Koldunic Sorcery

Do you think your Thaumaturgy was around before my magics whelp? Do you think your arcane paths are a match for my elemental mastery? You know where I get my power. You were walking on it before you stumbled into my abode. That is right, the ground beneath your feet is my source of energy, my source of power.

You insignificant wretch shut your mouth, before I have to shut it myself. You know NOTHING of my clan and it's practices. You know NOTHING of what we are. You will NOT live through this experience, I assure you. But, this needs to be said, and you are just so lucky to be around when I feel like telling this story. I don't worry about you telling anyone else, since no one else will ever heard from you again.

Often, the ways of our spiritual enlightenment were based on what areas we resided in. Of course, the Ways of Spirit and Fire were universal among us, but such things as the Ways of Wind were known only to the koldun residing within the Carpathian Mountains. The Way of Water was normally practiced by the koldun residing near bodies of water. Such bodies included, but are not limited to: the Black Sea, the Plain Lakes and the rivers of the Danube, Somes and Arges. And finally, the Way of Earth was common with the koldun living in the flatlands and plateaus of Eastern Europe.

What's that? That's right.. we did use our Kuldunic Ways in fighting the usurping Tremere. In fact, at the time of the Tremere's uprising our Kuldunic ways were being practiced at their peak. With the Tremere and their blood magic, this magic became the choice for us to fight with for the simple purpose of protecting our lands. After our long and bloody battles, the Dark Ages passed and the study of Koldunism also faded. It was almost entirely unpracticed and rarely even spoken of.

In today's times, only a few rare.. and ancient members of the Tzimisce clan, my clan.. mind you, practice the ways of Koldunism. However, I have noticed that this power has started to seep into a few of the minds of the youth as well. It seems that a new era for learning is creeping upon us, and some of us.. would like to see the old ways reborn. As you will see, if a vampire is truly skilled in these powers.. everyone should have reason to fear her.

The System:

There are six basic ways and several rituals, and is learned in the same type of manner as Thaumaturgy. A character's base Koldunic Sorcery trait tells how well he will learn the ways of the magic, and every dot learned in the Discipline also earns her another dot in the Way of her choice. Obviously it doesn't apply if it will place your character's rating higher than the character's knowledge of Koldunic Sorcery. Kindred who want to learn Koldunic Sorcery, must also study the Knowledge of Koldunism.

NEW KNOWLEDGE:

Koldunism

This Knowledge measures a Kindred's familiarity with the philosophies of Eastern European animism. You will roll this ability with one of five possible Attributes when attempting to invoke the power of the magic. For every level you have, the more in-touch you get with the spiritual magic and the more you know how to manipulate the natural elements which is Koldunic Sorcery.

1 - Student: Well, you know the most basic stuff. You still have a bit to go.
2 - College: Hey, guess what? You can be called a koldun now! Watch out for those pesky Tremere.
3 - Masters: You are up there with some of the most powerful koldun of the Modern nights.
4 - Doctorate: Are you messing with me? The spirits cower when you get ticked.
5 - Scholar: You know the spirits of the land. You are a master.

How to invoke the powers of Koldunic sorcery:

First, spend a willpower point. Then, make the appropriate Attribute roll (whatever way you are trying to invoke) + Koldunism (difficulty 4 + the level of power).

Koldunic Paths

There is no primary path that you must learn, unlike with Thaumaturgy. Any of the ways can be obtained at the normal cost of paths, but.. can your character find a teacher for it?

Way of Spirit

Charisma

This allows the Koldun to "feel" out intruders or hostile spirits according to her power Level. This power also confounds the use of the Obfuscate Discipline.

1 - "See" everything within a 50-foot radius
2 - "See" everything within 100 yards
3 - "See" everything within a quarter-mile
4 - "See" everything within a mile
5 - "See" everything within five miles

Way of the Earth

Stamina

When a koldun employs a power of this way, his eyes change color to walnut brown and his skin ripples with small patches of stone.

1 - Soil Silhouette

A koldun invoking this power has the ability to command dirt to rise up from the ground and crawl up the legs of individuals. The soil rises quickly and as it passes above their knees, renders him immobile. Range is 100 foot radius, the dirt ends its ascent about halfway between the knee and hip.

2 - Unearthly Stamina

A koldun invoking this power temporarily borrows the earth's resilience, lending him stamina. Some Elder Tremere of Eastern Europe reminisce on the frightening capacity for pain their rival Koldun could withstand when invoking this. Can also soak aggravated damage. Last one scene.

3 - Soil of Death

A Koldun commands roots to rise from the ground and drag a victim below the surface, incapacitating him. Once buried up to his neck, a victim finds it increasingly hard to breathe with the weight of the earth crushing his chest. The victim remains trapped one turn for every success. Mortals and ghouls will have a very difficult time breathing due to the prolonged pressure of the compact earth and will suffer one level of lethal damage for every turn. Can use Stamina.

4 - Root of Vitality

This power allows the koldun to draw any individual into the earth up to the neck to heal grievous wounds. Costs a Willpower point. The character must remain in the ground for one turn per health level in order to heal the wounds. All damage can be healed in this manner including aggravated damage, though the injured must spend one blood point per aggravated wound level that he desires to heal. During this time, the subject is helpless and unable to perform any other actions.

5 - Dracula's Restless Soul

When invoking this power, a koldun creates a large earth tremor capable of shaking the foundations of a city block. With the expenditure of a Willpower point, the koldun can cause the earth to shake violently. Each success increases the radius of the quake. One structure, Five Structures, residential street, half a city block, full city block. Victims suffer lethal damage. Cars, RVs and small houses suffer substantial damage and can be destroyed. Bldgs 3 stories and highers may sustain some structural damage but the tremor is not strong enough to destroy them.

Way of Wind

Perception

When a koldun invokes a power of this way, his eyes change color to sky blue and gusts of wind breeze all about him.


1 - Winds of Guilt

This is a means of insuring loyalty without a blood bond. A wind gusts around the victim that sounds like whispering voices, telling of the horrors that would befall them and their family should they betray their voivode. These voices will slowly warp the mind and only after the sorcery has waned will the victim regain coherence. Koldun also enjoy using this during ritae before feeding, enjoying the mixture of adrenaline in the blood of someone striken with terror. Each success increases the duration of this power. One scene, one night, one week, 2 weeks, one month.

2 - Biting Winds

The koldun creators of this attempted to invoke a wind as chill as the air atop the Carpathian Mountains. They noted the pain their victims endured as their body temperature dropped until the blood froze in their veins. Modern koldun sometimes refer to its effects as "meat locker". A very cold breeze will gust in the area of the vampire's choice in about a 100 yard radius. Little by little, the winds gust faster and colder and continues until the wind blasts a stabbing chill difficult for anyone to ignore. Those affected are reduced to half movement and those trying to enter the area suffer a level of bashing damage.

3 - Winds of Lethargy

Although these winds do not induce immediate sleep in a victim, prolonged exposure causes extreme exhaustion and fatigued movements. Targets can smell a bittersweet smell and individuals also claims that the winds feel like many intangible hands persistantly rubbing their muscles to relaxation. With the expenditure of a Willpower point, the koldun creates a wind that induces lethargy within a 200-foot radius, remaining for two turns per success. Breathing and blinking are innate so unaffected but will be labored. Movement rates of victims is reduced to half for one scene.

4 - Traveling the Winds

A koldun can travel at incredible speeds by riding along the winds. A koldun's body becomes almost ethereal while he moves along the winds, disappearing into a blurry outline of physical self and re-materializing the same way. Takes a full turn to invoke this power. Spending a Willpower point, the koldun will travel at 250 mph, though not directly effecting the how fast the wind blows. Must be invoked outside, though he can avoid all obstacles outside, the koldun lacks the control to manuever through a building and risks slamming into wall, doors, and people at this speed.

5 - Body of Zephyr

A koldun dissolving into Body of Zephyr blends into the air, manuevering through the smallest cracks. The koldun's body retains its basic shape, though it is too ephemeral and transparent for onlookers to make out any physical details. It takes a full turn to invoke this and the expenditure of a Willpower point. The koldun moves at double his normal movement, though he cannot take any physical actions. Other powers of Way of Wind can be used with this with the spending of an additional Willpower point at their activation. No other disciplines can be used. This state can be maintained indefinetely, though he can return to his original state after one full turn of concentration.

Way of Water

Wits

This way was practiced primarily among koldun with havens near some water source, from the Plain Lakes to the Black Sea. With their powers, these Koldun confounded many Turkish invasion attempts along the Danube River, sinking their ships and drowning them under mystical riptides. When employing this power, a koldun's eyes change color to vivid, almost glowing aquamarine.

1 - Pools of Illusion

At the beginning of this level of Way of Water, a koldun has the ability to create a three-dimensional illusion along the surface of the water. The illusion can speak and walk, but is intangible and cannot leave the boundaries of the water. Lasts for several seconds then slowly dissipates.

2 - Watery Solace

Should a koldun need shelter, from enemies or the rising sun, she may opt to sink below the cool, dark protective waters. As the vampire walks into the water, she sinks below its surface, protected by the magic of the liquid. Though a koldun can immerse herself into nearly all water sources, she cannot move around within it; water currents mystically avoid the koldun's dead body at her original interring point. The water must be at least a foot in depth and as large as her body. A vampire is completed concealed from the ray's of the sun.

3 - Water Walk

No longer bound by the laws of physics, a koldun has the ability to walk along the fluid surface of the water. So long as she invokes this power, the vampire may walk the water's surface as if it is as solid as earth. This does not prevent the creatures of the sea or lakes from interacting with her. Dolphins could torment her or a hungry shark take a bite. It is also possible to be spotted by fishermen, individuals in boats or even people swimming nearby.

4 - Watery Minions

The koldun of the Middle Ages often invoked these minions from the moats surrounding their castles. These servants are completely comprised of water. The minions follow only very simple instructions from the koldun, though they do so without hesitation. For every success, one minion rises from its source of water and forms into any shape the Koldun wants. They do have the ability to attack and defend. As they are composed of water, bashing damage doesn't slow them down, though fire-related attacks do extra damage. Minions last for one night.

5 - Doom Tides

Many Turkish ships lie below the Black Sea, destroyed by mighty whirlpools invoked by koldun. Victims fight to keep themselves afloat or else find themselves sucked into whirling tides. Some of tonight's koldun entertain themselves by creating swirling riptides in pools to surprise late-night swimmers. Every success increases the width of this maelstrom by 10 feet. Lasts for one scene.

Way of Fire

Manipulation

Ancient koldun created the Way of Fire by first manipulating the molten magma that exploded from volcanoes found throughout Eastern Europe. Then they evolved their control over the fiery liquid earth to the point of invoking their own unique effects that would not necessarily occur during volcanic activity. Koldun who possess the powers of the Way of Fire in the modern nights are feared simply for their capacity to destroy so much in a short amount of time, just as a volcano can eliminate life on entire islands within a day. When invoking any of the powers of this way, a koldun’s eyes glow a feverish orange. Kindred observing these powers in use may be overtaken by Rötschreck (with the exception of the koldun , of course).


1 - Shatter

In a small demonstration of power that is inherent of the Way, a koldun invokes the air about an object to increase in temperature until the object combusts.
System: Costs a Willpower point. The koldun must have a target object in his line of sight before he can cause it to Shatter. Once this power is invoked, the heat around the target object intensifies until the object spontaneously combusts. Anything the size of a car cannot Shatter, as it is much too large. This power cannot be used on living beings or Kindred.

2 - Rouse the Molten Rock

The koldun can now cause magma to bubble up from the earth’s core and slowly ooze its way along the ground. Although there is not a substantial amount of lava present, the magma burns through nearly everything it comes in contact with. The molten fires slowly work their way along tree trunks, spread from bottom to top floor of a house and may even eat through a metal door.
System: Only enough magma to fill a bathtub boils up through the ground, though it causes a victim to suffer three health levels of aggravated damage. It oozes along the ground in any direction the koldun desires, but at a slow-as-molasses rate. When the duration of this power expires, the magma instantly cools, creating a small slab of solid rock.

3 - Gates of Magma

The koldun invokes molten rock to bubble up from the ground in a circular ring, 10 feet high. The flow of lava is constant, creating a makeshift wall of super- heated rock around the koldun. So long as this power remains in effect, it is nearly impossible for individuals to traverse the Gates of Magma without causing themselves severe bodily harm. It takes mighty resolve for a person to even approach the wall, as it gives off heat that causes grievous bums.
System: For every success the player scores, the seething hot lava will continue to surround his person for two turns. Anyone physically touching the Gates of Magma suffers three health levels (not dice) of aggravated damage.

4 - Heat Wave

The koldun acts as a conduit for steam geysers and evokes a blast of dehydrating air, withering and desiccating an opponent.
System: The player spends a Willpower point. The vampire calls up hydrogen sulfide from the Earth’s mantle and blasts a target. Mortal victims suffer five health levels of lethal damage as their bodies dehydrate. Vampires react similarly and also suffer five health levels of lethal damage, which they may soak. Kindred also lose five blood points that evaporate from the body (regardless of their soak roll), resulting from the extreme heat of this gas. Note that this may send some Kindred into frenzy or torpor.

5 - Volcanic Blast

At this mastery level of the Way of Fire, a koldun commands lava to explode from the ground in a huge stream. The molten rock sprays in a large arc, then moves in small rivers in every direction, burning, melting and destroying most everything in its path. Cars melt in these rivers, trees catch fire and burn to the ground, and houses erupt into flaming infernos in the wake of devastation.
System: This power is not subtle. Lava erupts 20 feet into the air from underground with the expenditure of a Willpower point. For every success the player scores, the lava continues to explode from underground and move in rivers in all directions for one turn. Anything coming in contact with this molten rock suffers three levels of aggravated damage per turn (soakable only with Fortitude). Once this power expires, the lava will cease its eruption and all of the magma will quickly cool, trapping objects remaining within the river stream in a thin sheet of rock.

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