The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth - The Lodge of the Ancestors
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The Circle of Life - The Lodge of the Ancestors - is everything to the Were-Urgo:

  • The Ancestors watch over the Spirits of the Were-Urgo and so the Circle turns.
  • Life serves a purpose and life is never without purpose
  • Protecting the Providers serves the Circle of Life because the Circle may not turn without each honouring and showing Respect for their place within the Circle.
  • Challenging the Leaders serves the Circle of Life because strength is important for the turning of the Circle, but it is done always with Respect and Ceremony.
  • Listening to the Elders serves the Circle of Life because wisdom is important for the turning of the Circle and it shows Respect for those who have been, and those who will follow.
  • Death serves a purpose but death is never without purpose.
  • The Ancestors watch over the Spirits of the Were-Urgo and so the Circle turns.

Most importantly, the Were-Urgo understand that the Circle of Life is something that the other races do not understand and do not try to impose upon the other races - it is their Religion, their Faith and they keep it that way.

Everything and everyone has a place in the Circle of Life - Were-Urgo may be guided by instincts but they are not governed by them. They are sentient, intelligent creatures and not savage brutes. They are the paragons and Champions of the Element of Earth. They are not murderers, devils or creatures of the Void.

Priests of the Lodge

The Priests of the Lodge tend to come from the Protector Class, nominally the structure works as follows:

  • Monkeykin more often than not are "The Speakers of Wisdom" - the principle thing closest to a priest.
  • Bearkin often act as a "Keeper of the Circle" - the closest thing to a wandering Priest or Shepherd of the Land.
  • Badgerkin often act as a "Seer of the Turning Circle" - a specialist Priest who looks into the past, present and future.
  • Bullkin will fill any of the mentioned roles, but favour "Guardians of the Circle".
  • Dogkin are usually the mainstay of the "Guardians of the Circle".
  • Pronghorns often fill the roles of "Guardians of the Circle".

The Speaker of Wisdom: Is the speaker of Lore, one of the devout who knows and understands the way in which the Circle of Life turns, and how each Were-Urgo should fit into the circle, and how they should honour it. Being a Speaker is a revered path to follow, and disobeying or choosing to ignore the words they have spoken is not wise.

Level One: Lore: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: Representing the Speaker's understand of the whole Circle of Life, once per event the Speaker may automatically get a ref call on a piece of information relating to the Circle of Life (To be considered a Divine question of Lore). This Lore skill advances with progression in this skill list.

Level Two: The Demand of Silence: Twice per event, the Speaker may demand silence from the Were-Urgo to listen to their words of wisdom, it does not mute the Were-Urgo, but they will not challenge the Speaker while they speak. (To be considered a Divine Mind Effect.)

Level Three: Inspiration of the Circle: Three times per Event, the Speaker can inspire three acts of Divine Inspiration, whereas those blessed gain a +3 to a skill and make it Divine in use for a period of three minutes. This period of time may be delayed until the appropriate time for the inspiration to active (Set out with the Referee at the time of conception.)

Level Four: Commanding the Circle: Four time per Event, the Speaker may invoke ivine power to set up to four Were-Urgo targets a task that they must complete in service to the Circle of Life.

Level Five: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: Five times per Event, the Speaker may bring a Divine Blessing of Absolution upon targeted Were-Urgo, which must be mediated with the Referee team. (This works similarly to the Level Five Hospitalier Priest Skill of Repentance.)

The Keeper of the Circle: wanders and spreads the understanding of the Circle of Life to those who might not have Speaker of Wisdom available to them, but more than that they are wanderers who care for the land and act in some part as agents who will call allies to them if there is a spiritual disturbance that needs to be dealt with.

Level One: Lore: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: The Keepers also gains +1 Mundane Dodges. The Lore skill advances with progression in this skill list.

Level Two: Bones of the Earth: The Keeper gains +2 Hits to All Locations.

Level Three: Soothing the Land: Three times per Event, the Keeper may soothe and repair broken or abused patches of Earth, heal broken flowers or plants, or cleanse tainted water - subject to Referee Mediation and role play, done with Divine Action the land of patches of Earth will start to heal through natural cycles of growth and requiring the natural progression of time.

Level Four: Summon the Circle: Four Times per Event, the Keeper can make a Divine Call that summons all nearby Were-Urgo to their side, so long as they are within the Wild Kingdom or Earth Nations. The number of responding Were-Urgo is dependent on proximity to the Wild Kingdom.

- In the Wild Kingdom - Many will answer. (Subject to use but up to Four Hundred.)
- In Korrigania - Anything numbering up to forty may answer the call.
- In Quelas or Larrasy - Up to four may answer.

Level Five: Repairing the Land: Five times per Event, the Keeper may use Divine Action to completely repair broken aspects of the Earth within the Wild Kingdom or Earth Nations. This is veryt similar to the level three skill, but better and instantaneous.

Guardians of the Circle: are the protectors of the Speaker of Wisdom and the Keeper of the Land. They follow the guidance of these spiritual advisors to the word, having surrendered their life to the service of the Circle of Life.

Level One: Lore: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: This Lore skill advances with progression in this skill list. In addition, the Guardian gains +1 Hits to All Locations.

Level Two: Lesser Bones of the Ancestors: By wearing ancestral bones of their Kin, and through honouring their ancestors with ceremony and prayer, the bones provide +2 Hits to All Locations worn as though they were armour, without requiring the Armour Skill/Armour Classification.

- Were-Urgo Bones used in this fashion count as Divine Alchemical Ingredients and the bones MUST have a Phys-Rep.

Level Three: Greater Bones of the Ancestors: (Stacks with Level Two.) By wearing ancestral bones of their Kin, and through honouring their ancestors with ceremony and prayer, the bones provide +3 Hits to All Locations worn as though they were armour, without requiring the Armour Skill/Armour Classification.

- Were-Urgo Bones used in this fashion count as Divine Alchemical Ingredients and the bones MUST have a Phys-Rep.

Level Four: Blessed Tooth and Claw: Prayer, Ceremony and Reverence to the memories of the Ancestors and the First Born mean that the Guadians may call upon Divine Damage to protect the Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth, usually ordained and justified by attending to, and listening to, the Speaker of Wisdom and following their directives.

Level Five: Strength of the Ancestors: The Guardian gains +5 Hits to All Locations.

Predators of the Were-Urgo

  • Lionkin: Is this principle unmatched Predator. They rule always in territories that they win, through defeating other Lionkin holding territories with the Wild Kingdom. A fight for territory between Lionkin honours the Circle of Life, and if done in the proper form, can be done without fear of Void Taint. This normally involves a challenger issuing a roar of challenge, which the dominant Lionkin of the Territory must answer, or flee the territory instead. They are an out-and-out fighter. (Path of the Predator only.)
  • Wolfkin: Is the second Predator, who listens to and follows the lead of Lionkin in a territory, and may be a fighter (Path of the Predator) or a scout (Walker of the Circle.)
  • Ferretkin and Foxkin are lower on the hierarchy, and act more in a scouting capacity (Walker of the Circle) than out-and-out fighter, but are no less predatorial.
  • Catkin: They sit outside of the hierarchy, being spies and with many being generally distrusted by the other they will answer directly to Lionkin, but will circumvent and event disrespect other kin within the Circle of Life. They may choose either (or both) of the skill lists presented below.

The Path of the Predator is for the Predator races who are the dominant forces of leadership and hunting, in tune with the land and the people, they serve by leading and acknowledge and respect the Lodge of the Ancestors and the Circle of Life, which in turn enables them to weed out the weak and to make the people strong.

Level One: Lore: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: This skill list progresses with investment in the skill list, as the Predator understands and respects their place within the Circle of Life. They also gain _1 Hits to All Locations.

Level Two: Invoking the Savage Truth: Everything must die when the time is right within the Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth. Twice in the life of the Predator, they may determine the Fate of a target to be there and then. As such, they may act with their predator instincts without fear of Void Taint, so long as they serve the Circle of Life. Normally the first use is to take leadership through challenge, and the judgement and strength of the ancestors being with them they will win and kill the fallen leader - and usually devour them. The second use is when a Predator is leader, to accept the challenge of a rising potential and to accept that their time might be at hand, and to serve the Circle of Life and the memory of the ancestors by accepting death - to the people, this is a savage truth.

Mechanically, this is a two use ability that allows the challenger, and the challenged, to fight to the death without fear of Void Taint, and only works if both contenders use the ability.

If a challenge is not met by the challenged choosing to flee, the challenger keeps their ability until another time. Role Play and consequences will resolve this outside of the inteded purposes of this ability.

Level Three: Apex Predator: Works exactly the same as Primal Bearing (Page 16 ELEMENT Skills Companion). However, if the Predator already has Primal Bearing, combined, the Predator becomes 'Immune' to all 'Divine' levels of 'Mind Effects' used against them (Excluding True Divine Power.)

Level Four: Summoning the Firstborn's Might: (Works exactly the same as the Level Four ELemental Magic Spell 'Summon Elemental', except in this case, the Predator invokes the power of the Firstborn to guide them to gain a +4 Enchanted Bonus) granted to them by the Ancestral Spirit of their Firstborn. They may use this ability up to Four Times per Event, and summoning the Firstborn's Might requires role play reflecting respect and honour towards the memory of the ancestors and Circle of Life.

Level Five: Becoming the Firstborn: By spending a Fate Point and invoking the memories of the Firstborn, a character may surrender their flesh to the control of their ancestral Firstborn to act in their stead for five minutes. This is used for role play purposes and may end with character death, but a truly heroic character death as they defy all odds while imbued with the true power of the Firstborn. (Read as: Ignore stats and be epic for 5 minutes.)

Walkers of the Circle are the scouts and hunters of the Circle of Life, choosing varying lengths of journey across the Wild Kingdom, and beyond to serve the needs of the people.

Level One: Lore: The Circle of Life, Death and Rebirth: This Lore Skill progresses with investment in this skill list. The character also gains +1 Mundane Dodges per Day.

Level Two: Lesser Lay of the Land: Twice per Event, the character may listen to the rumours of the land, gaining information about events going on in and around the location of the event from the perspective of the Earth Element.

Level Three: Lay of the Land: Three Times per Event - or between events, the character may travel at super speed (Three times normal speed) to get tom or away from a target destination.

Level Four: Greater Lay of the Land: Four times per Event, the character may call upon the land to scrub away their tracks for four minutes, making tracking the character extremely difficult to follow (Adds 4 Enchanted Stealth for four minutes for test purposes versus Tracking).

Level Five: Way Points: The character may set up to five points at an event, or in close proximity to an event between events, that are mae and marked by the character, and may be used to tap into and 'see' what is going on around and about the way point by consulting with the Referee Team for information when the character is tuning into the way points using a form or variation of meditation.

Way Points require physical representation to use, but may be concealed and still be of use - enemy agents searching for such things (if they know about them) require to beat the character's Stealth to locate them. Trying to destroy them instantly alerts the Walker, who should have sufficient time to intercept and protect the way point.

Other Were-Urgo Characters cannot tune into the way points of another, but can recognise the significance of a marked way point quite easily with Lore: Were-Urgo (3), and know that allies are near.

Roles within the Circle of Life:

The Were-Urgo have had for some time a bit of a short straw where racial skill lists are concerned. This is primarily because kin types have been catered to more than a series of professions.

This section hopefully provides more scope, without moving away from those themes - but always it needs to be remembered that they have a deep connection to the land, and can be set in their ways - especially if they live, or have lived within the strengths of the culture. Few of the kin can really "multi-trade" or "multi-class" and it has been tried to be laid out in this section the way in which a kin type does one role, and one role only. There should be deep consideration and discussion with the Referee Team for any deviation from these concepts, unless you accept that you should probably ignore these cultural aspects and buil an adventuring character that has a diluted and limited access to this lifestyle and culture.

Of course, we will always try to accommodate the wishes and desires of a player for their character, but it should not be, or appear to be, challenging to the cultural intention - it should not go against theme without a really goo reason that should also probably bring with it the potential for plot.

Also remember, Lore: Were-Urgo is required for multiple racial skill lists, and all of these listed above are racial skill lists.

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