread). She is the elder of the family, hence taking her role of protector as a serious duty. Firstborn Maleficers aren’t coven leaders automatically, but they like giving advices to their superiors, commanding small groups of wizards in missions, or even trying to take control of their coven if they feel they could become greater leaders then the actual ones. Firstborn Maleficers worry a lot about their relatives and in fact are more loyal to their family than to their coven.

Story hook: A new Haven for the Coven
Pandore is sent in the covenant’s area in order to find a place where her coven could move their actual area is surrounded with enemies - busy faeries, angry evils, pious priests and devoted hermits… Who knows? Whatever is the case, Pandore is accompanied by three or four other Folk Witches. Together, they study the inhabitants, spy the Magi and their servants, and start to rob Vis in the covenant’s precious sources. And it only is the beginning.

Story hook: Revolution among the Hedge Wizard
Pandore wants to overthrow her actual chiefs. Since the Folk Witches’ matriarch humiliated or betrayed her smaller sister, the Firstborn Maleficer is dedicated to this new goal. She leads a rebel group of other Folk Witches, trying to destitute the actual coven’s master. They plot in the forest, gather allies among the Faeries and the Magic Things and Magic Animals of the land, and look for other potential supports. Maybe the rebels could ask help from the Magi. What exactly occurred to the unfortunate smaller sister remains uncertain. If she still can be saved, maybe the Folk Witches could be reunited.