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Aspects

I have been visited by my Goddess’s Aspects many times, and I can never say it was particularly pleasant. I’ve heard lovely things about them from other Devout, of course.

-Amik Westward, High Priest of Hyrnedhna

Many Devout see Aspects as a rather mundane thing in the course of our work: they are there to deliver a message because our God does not have the time. This is fair, I think. But I tend to marvel on them as divine beings in and of themselves.

-Milot Aspera, High Priest of Kasamei

Even the rabbits are trouble.

-Duncan of Fairchild, High Priest of Steramestei

In the world of Circadia, magical beings are not uncommon. Afterall, the Gods are known to walk the Mortal realm. While interactions with Gods are rare for the majority of the Realm, most Mortals will nevertheless encounter the Hyrnedhnai, Mynaira, and even the Toto over the course of their lives. These Magical beings, though not deathless, are nevertheless infused with Mana in a way that separates them from Mortals.

However, there are rare supernatural beings that exist outside of more commonplace (albeit infrequent) interactions: The Aspects.

The Aspects

Aspects defy easy classification in terms of physical manifestation. They take various forms but, in essence, are manifestations of the Gods’ will made present in the Mortal Realm. They frequently serve as messengers, emissaries, brokers, and–at least for some of the Gods–Omens. Aspects appear to Mortals when the Gods need something or, exceptionally rarely, when a Mortal has requested something from a God.

There are both Lesser Aspects and Greater Aspects. Usually, Aspects manifest only in the presence of Devout, though some Mortals report they too have been visited. Greater Aspects generally only appear in times of tremendous change or strife and usually only to fully bring forth a God’s will.

Most times Aspects are neutral and benign: they are generally serving on behalf of the Gods to deliver information or collect aid. Sometimes, however, they carry a more ominous burden and greet Mortals with hostility. 

Physically, Lesser Aspects reflect essences of the Gods’ own selves and have a more or less unified appearance (depending on the Gods). All Lesser Aspects are sentient and can communicate easily with Mortals as they choose.

Aspects of the Pantheon

Beodhen’s Lesser Aspects generally appear as flashes of gold and red and manifest most frequently as hot, crimson flame. Complementary to this, Nepheris’s Lesser Aspects present as streaks of blue and silver, generally manifesting as orbs of icy sapphire fire. Occasionally, Lesser Aspects of both Beodhen and Nepheris will take on a more humanoid form, differentiated from Mortals by a large pair of wings sprouting from their backs.

Steramestei and Kasamei most often send what are called the Star Children: single stars or even walking constellations, pulled from dreams and shadow, that speak on behalf of one or both of the Sisters. Very occasionally, the Sisters will send Lesser Aspects who take on the form of a rabbit, indistinguishable from normal rabbits, save their silvery glow, and fur bespeckled with moons and stars. (It is common for followers of the Sisters to erect small gardens and shrines to welcome these odd rabbits.)

Finally, T’Zyri most frequently offers the Quiet Swarms as her Lesser Aspects. In numbers both great and small, the snakes and spiders that she calls ally will serve as emissaries for her. Rarely, Lesser Aspects known as The Weavers appear. These beings have vaguely humanoid forms but manifest more clearly as walking spiderwebs.

Other Aspects

The Fallen Gods all have their own Lesser Aspects, though they appear more rarely. T’rer invariably sends forth Gargoyles: stone soldiers of beastly appearance, the Gargoyles are known to be fair and even in temperament. Mynair, Hyrnedhna, and Opix have all historically called upon the natural world around them: Hyrnedhna sends Aspects cloaked in thorns, vines, and horns, while Opix sends winged insects and even small storm clouds made sentient. When she was alive, Mynair most commonly sent Lesser Aspects in the form of water: moving tidal pools or even diverted streams. Verine’s Lesser Aspects are infamous: The Wanton are skulking, eerie creatures that sprout curved horns and venomous claws–though they often dress in the finery of their Lady, they are known for their wretched countenance. Gu’labir sends out similarly off-putting Lesser Aspects, though they lack any real uniformity: followers say they have been visited by everything from sentient mushrooms to a reanimated pig’s corpse.

Across contexts, Greater Aspects are all but unheard of and those few who report Greater Aspects often speak of mythical beasts stranger than even the most alien of Abyssal creatures or most stunning of Hyrnedhna’s beasts.

It is assumed that Aspects of some of the Old Gods remain, but these creatures have not been seen in centuries.

Out of Game Note: Aspects are what you might think of, in another context, most closely related to angels. They are divine beings that carry out the orders of their various Gods. In Zealot, we will often use Aspects to introduce encounters or bring information to players. As a player, being visited by a Lesser Aspect is strange, though not unheard of for Devout. Being visited by a Greater Aspect is something that is almost entirely unheard of except among the most revered of High Clergy and Devout.

Circadian Political Structures in Detail

Excerpt from “An Introduction to Circadian Civics in the Reconstruction Age” by Odipos Rakes

While the world of Circadia orbits around the Gods and their doings, the everyday lives of Mortals–from the growing of crops to the repairing of roadways to the education of civilians–is of importance to even the most cerebral Devout. After all, while the Gods offer their Blessing, the day-to-day tasks that sustain Mortal life are equally shared among the people of Circadia.

The political organization of Circadia reflects this. As one might assume, in recorded Circadian history, there have never been Mortal sovereign rulers such as Kings and Queens. Instead, the Pantheon has always served as the supreme ruling body; the God who heads the Pantheon serves as the ruler of Circadia.

During the first Pantheon, Faeris’lyr was founder and leader of the Pantheon and, therefore, sovereign of the realm. In the age following Faeris’lyr’s reign, T’rer stood as the King of the Gods and, therefore, the King of Circadia. After the Blood War, Beodhen unseated T’rer and took his place as leader of both Gods and Mortals. During Beodhen’s reign, of course, the Pantheon Gods share democratic control of Circadia and assure a system of checks and balances.

But where does this leave Mortals? Surely, while the Gods may provide us with the magical foundation for our lives, they are not out and about collecting taxes, determining our children’s curriculum, or asking the fishmonger the latest trends in civilian cuisine. Such tasks fall to us Mortals and, to help guide them, we rely on our Mortal leaders: the High Clergy.

The High Clergy

The High Clergy, described in more personal detail below, are the handful of Devout individuals who serve as the chosen High Priest to a God. They are personally chosen by the God and act as a mediator and conduit between the Gods and their Worshippers. While Gods can and do communicate with Mortals who are not High Clergy, they share close relationships with their High Clergy and rely on their counsel. For most in Circadia, a relationship with a High Clergy representative is just as strategically important as a relationship with a God.

The High Clergy live at Gods Road, where they act as a democratic High Council who oversee Mortal affairs. Superficially, the only ranking High Clergy are those in service to the immediate Pantheon–in practice, however, and particularly after the Blood War, High Priests of Fallen Gods are generally given a seat at the proverbial table. Importantly, High Clergy tend to age much more slowly than even other Devout–due to their connection to the Gods, they are offered somewhat more robust vitality and will often appear younger than they are. Such aging returns to normal once they retire from their positions.

The Devout


Immediately below the High Clergy are the Ranking Devout: somewhat more numerous than the High Clergy, they are individuals who have been appointed by the Clergy or the Gods themselves to serve as mediators between regions and households. Beneath these Ranking Devout are the Devout–the backbone of Circadia that best walk the line between the layfolk, the High Clergy, and the Gods. Devout perform many tasks, from answering the personal call of a God to advocating for an underrepresented township. They are provided the ear of the High Clergy whenever asked and, like the High Clergy, reside for at least part of the year at the barracks outside Gods Road. While the High Clergy may hold the highest power of all Mortals, the Devout beneath them are truly upon what the realm relies.

But, as we all know, very few people are Devout. So what of the Folk Civil–sometimes called layfolk–that make up the vast majority of Mortal demographics?

The Layfolk/Folk Civil

As the proud father of 6 Devout and 1 Folk Civil, I can assure you that the pathways for the Folk Civil are more numerous than those provided for the Devout.

(I will add. Many use the term “layfolk” when referring to those non-Devout. I prefer Folk Civil as it accounts for those non-believers who nonetheless pay their taxes. This, of course, says nothing of Witches who have only ever funded our public works in thoroughly ironic ways.)

Folk Civil are not so much “mundane” Mortals as they are Mortals who, however pious they may be, have not been called to direct service of the Gods. They tend to be more concerned with the daily affairs that make Circadia what it is and, therefore, even the Gods rely on them. What is, afterall, a God without a populace?

Which leads us to popular governments falling outside the High Council.

Popular Governments

Circadia is estimated to be home to some 4 to 6 million Mortals, not including the 100, 000 or so Mynaira and some 300, 000 Hyrnedhnai. While these numbers are nothing compared to the estimated 10 to 12 million prior to the Blood War, they are nevertheless made up of diverse people who–after all this time–have discrete governing bodies, interests, and geographical cultures unique to them.

Generally speaking, Circadian towns and cities organize themselves around a popularly elected Mayor and representative town or city council. Term limits and election processes vary from region to region, but it is uncommon for governmental processes to differ wildly between areas. The High Clergy more or less supports different regional leaders assuming that such leaders affirm the Pantheon.

There are exceptions to the rules, as one might expect.

The Hyrnedhnai have appointed The Speaker who, when the Hyrnedhnai deign to speak with the High Council, will serve as representative for the Hyrnedhnai. The Mynaira used to have a Speaker but now rely on the former High Priestess of Mynair. Witches are excepted from High Clergy proceedings as one would guess and hope. (To quote one of my sons, “They do their own thing.” Thank our Lord Nepheris for that!)

Additionally, it is common in areas with established Devout dynastic clans–such as the Lionhardt or Beausejour families–for supported towns to pay fealty to noble houses; in such cases, the dynastic families often appoint a head of town or city and conduct business through them. Assuming that such business fulfills the needs of the Pantheon, the High Priests allow it.

Dynastic Clans

Dynastic clans are an important consideration in all of this. Generally speaking, the Dynastic clans are families who have long served a particular God or Gods. Most famous among these are the Lionhardts and my own family, the Rakeses. These families have unswervingly followed Beodhen and Nepheris respectively and rank among some of the most respected Devout. Other families exist, of course. Though of increasingly lesser import during the Reconstruction, the Aspera family has long followed the sisters Kasamei and Steramestei. Similarly, the Redsprings are former followers of Hyrnedhna who renounced her during the Blood War and now follow Beodhen. Lesser known are the curious Albright and Beausejour clans. While the Albrights nominally follow Beodhen, they are one of the few Dynastic clans who maintain worship of not only Gu’labir but even older Gods. The Beausejour are notorious in their commitment to Verine and have maintained their loyalty across the Dynastic ages.

And what would a lesson in Civics be without a list of the current High Priests? Below is the High Clergy as of the writing of this tome, 534 Sela.

Petra Lionhardt, High Priestess of Beodhen since 502 Sela

Myr’naianesa, High Priestess of Nepheris since 502 Sela, Speaker and High Priestess of Mynair since 475 Sela

Duncan of Fairchild, High Priest of Steramestei since 502 Sela

Cyrus and Milot Aspera, High Priests of Kasamei since 496 and 500 Sela respectively

Sympathy called Sincerity, High Priest of T’Zyri since 504 Sela

Cyriaque Beausejour, High Priest of Verine since 510 Sela

Amik Westward, High Priest of Hyrnedhna since 488 Sela

Samson Trent, High Priest of T’rer since 503 Sela


Currently, both Cyrus and Milo Aspera serve as High Priests of Kasamei. This is somewhat unusual but was granted to Kasamei during the Blood War: the amount of Death that occurred during the War necessitated that she offer seats for two High Priests. The tradition has maintained over the reconstruction.


There are, undoubtedly, High Clergy of both Opix and Gu’labir but, for now, they have kept their names to themselves.

On the Nature of Mana and Magic

On the Nature of Mana and Magic
Magister Paxia T’Myra
Keynote Address, Gods Road Symposium on Magic
Magic in the Reconstruction Series, 534 Sela


The following notes are transcribed from the symposium address delivered by Magister T’Myra, Cleric of T’Zyri and High Mage of Myrim’lyr College, in the year 534 Sela.


Honored colleagues, it is a true pleasure to join you during this return to the annual Symposium on Magic at Gods Road. As a representative of Myrim’lyr College, the oldest institution of higher learning in Circadia, I hope this address can move all of us towards a progressive future dictated by our noble history. Additionally, as a lifetime follower of my lady T’Zyri, Keeper of Secrets, I feel especially honored to present such information in her name. Without further ado…

Magic has long been a subject of interest among both the Devout and the layfolk. Indeed, entire careers have been dedicated to understanding the Blessing bestowed upon us and its reverberation in our Mortal world.

While the Blood War remains a staunch tragedy in the minds of even the most stalwart, we cannot deny that in Hyrnedhna’s carnage, we learned much about Magic. However, it is easy to fixate on the immediate. In light of current political tensions, I wish to instead turn back to basics.

Since T’Myrim and Zyr’Zane graced Mortal soil, some form of Magic has existed among all worshippers. Indeed, the Age of Worship, when our various cultures came together in pursuit of the Old Gods, we learned quickly that those faithful among us can channel the Magical essence of this world. And, of course, when the first Pantheon of Faeris’lyr came to be, such Magic and the rise of the Devout coincided–as we now well know, to be Devout is to be a vessel of the Gods’ tremendous power. Mortals have never before seen the power provided by our current divine Pantheon.

Such matters, as you well know, are matters for historians. They are well documented in the Cloisters’ archives for any past-minded person to scour. However, I am no historian. I am a Mage.

And, so, back to basics.

Devotion. Attributes. Mana. Magic.

The combination that binds the Devout in service to all of Circadia and the Gods. Our gift, Blessing, and burden.

As a High Mage, I remind you of the best accepted theory on magic. The theory of Divine Mana Channeling.

As all Mages know, the world is infused with various forces: we understand them as the Four Corporeal Elements and the Ethereal Gift. Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Caliber.

To be more descriptive: the stability and strength of Earth, the ever-rushing flow of Air, the sudden surges of Water, the Fire that can erupt at any moment, and the Caliber of your spirit. These elements are aligned with the world around us– capitalizing on that alignment through our faith is how greatness happens.

Enter Mana, the stuff of the Circadian landscape. The unseen carriers of such elemental power that exist beyond most Mortal perception. Even the most talented of Mages have yet to ethically distill Mana into its discreet parts for more than a few moments. Nevertheless, we know it is there.

Beyond this, we know we, the Devout, are able to channel Mana through our Devotion as manifested Attributes.

Prismatic Theory states that the role of the Pantheon is for the Gods to collect Mana and distribute it among their chosen Devout. The collection of an enormous pool of Mana manifests as a single Attribute–the Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Caliber that represents our Divine power. We know that when we expend an attribute, it is eventually refreshed by the Divine power of our patron God or Gods. Such is the well-established relationship between Devotion, Attributes, and Mana.

To my first year undergraduates, I explain the process thusly.

Mana is the nearly intangible stuff that infuses Circadia; we can only see it in heavily controlled or awesome spaces, but research concludes it is unrefined elemental power. Our Pantheon Gods can collect huge amounts of this Mana and channel it into their Devout. This manifests as the Attributes we feel within ourselves. In other words, the Gods make the multitude of magical essence around us into something we can use. Small bits collected and made material within us.

As any Mage knows, as Devout Mages our Gods give us the power to channel raw Mana into spells. Since we cannot see the Mana, but we know it is there, it becomes our duty to reverse engineer our Magic–we master the tangible spell to corral the intangible Mana.

I study such things daily, and, still, such a reality captures me in wonder.

It bears reminding: as far as we know, the Devout are the only confirmed individuals with Attributes. Those who have walked or fallen from Devotion report they lose the sense of power and can no longer feel or use their Attributes. Lifelong layfolk report no manifestation of Attributes within them, even when they are experts in the study of Magic itself.

So, seemingly, that’s how Magic works. But it does not answer the question, what is Mana?

We still don’t know. I find that, as a scholar nearing retirement, a delightful opportunity for this generation of rising Mages.

In this era of massive change, we have new variables that expand our horizons.

To return to the Blood War.

Magister Rubius Rakes II’s study on magical re-entry suggested the veracity of many longheld theories. A lay follower of Nepheris, Magister Rakes was given permission to enter the battlefields as a neutral party during the Blood War. His sole task was to observe and record seeming changes in Magical manifestation. Of course, when a God was on the field, the Devout were more powerful, finding themselves gifted with temporary Attributes and even new abilities.

But something more troubling arose. The reality of death that bore the fruit of the Rubius Law: Mana seems momentarily perceptible, by Mortals, during times of great death.

In the Battle of Beasts, when Hyrnedhna and Beodhen took the field with their forces, over 3000 Mortals, including Hyrnedhnai, perished. All survivors, including Magister Rakes, witnessed thousands of multicolored orbs floating around the field. In a well told tale, Beodhen won this battle because he was able to quickly seize the power of many of these orbs and channel them into his Clerics. The Clerics restored to life roughly 300 of his mightiest Paladins, and they took the field. Hyrnedhna retreated.

More troubling still is the earlier death of Mynair. Magister Rakes, having witnessed the Battle of Beasts, looked for the survivors who had withstood Hyrnedhna’s raid on the coast. High Priestess Myr’naianesa, chosen of Mynair and now Mortal Consort to and High Priestess of Nepheris, reports that when Mynair fell, the Tides swelled with millions of blue orbs. Such orbs fell upon the Mynaira before disappearing. While neither High Priestess Myr’naianesa or Magister Rakes can truly confirm it, it seems that the death of a God resulted in an exponential version of the phenomenon witnessed at the Battle of Beasts.

And what do we make of all this? Our theorem remains seemingly true but perhaps comparatively insignificant when we muse at that still unknown.

To conclude, I pose a perhaps strange direction: interdisciplinary studies.

Those who have studied witchcraft and even those who have observed Magicians have long waited in the shadows of academic halls. This seems unfair: to understand Heresy, one must study Heretics. These scholars, our proper colleagues, have risked life and limbs to observe the doings of Heretics. Yet we cast them aside.

As a Devout of T’Zyri, I suggest we welcome our colleagues made outcast by our own outdated academic cultures. It seems intellectually lazy to resist the knowledge of other students of the world.

And so.

As High Mage of Myrim’lyr College, I hearby establish the first ever accredited Department for the Social Study of Heretical and Abyssal Magic, hosted by Myrim’lyr College. The esteemed Magister Devon Rakes, lay follower of Nepheris, has agreed to sign on as the first Chair of the Department.

I propose this with T’Zyri’s Blessing.

Thank you.

Character Histories and Announcements

We’ve been a little quiet, but we have some news.

Character Histories

Firstly, we are now accepting character histories. You will find the Character History Form here. I have also posted it on the Rules and Event Logistics page.

You should submit your history to zealot.larp@gmail.com. Once your history is approved, you will receive 2 CP.

Playtest and 0 CP Skill

As a reminder, we have our playtest/fundraiser on August 12, 2023, from 2pm-9:30pm at the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA.

You can register and learn more here.

If you register and pay for the playtest by July 21st, 2023, we will provide you with a 0 CP skill unique to your character once we receive your history (before or after the playtest–we realize some of you are seeking player consultations at the playtest).

There is an exception. We have a small group of players who attend from locations multiple states away (Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania etc.). Since we realize that a one day may not be feasible for those outside the New England area, we are offering the 0 CP skill even if you cannot attend the playtest. You will just need to register and pay for the first event by the stated date (1 month after registration opens). We would like to offer this as thanks for your commitment to traveling so far for our games.

Magic Items and Registration

Going forward, we will be offering incentives for early registration and payment for events.

If you register and pay for an event within 1 month of registration opening, you will receive a unique magic item that will last the duration of the upcoming event. (This means that, for the first event, registration opens August 1 and you would need to register and pay by September 1.) As more sites require down-payment, we hope this encourages folks to register and pay early!

Death at Zealot

Would that I had died only once. I think my life might have been swifter, but also much easier.

– Cyriaque, Follower of Nepheris and High Priest of Verine

Would that I might die a thousand times more. Each time is better than the last.

– Mona Albright, Follower of Beodhen and Worship Leader of Gu’labir

Mechanics of Death at Zealot

At Zealot, Death is an extraordinary event that helps shape the relationship between the Devout and their Gods. In this section, please find how Death works at Zealot. (The complete rulebook will be updated with this information at its next release.)


There are several ways to die in Zealot. The most common is when you are reduced to 0 Vitality and do not receive any sort of Healing skill.

You also die if you receive a “Death” attack or receive a killing blow (the verbal call “Mandate Death 1, 2, 3, Death” or a variation therein). Occasionally, there will be plots or roleplay interactions that may carry the risk of Death.

Once you have died, you take the Lasting Effect “Death.” As it is a Lasting Effect it cannot be rested off and must be removed (most commonly through a “Cure Death” effect).

Once you are Dead, you may stay as a corpse for up to 5 minutes. If you are not revived with a Cure Death ability, you must turn to Spirit. You may also choose to turn to a Spirit before the 5 minutes has passed.

Once you are a Spirit, you should return to the nearest Shrine as if you are pulled to it. Sometimes Shrines will be clarified within encounter spaces, but there will always be a Shrine in central PC areas. You may move to these Shrines freely. If, while you are walking as a Spirit, someone uses a skill “to Spirit” you should interact with it as is appropriate. For instance, if you are hit with an “Anguish to Spirit,” you must take the effect. You should not stay as a Spirit for more than 5 minutes and should roleplay a consistent pull to the nearest Shrine.

Once at a Shrine, you should focus for 1 minute. You may then call “Cure Death to Self and Purge Spirit.” You immediately gain the Permanent Trait, “Fated.” If you found a Shrine during an encounter, you may return to the encounter; it will be as though you have taken a Short Rest. If you had to leave the encounter to find a Shrine, you may not return to the Encounter, though it will be as if you have taken a Short Rest.

The Fated Trait
While you have the trait “Fated” all of your attributes are reduced by 1. Your Vitality is also reduced by 1. Additionally, you take 1 extra damage from any attack with an Ethereal Carrier Trait.

Within 24 hours of receiving the Fated Trait, you should seek the Deck of Fate and Book of Deeds. These prop items will always be located in a PC common space that will be clarified at game opening. Instructions for engaging will be tagged on the prop items.

If you received the Fated Trait and did not remove it within 24 hours, you should inform staff in your PEL. Every time you receive the Fated Trait on top of an unremoved Fated Trait, your Vitality and every Attribute go down another 1 point to a minimum of 1 point. (You cannot be reduced to 0.) If you have received the Fated Trait multiple times, there will be specifications within the Book of Deeds and the Deck of Fate. If you do not reconcile the Fated Trait in 24 hours, inform staff.

(The only exception to the 24 hour rule is an Out of Game one. If you were not able to access the Deck of Fate or Book of Deeds for out-of-game reasons–such as leaving game early or receiving the Trait at the end of game–your 24 hours starts at the beginning of the next event you attend.)

Some Notes on the Fated Trait
First and foremost, while Zealot is a difficult game in terms of challenge, it is not a punitive game. We want our PCs to enjoy their time, and we want you to explore various aspects of the world.

The Fated Trait, the Book of Deeds, and the Deck of Fate are major plot elements. Out of game, you should expect to die at Zealot and should see it as an opportunity for plot. In game, your character can have whatever perspective that is fun for you and appropriate to your character. However, don’t get discouraged if you have the Fated trait. It’s a chance to explore a part of the world.

Below are the in-game explanations for Death and the associated props. These are things your character might know in-game and may not be completely correct. You can choose to know any amount of this as is appropriate to your character.

Death, Fate, the Book, and the Deck

For as long as anyone can remember, Death has been a strange thing in Circadia. For the vast majority of citizenry, Death is quite mundane, if frightening: most people live out a life of normal age (generally in the range of 70-100 years), fall ill, and/or fall unlucky, and then die. Once dead, there is no resurrection unless the fallen are attended by a very powerful Devout healer.

However, for some, resurrection is (almost) always possible. The Devout, due to their special connection to the Gods, are able to draw upon the Book of Deeds and the Deck of Fate in order to restore themselves to life after what should have been certain death.

The Book of Deeds and the Deck of Fate have been supplied to Mortals since the reign of Zyr’Zane and T’Myrim, more than a thousand years ago. Initially, the Old Gods, when they first alighted to Circadia, provided the two items to Mortals. Zyr’Zane, presenting the Book of Deeds, instructed that Mortals write into it the Deeds which most honestly represent their Devotion. T’Myrim, offering the Deck of Fate, suggested that, by drawing upon the Deck, the Mortals enter into a sustained relationship with the Gods.

Over time, and as the formal Pantheon was established, the Book and Deck became inherently tied to the Devout’s ability to return from certain Death. The histories of this trajectory are unknown. What is known, however, is the general function of the artifacts.

Devout who have called upon the Book and Deck mostly agree upon the following experience, though some have reported strange occurrences deviating from the norm:

Into the Book, those who have become Fated scribe a single deed that represents their Devotion to a God, Gods, or the Pantheon itself. This is an offering to show that they are worthy, in the context of their Devotion, of return. After this, they then draw a card from the Deck of Fate–this card shows them the God that has agreed to resurrect them. After this, they feel their Fated nature fall off of them, as if a great burden has been lifted.

Of course, the relationship between the Gods and Mortals is rarely simple. The Deck represents the Gods who actively offer power to Mortals–currently, there are 22 cards in total, representing the dual aspects of the various Gods. All Gods, in returning Mortals to life, offer either a Blessing or a Favor. To receive a Blessing is to be looked upon kindly; to receive a Favor is to be held in often contemptuous debt by the God offering it. While such things can be reconciled, the Deck of Fate is nevertheless an artifact that causes many Devout trepidation.

There is a story, for instance, of a small city swept by famine after a failed harvest. The Devout who were lucky enough to return from the Death that claimed their kin found themselves frequently drawing the Blessing of Nepheris and the Favor of Kasamei. They decided to offer their services to the Gods: they thanked Nepheris heartily and, as a city, committed themselves to assembling a granary from which the starving citizenry could freely draw. As soon as the granary was erected, the Devout found it full of hearty grain and, moreover, attended by a vigilant black cat (a sign of good luck for followers of Nepheris). So too did the Devout make an offering to Kasamei–they built a Shrine to the Goddess that, specifically, served as a memorial for those departed in the famine. The small city found that, within a few months, the remaining sufferers passed peacefully, and prosperity returned.

Another story is not so pleasant. There was an outpost of Devout who were engaged in battle against Abyssal Corruption. Frequently falling to the Abyssal spawn, they called upon the Deck, in short order, 36 times. Of the 36 times, 26 times Verine’s Favor was drawn. Consumed by the fighting, The Devout thought nothing of it and ignored the minority who wanted to make an offering to the Jealous God. When no such offering was made, the outpost of Devout fell strangely and suddenly ill–the few who survived remain to tell the tale. They warn that the power and patience of the Gods are distributed among the entirety of Circadia. It is wise, when the Gods offer their Blessing or Favor, to assume gratitude and service.

Currently, the Book and Deck are housed at the God Road Shrine. They are available for use by all Devout.

The aspects of the Gods, and their appearance in the Deck, is below.

The Deck of Fate

Beodhen
Ambition (Blessing)/ Arrogance (Favor)

Nepheris
Charity (Blessing)/ Greed (Favor)

Steramestei
Inspiration (Blessing)/ Indifference (Favor)

Kasamei
Compassion (Blessing)/ Indiscretion (Favor)

T’Zyri
Genius (Blessing)/ Deception (Favor)

T’Rer
Honesty (Blessing)/ Tyranny (Favor)

Hyrnedhna
Strength (Blessing)/ Destruction (Favor)

Mynair
Beauty (Blessing)/ Devastation (Favor)

Verine
Loyalty (Blessing)/Treachery (Favor)

Opix
Transformation (Blessing)/ Collapse (Favor)

Gu’labir
Abundance (Blessing)/ Desperation (Favor)

August 12 2023 Playtest and Fundraiser Registration

It’s time for playtest registration! Please read below and sign-up asap so we can begin planning. Registration link here.

This is the registration for the Zealot August 12 Playtest and Fundraiser.

This event will occur 2pm-9:30pm at the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA.

The event cost is $30 per person. If you are a first-time boffer larper (have never larped in a boffer combat larp) the price is $20. The cost of the event reflects site cost and fundraising efforts. You are welcome to pay more to support the fundraiser itself. We will also have a “tip jar” at the event where you can make cash or PayPal donations. All players who attend or make a donation will receive 2 CP. Payment is due August 1 2023.

PayPal witchtowers@gmail.com to pay. Please make a note of your name in the memo.

In lieu of a formal Kickstarter or similar fundraiser, we have decided to make our playtest our fundraising opportunity. The event schedule and general theme follow:

2pm-3:30pm: The Zealot Game Philosophy
We’ll introduce our staff, our philosophy, and the general scope of the game. We’ll talk about character creation and specific game functions such as the Rumor, Crafting, and Blessing systems. We will reserve time for QnA.

After the introduction, we will move into modules. These will have combat and non-combat options. All modules will have a specific theme. All players, regardless of interest, may participate in any module.

3:30pm-4:30pm: Beodhen and Nepheris
4:30pm-5:30pm Steramestei and Kasamei
5:30pm-6:30pm The Abyss
6:30pm-7:30pm Verine, Opix, and T’Rer
7:30pm-8:30pm Hyrnedhna and Mynair
8:30pm-9:30pm Gu’labir and T’Zyri
9:30pm and On: Social Time!

Throughout the day, we will offer character consultations. Please sign up below.

The modules will be in-game. They will take place during and immediately after the Blood War, not in the current time of the game (which is roughly 35 years later).

While the events and happenings will be canonical, player action will work slightly differently. You are welcome to play your PC or can request we write you a one-time PC background for the playtest. If you play as your character, your events as your character will not be canonical; however, at the full game, you can choose to “remember” the playtest as though it was a vision from your God. If you play a pre-written character, you may assume the events you undertook were canonical.

You may wear any level of costuming with which you are comfortable. If you don’t wish to wear costuming, we suggest basic “NPC blacks” (black shirt and black bottoms). Let us know if you have questions about this. Staff will be in full costume.

Please make a PC build at 50 CP. We can also make you a pre-written build.

If you would like a pre-written build or character you will receive it within a week of submitting your payment.

Big Announcements!

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for the Zealot team. We’ve been sitting on a project for awhile now, and we’re finally excited to release it: our new rules system.

About two years ago, we realized that we wanted to work on developing a new rules system that matches how we run games. Classically, we’ve run in Accelerant, which has served us exceptionally well. However, playing other games and working with various Indigenous creators, we realized we wanted something different–we wanted to create a system that is based in New England sport larping but also in our experience as Indigenous creators. Above all, we wanted to think through how sports and storytelling are central to our cultural experience, and how we can better share that in our gaming.

We owe a huge thanks to the gamewriters and system owners who came before us–this includes, but is not limited to, the Accelerant system and games therein, NERO Larp, the Ebonrock Larp writers, and Be Epic games. We also owe a tremendous thanks to our community tribal cultural center staff who gave us direction and feedback.

And! We now officially have some dates and a logistics page.

Playtest: August 12, 2023 @ Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA

This will be an in-game playtest. More information is forthcoming on pricing and timing.

Event 1: October 13-15, 2023 @ Camp Middlesex in Ashby, MA

This will be our first, full weekend event.

Event 2: November 19, 2023 @ Camp Denison in Georgetown, MA

While this will be a one day event, we are looking into options for overnight housing and the potential of an RP night the night before. Stay tuned.

We expect we’re going to go through some growing pains as we play around with these rules, so there will likely be a substantial update to them after the November 19 2023 event.

Finally, if you want to come hang out with members of our general community, please come to the Red Rabbits Nightmarket!

The Red Rabbits Nightmarket

A Party in Celebration of Community

Saturday July 22 2023, 7pm-midnight

Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA

The return of the seasonal Red Rabbits Nightmarket!

Join us for the chance to connect with the Red Rabbits extended larp community, learn about local games, and do some shopping to support local vendors.

Cover is $15 in advance, $20 at the door. We will provide light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages. (Our location is adjacent to a full cash bar for those who would like alcoholic beverages.)

7pm-11pm, Vendor Booths Open

8pm, Local Games Announcements

8pm-Midnight, Music and Dancing

We will also have information and opportunities available for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons advocacy efforts.

Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, though we encourage A Midsummer’s Night Dream theme!

Please PayPal us at witchtowers@gmail.com and make a memo note that you are paying for the Red Rabbit Nightmarket. Please also provide your best email address, as we will email you a ticket.

Additionally, we invite vendors to join us. If you’d like to vend, please email us with your business’s name and a brief description of what you will be selling. Vendors will need to pay the $15 cover charge in advance.

Finally, if your a GM who wants to make an announcement of a local game, please email!

We hope you’ll join us!

The Cloisters, The First Excursion

A collection on the recounting of the first descent into the Abyss.

From the Reconstruction Archive, 534 Sela

Documented by Magister Tyrus, The Archive

Today, “The Abyss” and all that that terrible expanse entails are commonplace in our daily conversation. Most of us have known at least one person lost to the creatures of The Abyss. Some of us have even personally encountered The Corruption that periodically crawls up from the Abyssal Scars. It is hard to believe that, ten short years ago, that nightmarish place was something most of us considered as we might consider a long dormant volcano: dangerous, certainly, but not a cataclysm one will know in their lifetime.

Indeed, prior to The Blood War, the Abyss was known only by its Scars. Measuring anywhere from twenty feet to a mile long, these jagged fissures in the earth–smelling of bile and smoke–have been a long threatening presence in Circadia. However, before the Blood War, they were understood only as dangerous geographical features which, if stepped into, almost certainly spelled out death. Of course, now we know that these Scars are not mere wounds but the only known entry points into the Abyssal landscape–a world both below us and outside of even the Gods’ purview.

The Rakes’s Decree

It is commonly accepted that the Scars widened and deepened during the Blood War. We know further that, since the Scars have expanded, the forces we call the Corruption have grown in number and frequency.

Prior to the Blood War, only very enterprising individuals ventured into the Abyss, few of them rarely returning. However, the increased presence of The Corruption, and the evergrowing threat of the Scars, neccesitated some sort of action. Odipos Rakes, while he was still High Priest of Nepheris, arranged for the first excursion party to The Abyss. Since this decree, accompanied excursions by elite Devout have become more common, and the Rakes family has ordered the mapping of the Abyss.

While the extant records are many, below is one of the most celebrated. While not the most detailed of accounts, it is, afterall, the first record of an encounter in the Abyss.

The First Descent, A Personal Account

The initial descent felt as if it took us four, perhaps five hours.

Slowly, and unable to use the abilities of our Gods, we lowered ourselves into the steaming trenches of the deep Abyss. In the utter darkness, we could see little but flickering lights rising from some unfathomable base. Squelching, shuddering sounds sometimes rippled up from the depths, but we mostly descended in the naked silence, accompanied by only our own labored breath.

The smell of the place remains difficult to describe. At times it was noxious, like bursts of acid or poisoned smog;other times it was fetid like spoiled meat or rotting grains. Very rarely, though equally powerfully, the smell was pleasantly floral, like a sundrenched meadow perfumed with heady citrus. This combination of scents, always in flux, often turned the stomachs of my comrades, and we frequently paused for bouts of horrific nausea.

When we finally alighted at the first depth, we found some solid footing. We call it the first depth, as its where we took our initial marker. It was as far down as we went, as I will later explain. While we stood on the terrain, our eyes adjusted to the peculiar dark. This was surprising in and of itself–we had assumed and prepared for a world cast in complete shadow. However, the Abyss throws off a slowly pulsing light which created enough by which to see. Fastening our rope to our entry marker, we continued.

There was little of much excitement to see, at least at first. While our cartographer was pleased to finally traverse the landscape, we had expected a bit more action. Considering that the Corruption erupts from the Scars in droves, we had anticipated a skirmish or two. Under normal circumstances, I might have been disappointed. However, my stomach still in knots from the descent, I proceeded on with some cautious ease.

And, indeed, the landscape itself held our interest. It was as though we were traversing the tunnels of some subterranean cave. This was, of course, easy enough to accept given our descent. However, the terrain was like no terrestrial cave system we had ever visited. Rather than being of rock or earth, the Abyss was slimy and fleshy to the touch–it was almost like raw, bloody offal coated in a film of mucus or blood. It was hard to keep our footing, and we frequently slid into one another. In one instance, one of our Paladins lost their balance and touched their hand to a slippery wall. The wall pulsed a bright purple and hummed angrily, jolting the Paladin with a painful shock that sent them reeling. However, when our Cleric tripped into a wall further down the way, she was nearly absorbed by the wall itself, and it took our eight hands worth of strength to recover her. When she emerged, she was covered in a silvery, glittering liquid. The liquid, which she described as midly tingling, quickly sloughed off her, no marks remaining.

In this strange landscape, we walked for roughly an hour, growing more disoriented with each step. We took frequent pauses as the very atmosphere around us drained us of energy and motivation. Frequently, our comrades were confused and claimed to see things others could not. Though we had brought rations to strengthen ourselves, none of us could bring ourselves to pause and eat. It felt too unsafe.

Finally, I stopped and commanded we ought turn back. Though the cartographer protested lightly, we agreed that we were growing increasingly weary and confused.

It was then we heard the sound.

In the darkness, it emanated forth like a skittering rodent might cry out from a dark alley.

We paused, readying ourselves for an attack.

The sound came forth once more, this time clearer. Perhaps it was my own confusion but, at first blush, I thought it sounded familiar. Very strangely, the sound reminded me of an adult woman attempting to masquerade her voice as that of a young girl–singsong, but unsettlingly, inappropriately so. The voice being made seemed too small for the throat in which it originated. Perhaps this is why the noise sounded like shrill giggling and, perhaps, captivated by the noise, this is why we did not simply run.

When the thing poured itself forth from the dark, we had no time but to stagger back. Like the Corruption we had seen in Circadia, the thing was adjacent to a human being while also starkly monstrous. In this instance, the creature seemed to be little more than an amorphous, flowing pile of whitish, malleable flesh. As it billowed forth, it emitted the strange giggling peal; we caught glimpses of a toe or a finger or a tooth, but such glimpses were lost quickly as the shifting flesh reshaped itself into a less and less distinctive pile of features.

Extending what might have been a limb, the creature paused and, if it is anything like a sentient beast, regarded us. At that moment, the creature came into sharper relief.

Long, greasy strands of brown hair sprouted from what might have been its face. Two holes that might have been a nose gasped air, with great effort, in and out. A pinkish, crooked gash let slop forth an indelible tongue.

“Is it,” our Cleric whispered, “human?”

At this sound, the creature turned towards the Cleric; the Cleric, of course, stood a few inches behind me. I felt myself weaken as I became caught in the creature’s gaze.

And this is what captured my horror most. That creature’s eyes. Bulging out from the creature’s pale, shifting flesh, the dozen or so eyes appeared nearly human. By that I mean, I could see whites and pupils and a shape that was round. But, set against the mottled white skin, the eyes protruded from the creature’s body like yellowed boils. These eyes looked beset by irritation or disease, and they moved ceaselessly. I felt, sickeningly, that if you reached out to poke one, it might burst immediately, gooey and formless like a broken egg yolk. Bulging out from the creature’s flesh, the eyes roved and searched until, suddenly, their direction aligned. With a singular, piercing scream, the creature, now looking entirely at me, lunged.

In good truth and faith: I have no recollection of what happened after that moment and my return to the surface. I know that I was knocked unconscious by the creature’s forceful blows, and I know my comrades must have carried me up the ascent. When I awoke, I awoke in my hospital bed. And my comrades who survived… well, whatever happened down there has cast upon them a permanent silence, as well as a deep loathing of the light. To date, they show no signs of recovery.

At least my brother and father have their first map.

Pilar Rakes, Paladin of Beodhen

Glossary

The Abyss-A place seemingly both under and outside of Circadia, the Abyss is a largely unknown landscape of unparalleld danger.

The Corruption-The strange creatures that originate in the Abyss, The Corruption enter Circadia from Scars and attack individuals they encounter mercilessly; The Corruption have no singular appearance, but are instead unnatural forms horrific to behold.

Curious what the Corruption might look like? Check out some inspiration on our Pinterest board.

The First Descent-A famous excursion into the Abyss that ended in tragedy. While its leader, Pilar Rakes, survived the encounter with his health, the other party members–Adona Lionhardt, Petula Myrcelle, Willis Harks, Genuine Fanton, and Stephan Hayes–emerged totally and irrevocably changed and harmed.

Odipos Rakes-The former High Priest of Nepheris, Odipos was the individual who arranged for the first formal descent into the Abyss

Pilar Rakes– A highly respected Paladin of Beodhen who led the first descent into the Abyss; Pilar still leads occassional excursions

The Scars-Sometimes called Abyssal Scars, these strange fissures in the ground lead into the Abyss. These are the only known entries into The Abyss. The Scars grew in number and size during the Blood War, though they have always existed.

The Rakes Family-A family of wealthy nobles, most Devout among the Rakes are followers of Beodhen and/or Nepheris; the Rakes family is connected with the Abyss. Odipos Rakes, the current patriarch, ordered the first excursion, and his eldest son, Pilar, led it. Odipos’s younger son, Devon, is one of the most esteemed cartographers in all of Circadia and maintains maps of the charted Abyssal landscape.

The Cloisters, The Strange Pursuits of Rodney McQuinn

An account written on the appearance of Magicians with mention of the Philosopher’s Stone.

From the Reconstruction Archive, 533 Sela

Documented by Magister Ashwise, The Cloisters

For those of our generation, The Blood War saw unparalleled levels of death and destruction. While many are quick to blame the Gods and their followers on this, it can not be overstated that some of the most horrendous violence had nothing to do with the Gods themselves. Indeed, many opportunists took the ample chance and fell upon the weakened lands and people of Circadia.

The Witches of Blackbird Hill are perhaps among the most infamous of wartime scavengers, but they are far from the most nefarious. Whatever your opinion may be on witchcraft as a practice, the Blackbird Hill lot were little more than carrion crows descending upon an available feast. We may find it a desecration of the fallen, yes, but they no doubt find it an appropriate recycling of resources. Or so I’ve been told.

In any event, some of the most senseless and greedy acts were committed by otherwise mundane people divorced from magic of any type. One of the most notorious being Balyn the Butcher.

Balyn the Butcher and the Massacre at Wexly Pass

Balyn Crawford was once a cattle farmer from the low country at Plymore. He inherited the farm from his mother and her father before her. The Crawfords were known for sturdy herds of healthy, docile cattle; they distributed leather, meat, and dairy widely to any number of merchants. Balyn Crawford mostly kept to himself, with his wife and two sons playing equal part in the upkeep of the farm.

Unlike many other farmers, Crawford was uniquely situated at the outbreak of the Blood War. His family had never followed the Gods and, by their account, had amassed considerable land and worth without Divine favor. Prior to the war, Balyn had been proud of this, frequently dismissing the Devout of neighboring towns as “lazy” and “incompetent save their gods.” As violence among the Gods and Devout broke out, Balyn became more confident in his gloating.

Indeed, the braggart was perhaps not entirely without foundation. Many common farmers found themselves and their families pulled towards their Divine allegiances. Many crops and livestock were diverted towards feeding the war effort. Some lands were entirely destroyed by battles. And, of course, many fields lay fallow as their tenders abandoned growing for the war and failed to ever return. All the more disastrous trade routes became fraught and deadly. Merchants and traders stopped traveling to remote areas such as Plymore.

Amidst all this, Balyn and his family sat cozily from their lands, chuckling at the good fortune of following no God. Prior to war, Balyn had served as an unlikable but respected farmer; during the war, as food became increasingly scarce, Balyn and his farm were precious necessitites, particularly for the tiny villages in his immediate proximity.

Balyn’s Greed and a Terrible Tax

Another man might have measured out kindness to his fellows, but Balyn was shrewd and self-interested. He drove up prices on his goods, selling the worst of cuts at the highest known marks. When the leaders of the surrounding villages demanded (and later begged) his pity, he struck icy bargains: he would supply meat, dairy, and leather at more reasonable prices, but they would surrender their arable land to him. Should they want to work it for their own good, they would pay him a hefty tax.

The villages had no choice, and the two hundred or so people who relied on the Crawford farm for food found themselves working Balyn’s newly acquired land. However, their landlord was not content and continued to demand increased goods. After a few months, the meager crops they grew failed to match the increasingly burdensome taxes Crawford took.

A Meeting with Balyn

After a year of the Blood War, the largest of the villages, Wexly Pass, populated by some hundred people, found the situation unlivable. Malnutrition and frustration flourished at equal pace. Wexly Pass was a village that had long favored Steramestei, and, due to their continued misfortune, even the Star Lady had been uncharacteristically generous in her blessings. However, dreams don’t fill bellies, and the villagers decided something must be done.

A group of three Wexly Pass leaders organized a meeting at Crawford’s farm. In no uncertain terms, they stated that Crawford’s avarice would cause the death of many and in short order. They asked that he immediately alleviate them of his demands and provide food to the growing number of families going without.

According to eyewitness accounts, Crawford laughed and slapped the table in front of him. “You and what army? Do tell!” he howled, mocking the villagers’ belief in the “all but useless” Steramestei. The villagers retreated in defeat–a simple coup over Crawford, at least in their small number, seemed unlikely. With his wealth, he had hired a group of mercenaries to protect his property.

However, some weeks later, Crawford found himself without pay from Wexly Pass. He sent a scout to demand the taxes, but the scout returned empty-handed. The scout reported further than all of Wexly Pass was barricaded with thirty foot staked fences, including the land Crawford had claimed. Clearly, the inspiration of Steramestei meant something.

Balyn Becomes the Butcher

Crawford was enraged, and his cold heart shivered all the more frozen. He gathered his mercenary group and, leading the charge, set out to Wexly Pass.

The village’s gates did not hold. Things that occurred remain among the ugliest accounts in all Circadian history, and the Massacre at Wexly Pass is a grim story told, in detail, in many other archives. Suffice to say, there were no survivors. The tales we know were recounted directly by Balyn and his mercenaries.

Today, Wexly Pass serves as a memorial to the fallen villagers. It was erected by the Clergy of Kasamei and Steramestei and stands as a somber, eerie condemnation of greed in the face of hardship. Few visit Wexly Pass, remarking on the creeping nightmares that descend upon any who visit.

Justice Writ Heavenly

Balyn remains alive. To the casual reader, this might be surprising. However, as Wexly Pass was Blessed by the Star Lady, Steramestei meted out his judgment swiftly and mercilessly.

Even now, Balyn is held in an unknown jail–he thrashes in his sleep, attempting to wake himself from the endless nightmare with which Steramestei has punished him. It is said that, through her nightmares, he is forced to relive the violence that he has done in an endless cycle. He would be driven mad, some say, were it not for Steramestei’s purview over Madness itself. If Balyn’s heart is of mere earthly ice, Steramestei’s heart is frosted by the unforgiving coldness which garlands the circling heavens.

But where are Magicians in all of this?

Balyn was, after all, an ordinary man who did extraordinary wickedness.

While it is important to be aware of the evil that simple folk can do, it is equally important to understand the strange history of Wexly Pass in order to fully appreciate the Magician Rodney McQuinn.

The Strange Pursuits of Rodney McQuinn and the Philosopher’s Stone

Rodney McQuinn was a rather odd young man who, among other things, fancied a young lady or three at Wexly Pass. A Plymore commoner out of Wexly Pass’s neighboring village, Hardwick, McQuinn traveled weekly to Wexly.

While there, McQuinn was known to dazzle the locals with magical tricks. He would conjure immaterial flowers from the air, change the color of rooftops, and swirl the well-water until it frothed jewel-tone bubbles. Indeed, the parents of the young ladies he fancied might have been less generous with their patience had McQuinn not kept the village’s young children occupied for hours.

McQuinn’s Mystery Tutor

It was widely assumed, of course, that McQuinn was a Devout of Opix or Steramestei who was given to using his magic for frivolity rather than things of a practical nature. However, McQuinn offered no such worship. He kept it a secret unto himself, but McQuinn was a Magician of the simplest kind. Since boyhood, he had been interested in Magic and, at some point in his young adulthood, he had come under the tutelage of a most skilled teacher.

By age 20, McQuinn could bring forth illusory flowers and birds and, by age 22, he had some minor control over the movement of water.

Prior to the Blood War, this meant little, of course. Followers of Opix and Mynair were much better at the control (and even some creation) of water, and McQuinn’s dalliance were no more than entertaining.

McQuinn’s Professional Development

However, as the Devout left for the war, McQuinn found himself frequently asked after. In the absence of ranking Devout, villagers still needed streams diverted for irrigation or flood waters removed from homes. While any such action caused him a great deal of effort, McQuinn was a local handyman of sorts. The mundane chores gave him the opportunity to practice, and he continued to hone his abilities.

As things became dire with Crawford, however, McQuinn’s meager abilities were less and less needed. Villages became insular and former customers could no longer pay. McQuinn charged little for his services, but many who might have formerly asked for his work abandoned their farms and took to gathering their foods wholly from the woods. (“After all,” one woman stated, “Crawford hasn’t yet thought to take what we don’t grow.”) While a bit sad, McQuinn retired from his odd jobs and returned to, in his copious free time, reading the tomes his absent master gave him.

A Return to Wexly Pass

Which brings us to Wexly. McQuinn and his family, who had many a friend in Wexly Pass, were among the first in Hardwick to hear of the massacre. Rodney McQuinn and his three brothers quickly rode their horses to the small village. None of the McQuinn’s will speak on the carnage, but, apparently, Rodney McQuinn had his own sort of awakening.

His oldest brother Osric reports his younger brother stated:

“What is the point of the Gods’ Magic if it cannot protect against the harms Mortals do without it? Mortals should learn to arm themselves, free of the Gods, with Magic.”

Osric claims his brother was “basically raving as one struck by Steramestei.” On their trip back to Hardwick, Rodney continued to ramble to himself, repeatedly claiming that “the Philosopher’s Stone is the answer to all this.” That night, reportedly, Rodney packed up his things and made for the cities. His family has not seen him since.

The Puzzling End

Rodney McQuinn is something of a folk hero, and local Circadian theaters all have their own rendition of his tale. Certainly, McQuinn’s sentiments echo that of many of contemporary Heretics, and even the steeliest of Devouts sympathize with the story.

However, McQuinn’s Magic, and the Magic of all Magicians, should not be relegated to romance. The practice of the Magician, however Heretical, is complex and all but unknown. Afterall, Magicians didn’t emerge in number until shortly before the Blood War. If their magic is anything like that of Witches, it is potentially dangerous to the world around us. If it is not, well… who is to say?

Sadly, McQuinn never left note of where he learned the fundamentals of being a Magician. That remains a story, for now, unknown and all the moreso worthy of earnest pursuit.

Glossary

Balyn the Butcher-A cattle farmer responsible for the murder of some 4 dozen villagers

Kasamei-Steramestei’s sister, she is the celestial goddess associated with passage and death

Magician- an individual who can do minor acts of magic without the Blessing of a God and without using witchcraft

Opix– A fallen God, they are associated with chaos, change, and minor weather events

Philosopher’s Stone-a Magician’s item frequently referenced by known Magicians

Plymore-a remote valley area populated by small villages including Wexly Pass and Hardwick

Steramestei-the goddess of dreams and stars, she is known to be equally kind or cruel when provoked

Rodney McQuinn-a known Magician from the small village of Hardwick

Wexly Pass-A village that was the site of a massacre; it remains an uninhabited memorial