Rawun

Rawuns (rah-OONS) are the bards of the desert tribes - the tale-spinners, the lore-keepers, and the entertainers. Each is entrusted with the legends of his or her own tribe, as well as other tribes contacted. Rawuns are the master poets of their peoples, and most of their knowledge is repeated through epic poems. They represent the closest thing to a historian or scholar that common people usually see.

Rawuns may be found in most desert tribes. The most powerful of them act as advisors to a sheikh or tribal leader. In more urban areas, members of this discipline run the gamut from bazaar entertainers to viziers serving a sultan.

Role: Rawuns are blessed with a strong memory and an even stronger voice. In more cultured areas, they are well read, and their verses are captured on paper. In the tribal lands of the desert - where paper may be considered excess weight to a travelling people - Rawuns are the keepers of all knowledge, the memory of their tribes. No tomes or scrolls hold their lore.

Members of this discipline are competent and entertaining, glib and smooth in the manner of their outlander cousins, but with a deep, abiding regard for both tradition and art. As a group, they tend to be showy. Citified Rawuns often don rich cloaks dripping with jewels, while those among desert tribes prefer simple but stunning white robes, trimmed with gold.

Equipment: Both urban and desert Rawuns have prodigious memories. Those with ties to a city or settlement often collect books and scrolls to supplement what they know offhand. For a library to have any notable effect on research or knowledge, it must contain no fewer than 100 books and/or scrolls, with a total value of at least 3,000 gold.

Important Attributes: Dexterity, Perception, and Charisma.

Restrictions: All races and both genders are allowed. The unisex title is Rawun (rah-OON). The optional female title is Rawuna (rah-OON-ah). In some regions, and in their own formal poetry, the plural is Rawunin. (We've used the anglicised plural in this text.)

Karma Ritual: To perform a Karma ritual, Rawuns must perform a ballad or skit before an audience of at least two. The Rawun can juggle, joke, tell tall tales, or sing serious legends. The Rawun must finish the performance with a story, ending the story with the phrase, "There it ends, for such is the truth of the thing." This completes the ritual.

Artisan Skills: Juggling, Sculpture, Storytelling.

FIRST CIRCLE

Talents

• Begging
• Emotion Song (D)
• Evil Eye (D)
• First Impression
• Karma Ritual
• Melee Weapons

SECOND CIRCLE

Talents

• Durability (7/6)
• Item History (D)
• Memorise (D)

THIRD CIRCLE

Talents

• Empathic Sense (D)
• Read and Write Language

FOURTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Rawun may spend a Karma Point on any action using Dexterity only.

Talents

• Taunt
• Thread Weaving (D)

FIFTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Rawun may spend a Karma Point to support another character's social action. Using Karma in this way counts as the Rawun's action. The Rawun must speak on behalf of the other character or take another action that justifies spending the Karma Point to support the other character.

Talents

• Engaging Banter
• Throwing Weapons

SIXTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Rawun's Social Defence by one.

Talents

• Haggle
• Resist Taunt

SEVENTH CIRCLE

The Kiss: For a Strain cost of 1 Damage Point, the Rawun can deliver a most passionate kiss to a member of the preferred sex. The kiss adds 3 steps to any persuasion or other interaction talent he uses on the other person. This effect lasts for 5 minutes.

Talents

• Incite Mob (D)
• Missile Weapons

EIGHTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Rawun's Physical Defence by one.

Talents

• Graceful Exit
• Hypnotise

NINTH CIRCLE

The Tale: For a cost of 2 Strain Points, the Rawun can add 3 steps to the test required for any attempt at deception or credibility. (The Rawun looks so trustworthy, how could he possibly be lying?) The Tale may be used in combination with The Kiss. The effect of this ability lasts 5 minutes.

Talents

• Bardic Voice (D)
• Blade Juggle (D)
• True Sight

TENTH CIRCLE

Recovery Test: The Rawun gains 1 additional Recovery Test per day.

Physical Defence: Increase the Rawun's Physical Defence by 1.

Talents

• Multi-Tongue
• Slough Blame (D)

ELEVENTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Rawun may spend Karma on actions using Perception or Willpower only.

Talents

• Impressive Shot (D)
• Song of Deflection (D)

TWELFTH CIRCLE

Spell Defence: Increase the Rawun's Spell Defence by 2.

Talents

• Thought Link (D)
• Truth Skit

THIRTEENTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Rawun's Physical Defence by 1.

Social Defence: Increase the Rawun's Social Defence by 1.

Ghost Song: For the permanent cost of 1 Damage Point, the Rawun may use blood magic to write a Ghost Song. The ghost song cannot be more than 26 lines long, and no more than 300 words. When the Rawun dies, his spirit wanders the earth singing or reciting the ghost song. The Rawun may use the ghost song to suggest an action that would put his spirit to rest. The spirit travels to its final resting place if the living fulfil the conditions of the song.

Talents

• Blood Guilt Weapon
• Invoke Fate (D)

FOURTEENTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Rawun's Physical Defence by 2.

Spell Defence: Increase the Rawun's Spell Defence by 1.

Talents

• Life Check
• Spirit Talk

FIFTEENTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Rawun's Social Defence by 2.

Spell Defence: Increase the Rawun's Spell Defence by 1.

Talents

• Aura Armour
• Excorcism