Guardian of the Dales

Rogan

1219

Magic Might: 30

Int: +3

IntŽllego XX (free): automatically aware of anything happening within one of the three auras remaining within his purview, as long as it is not magically shielded. Can spend one might point to get a penetration attempt against one barrier, and duration of Sun.

XX Auram (1 point for a number of magnitudes equal to the local Aura.): Can control the air and weather in his purview. Maximum level of Might.

XX Terram (1 point for a number of magnitudes equal to half the local aura.): Can control the rocks and earth, and create stones and the like. Maximum level of Might.

Perdo Corpus/Animal (1 point for a number of magnitudes equal to the local aura.): Does +5 damage per magnitude to the target. The wound looks like the result of the attack of a flock of eagles.

Creo Mentem 20 (2 points): Gives the target a dream of Rogan's devising.

Muto Mentem 25 (10 Might points): Drive one individual mad in a way decided by Rogan. Duration Sun, unless the person in question is sleeping on the Seat, in which case it is permanent.

The effects only cost Rogan half as much within the Seat, and the limit on the level is twice as high. The Aura of the Seat is 3 at present.

Rogan's Magic Might drops by one point every other year, disappearing when the aura on the seat does. This does not actually represent damage, but the loss of his ability to influence the mundane world.

Full Power

Magic Might: 60

All powers listed above, plus:

XX Aquam, Herbam, Animal (1 point for a number of magnitudes equal to half the local aura): Can control the water, plants and animals of his domain. Maximum level of Might.

Embody (2 points, duration Sun, free on the Seat): Can take one of three forms: a mature man, an eagle, and a humanoid figure covered with eagle's feathers, with an eagle's head and talons on the ends of the fingers. If wounded, spending the Embody points again heals him completely. Physical damage cannot destroy Rogan.

Eagle: Str +1, Stm +2, Dex +3, Qik +4, Per +4 (+7 vision), Claws 1st +10, Atk +9, Dam +7, Fat +2, Soak +5, Def +15, Body Levels OK, -1, -5, Discorp.

Man: Str +5, Stm +5, Prs +5, Per +3, Com 0, Dex +4, Qik +4.

Half-Eagle: Size +2, Str +6, Stm +6, Prs +6, Dex +3, Qik +3, Per +5, Talons 1st +7, Atk +8, Dam +15, Fat +6, Soak +12, Def +10, Body Levels OK/OK -1/-1, -3, -5, Discorp.

Personality

Rogan has been greatly wounded by the draining of magic, and was finally tipped over the edge into madness by Fulmen Candidum's actions. Now he is psychotic, his rage at the loss of his territory turned against all those within it. Fulmen Candidum is surrounded by a perpetual storm, which he summons every morning and evening at the cost of six Might points. These take about five hours to return. Anyone entering the Seat itself will instantly be attacked with his full powers, so far as they are available, until they retreat or are dead.

People settling elsewhere will be attacked in more subtle ways, because he wishes to instill terror as well as death. Thus, he will start a whispering campaign, with weather control, earth slips, accidents, and the like.

He used to be the beneficent guardian of the Dales, from Hunderthwaite Moor to Wensleydale, from Mallerstang to the plains, and he would talk to those who slept on the Seat, and even protect those who were lost. Those who put their faith in the Church he would ignore, and he could not act within the Dominion. However, the rumours are not unpleasant, since his madness is recent. Priests will have dark tales, of course, but the local wise folk tell of the charm that would summon him to your aid: "Lord Rogan, regard your realm. Lord Rogan, regard my sufferings. Lord Rogan, come to my aid." This will still buy you enough time to flee from his attacks, but overuse will rob it of its effectiveness.

Even when he was kind, the seat was protected, and no-one was allowed to settle there or gather the vis. That is why Fulmen Candidum set up on Great Shunner Fell, the second highest aura in the area. They did gather the vis occasionally, and thus Rogan was not happy with them.

Rogan's Seat

The top of the hill is covered in loose stones. In the centre there are four stones which bear a vague resemblance to a throne: there is one for a seat, one for a back, and one for each arm. The resemblance is only vague, however. There is always a wind blowing on the top, although sometimes it is little more than a breeze.

A diligent search of the stones, taking at least fourteen man-days for the entire peak, will reveal a number of eagle feathers, each worth one pawn of Auram vis. When the magi arrive, there are twelve pawns of vis there, and the annual supply is six pawns. Gathering this vis will, of course, increase Rogan's hostility.

If someone sits in the chair from just before sunrise to just after, without moving (so no spells or ParmaÉ), she will find herself sitting in a carved stone throne in a magical regio with a level nine aura, where Rogan has his full powers. As long as she remains sitting on the throne, Rogan cannot harm her, although he will certainly shout and rant, appearing in half-eagle form. If she is still there at sunset, she is transferred back to the mundane world, and the limits on Rogan are removed - this is the way out of the regio, to be sitting in the throne as the sun sets.

The Parma ritual can be performed sitting down, so that it is not impossible to get some defence. Defeating Rogan in the regio is the only way to kill him, and the regio is effectively part of the seat, so that is not easy. The scenery is also completely under Rogan's control. It cannot be used as an attack, but walls and pits can be created around an interloper. He can also bring people into the regio, or throw them out, as long as he is sitting on the throne. Otherwise, he can enter and leave freely, but alone. Since he can no longer embody in the mundane world, he can bring nobody in, and he has destroyed all his servants. The normal appearance of the regio is an endless plain of blasted rock.

If Rogan is slain, the victor is attacked by a Muto Vim effect with penetration 60. If she fails to resist, she becomes the new guardian of the Dales, with exactly Rogan's powers and limitations, although with her own memories. If she resists, the vis supply dries up while a new guardian is built, one might per pawn of vis. The new guardian will be loyal and obedient to the victor to a great extent, and will start with a basically benevolent personality. The victor might even be allowed to gather the vis freely, but there would be no chance of building the covenant there.

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