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Sidereal Medicine Charms by GoldenH

Maiden of Endings' Lost Medicine Charm Tree

My ST sympathized with my lack of healing charms for sidereals and said I might try to propose an alternate strategy. Alas, I have been idealess until about an hour ago, when inspiration hit me like a huge frickin' hammer. Knowing better than to pass it up, I decided to give up my studying and engage in charm writing time!

These charms were used widely before the first age, but when the maidens saw how their favorite healer behaveed, they decided that the sidereals shoud be made to better fight the new potential threats, the malfeans, instead of working to stall the end of creation and given power over the life and death of mortals. She has finally reincarnated, with these charms are still available to her, as the maidens never were able to tear away their charms from the one who used them most. Now, in the second age, the maidens leave them to her, curious to see if they will again be of use to the world, but unready to remind all sidereals of these secrets.

Glen of Fading Sorrows Prayer

 Cost: 10m
 Duration: One Day
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Ability: 2
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisite Charms: None

This charm binds spirits of the woods to heal the sick. The sidereal wraps the victim in a colorful woven blanket designed to attract the spirits of the forest and lays the stricken creature in a secluded grove or forest hut. So long as the guest does not leave this grove, they will heal quickly and with the minimum of pain, tended expertly by the spirits so summoned. The sidereal may then go on his way, allowing the spirits to draw upon his essence for a time while they learn what they need to take care of this poor traveller.

This benefit in care only affects the one who was given the blanket, and while friends may accompany them, and be healthy and well in this place, the benefits of the spirit's full attention will only belong to this one man. In some cases, the blanket might become a kind of talisman to the one who recieved it; even if the sidereal has conjoured it up from essence with the help of this spell, it has often become real enough to them that they will keep it with them thereafter.


Binding the Blood and the Hart

 Cost: 10m + WP
 Duration: Target's Essence in Days
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Ability: 3
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Glen of Fading Sorrows Prayer

Such it is in the life of heros that they will sometimes find themselves stricken with an unplesant fate. While the Maiden of Endings frowns upon works against the tide of destiny, she often can be convinced to take animal sacrifice in the place of human death, for a few short strokes of the brush will satisfy the paperwork for now, and all things die after their own kind. She may reach into the surrounding web of destiny, splinting the frayed cord of man with the strong and fertile destiny of a nearby animal such as a Wolf, Ram or Hart. (and humans, but who would do such a thing?)

This bond must remain for several days, depending on the essence of the mortal human. During that time, the two creature's destinys will be mixed for, as they become familiar with each other's ways. The animal is not always intelligent enough to realize what is happening, but the sidereal will often tell the man. He will experience the world differently, in the manner that was meant for creatures of the wild to see it, a wash of symbolic meanings tied closely with the spiritual nature of gaia. If this bond should remain overly long, it is possible that animal and man might form a bond similar to familars.

However, that is not the purpose of this charm. While the bond remains, all penalties will be split evenly between the two, doubling the healing rate and lending each other the stamina and strength of the partner. But they are vulnerable also, for the animal, while healthly, might still be slain by hunters or mischevous spirits and foes. And while things that should kill them both are rendered inert for the moment, they are still vulnerable to new poisons and disease. If this happens while the bond remains, both partners will surely die.

The bond might be broken harmlessly; in this case the death of small animal such as a bird might be substituted as a symbolic sacrfice might suffice, but this causes even more paperwork in the bearus and a successful prayer roll at the difficulty of the target's essence must be made. The preffered way to handle things is to complete the ritual at the end of the (target's Essence) days, transferring all ill effects (including things like scars, infertility, and insanities) to the animal and severing the bond, putting it out of it's misery. While this might not gain the friendship of anyone in heaven, they will not complain about it either, for few would question a sidereal's view on the matter.


Sing-Song Melody of Destruction

 Cost: 8m + WP
 Duration: One Scene
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Ability: 4
 Minimum Essence: 3
 Prerequisite Charms: None

While the Sidereal sings this song herself and those around her are blessed by the Maiden of Endings to perservere in their fight, so long as they do fight with a pure heart and do not deny themselves the glory of who they are. All allies within 10 x (the sidereals' esseince) in yards can fight freely, knowing that even should they fall death will tarry in coming for them. While this song is sung, poison and disease does not pose such a threat, it's effects being deferred until the melody ends.

Additionally, if they should fall below incapacitated in health levels, they will not die unless they have taken a number of additional health levels equal to their Stamina, this damage being healed at the end of the scene with a reflexive stamina + endurance roll, they cannot take lethal damage from bashing attacks, and can automatically staunch their bleeding. While the sidereal can fight while singing this song, she cannot talk without breaking the melody, and stealth is impossible.


Meandering River Funeral

 Cost: 5m
 Duration: One Scene
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Ability: 2
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Glen and Fading Sorrows Prayer

If the target is dying or corrupted with something that may bring him to worse than death, or afflicted with some illness that is beyond the sidereal's skill or knowledge to cure, then all hope is still not lost and it is up to the Sidereal to try and make sure that their end is a good one. The afflicted is lead to a river, where they a lied down in a small boat with their most treasured possessions and in their best clothes and whatever else might be needed in their next life. The sidereal then lays her hand across his face, and closes his eyelids for the last time. Those gathered pay their respects to the departed, reminicing upon his life and what he meant to them, and their true feelings for him. Then, when everything has been said, the boat is pushed out into the river, where it will ride upon the currents, not to be distrubed or found again.

This charm explicitly does not help in cases where the the soul has been forcibly ripped from the body while they are still living, but in most other cases, even overcoming mortal sorcery and necromancy, the soul's rest is ensured to be eternal. The sidereal may make a Prayer roll for the fate of the departed, to sway the guardians that will guide him to his next life, so that it may be a good one and untroubled by the horrors experienced in this life, and that he might find those places, people, and things that he treasured most in his last life.


Earth and Sky Bargin Alternative Prerequisite Charms: Sing-Song Melody of Destruction and Meandering River Funeral

Omnipresent Rain-Following Silence (alternative prayer strip charm)

 Cost: 15m + 2 WP + 1 HL
 Duration: One Task
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Ability: 5
 Minimum Essence: 4
 Prerequisite Charms: Terminate Illness, Binding the Blood and the Hart and Meandering River Funeral

When someone important to the character, whether by oath, destiny, or friendship is about to die, the character is alerted ahead of time by way of a floating prayer strip detailing the nature of the fate that is about to occur and may take the opportunity to go to them - but they must decide without hesitation, and there is no time to read but a small forward for what is in store for them. Should they accept, the new destiny detailed is put into place by the pattern spiders, with the Sidereal now their chief agent in this matter of change. No matter the distances involved, they will always be there at the nick of time, and have the chance to save their life, even if they should be dead.

The character's run will be one of shadows and trials, as they partly enter the spirit world as they are shown the destiny that they have given themselves up to in visions. When the sidereal arrives, the wind changes and rain begins to fall, ominous stormclouds following in the tread of the sidereal. The lighting always crackles as the sidereal reaches towards the one fated to die, and rain always falls once the critical moment is past, requiring her to bring him to shelter where he can be better tended to. No force save the gods and the yozi can stand in her way, as destiny becomes stronger through the sacrifice - all contested actions that would be necessary for this task are perfect successes, and even the impossible becomes possible with a good stunt.

Examples: Falling off the cliff, and being there at the exact moment needed to catch them; Arriving at the moment the Hero is going to bleed to death and staunching their wounds in the nick of time; Showing up to rescue an important child from her village just as a barbarian army rises over younder hill.