Koldunic Sorcery

Overview

Long before the blood magics of the Tremere appeared, the Tzimisce wielded the mystical art of Koldunic Sorcery. Unlike the arcane paths of Thaumaturgy, Koldunic Sorcery is a spiritual magic that manipulates the elements in nature. From the magically rich and diseased soil of their ancestral demesnes, the Tzimisce drew demonic power. Now, through the proper rites of contrition and binding, a koldun can summon forth the elemental correspondences that shape natural forces. The specific ways of this spiritual magic were often taught to novice koldun based on their regional settings.

During the time of Clan Tremere's birth, Koldunic Sorcery was at its height in practice. With the threat of the Tremere and their blood magic, this sorcery became the weapon of choice for the koldun fighting to protect their lands. Bloody feuds between these two camps of sorcerers stained the Danube crimson and powerful magic defiled the land. As the Dark Ages passed, Koldunic Sorcery faded as well, unpracticed and spoken of only in passing and half-truths.

In tonight's world, Koldun remains. The surviving koldun are extremely territorial, rarely surfacing long enough to make their presence known, and prefer to keep to themselves, surrounded by ruins of once-mighty castles and manses; though knowledge and philosophy of Koldunism is more frequently shared with anyone willing to learn of its existence, and has begun to spread among the ranks of the Sabbat's youth. Some suspect that enterprising Fiends have leaked a bit of their wisdom to the sect in order to keep the old ways in practice. More cynical Sabbat, though, believe that a clever Cainite or pack managed to steal a few secrets from a lax Tzimisce and passed them on to whoever wanted to learn.

Storytellers are advised that this is a rare form of spiritual magic, and that characters are unlikely to have access to it unless they are apart of the Sabbat or otherwise have reason to research Koldunism. Players must keep in mind that Koldunic Sorcery has only just begun to circulate within the Sabbat; it is a certainty that a member of the Camarilla or of the independents isn't going to be searching out this art, if she is aware of it at all.

Paths

  • Way of Wind (Movement of the Mind)
  • Way of Water (Neptune's Might)
  • Way of Fire (Lure of Flame)
  • Way of Spirit (Spirit Thaumaturgy)

The Way of Sorrow

From Kruchina, a goddess of mourning depicted as a perpetually weeping woman, to Likho Odnoglazoye, the emaciated one-eyed hag who represented privation and suffering, the pantheons of Eastern Europe brim with deities overseeing starvation, misery, misfortune, bitterness and death.

Whether the gods hear their names or the spirits merely attend their mention, a koldun who understands the obscure Way of Sorrow can invoke the most dismal powers of the divine. This way pays no heed to gods of revelry or plenty, only those whose attentions promise tragedy.

Like the Way of Fire, the Way of Sorrow is governed by the koldun's Manipulation, but the difficulty for each of the powers is the victim's permanent Willpower rather than the usual 4 + the level of the power. In addition, a victim may spend a point of Willpower to overcome a particular effect of this way but is still vulnerable to subsequent uses of the Discipline.

A final note: Dealing with forgotten gods requires propriety, especially those who govern such bleak concerns. If invoked incorrectly, the Way of Sorrow turns on the koldun. On a botch, the Fiend suffers the effects of his own power as if she had scored five successes.

1 - THE FRUSTRATIONS OF NESTRECHA

Named for the goddess of grief and failure, this power allows the koldun to rob an opponent of his resolve. The koldun's stare saps the target's will to struggle. Although the victim is overcome with a resigned pessimism or feelings of defeat, he can still take action to resist the koldun, including combat, but only in a half -hearted or fearful way. He musters none ofhis usual passion or determination.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point. Roll the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). For one turn per success, her target's player can't spend Willpower points to activate Disciplines or gain automatic successes. In storytelling terms, the victim might also lack strong motivations or convictions for the power's duration ("What difference does it make?" or "I just don't care anymore"). For this power to be effective, the koldun must make eye contact with her victim.

2 - THE INSULTS OF KRIVDA

Any Fiend worthy of the name can spit out a telling insult. But with this power, Krivda - a goddess of hatred and bitterness - ensures that the remark offends, enraging the recipient. In the Tzimisce-Tremere conflicts of nights long past, koldun carried Krivda on their tongues, inciting their Usurper opponents to frenzy. They preferred to deal with angry fangs instead of calculated Thaumaturgy. This is a dangerous power to use, but it can unbalance a physically weak opponent who has access to powerful Disciplines or could be used to embarrass a Cainite by causing him to frenzy in public.

System:
After her player spends a Willpower point, the koldun insults the target in the most offensive and humiliating way she can conceive. The koldun's player rolls Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). If the roll is successful, the target flies into an uncontrollable rage and assaults the koldun. If the target is a vampire, he must immediately roll to resist frenzy ( difficulty 5 + the number of successes on the activation roll).

3 - THE WEEPING OF KRUCHINA

The glare of a kolduncan make someone so miserable that they do nothing but cry. This power does more than spill a few tears - it causes hysterical bawling, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some depressing notion overcomes the victim. Vampires might mourn their lost humanitas or the passing of lovers who died long ago. Sometimes the source is more nebulous koldun believe that it imparts the collected sorrow of their demesnes' sickened soil.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower) . For one turn per success, the target is overwhelmed by intense misery and cries uncontrollably. Actions that require concentration are impossible for the power's duration. Cainites lose a blood point each turn as copious amounts of vitae stream from their eyes.

4 - THE MISFORTUNE OF CHERNOGOLOV

With a declaration that a person is doomedor destined to fail, the koldun summons the atrention of Chernogolov - the silver-mustached god of misfortune - to her victim. Under Chernogolov's unlucky gaze, he is hindered in everything he does. If he fails, he does so spectacularly.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). For one turn per success, the target automatically loses two successes on every roll he attempts. Botches experienced under the effects of the Misfortune of Chernogolov should be especially disastrous.

5 - THE STARVATION OF MARENA

By invoking the wife of Kupala, the koldun summons the cold and starvation that is the domain of Marena. A frosty gale blasts the victim and leaves him emaciated as if he had just survived the coldest of winters. The frostbitten and starving victim clings to (un)life, usually in no condition to contradict the koldun. The cold symbolizes of the passage of time in harsh conditions.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls her Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the target's Willpower). For each success, the victim takes two levels of bashing damage that can be soaked normally. In addition to this damage, vampires lose one blood point for each of the koldun's successes- healthy prey was scarce in the Eastern European winter.