Mana Lines & Fey Stones
Tautha is a magical land. Mana, the source of
a Magi's power, flows through the air currents, along with the autumn leaves
as they meander along a crystal brook, and beneath the ground like the capillary
roots of the ancient trees. Mana is everywhere, but only a lucky and gifted few can
sense it and fewer more have the knowledge and talent to harness it and turn the raw,
natural energy, to their own ends.
The Fae, being spirits, are one with mana and know how to control it just as a potter
can shape clay into an amorphae. They can sense its wax and wane, and know where the
strongest concentrations of mana are located. At these places the Fae grew their residences:
glades, spring flower mounds, tall blooming trees or if the location was not suitable
to reside, marked the location with a glyph carved stone, a Fey Stone.
Fey Stones provide a magi with a boost to their mana manipulating capabilities, concentrating
the mana in the area at a single point. They also act as a way point for mana lines,
an uncharted network of mana currents that criss-crosses the landscape in an ever
shifting web. The Fey Stones try to anchor part of a mana line and join others together
into a known and accesible network that magi can rely on at all times.
The concentration of too much mana in one location can be a dangerous thing however,
capable of inflicting harm on a magi and nausiating ordinary maidens. During storms,
especially those with lighting: when mana is so heavily concentrated that it is made
visible; not even the Fae dare use their magi abilities as it increases the risk of
being struck by a fork of mana-lighting and severly injured or killed.
Modelling a Fae Stone
A Fay Stone, is just that, a stone which can be carved into an obelisk or plinth,
or not at all. No matter its shape, the Fay Stone's surface is covered in fae glyphs
along with moss and the occaisional creepy crawly. The glyphs are usually dull green
or red except when a magi accesses the Stone and draws mana from it, then they glow
brightly.
Placing a Fae Stone on the Meadow of Glamour
Fay Stones mark concentrations of mana where a Fae spirit wasn't capable of creating
a larger glade for itself or the area was too exposed to danger or storms. Fae Stones
are most common in areas of rough and rocky ground, deep and dark forest, sea-salt
swept promontaries, or large open meadows.
A Stone should be suitably placed on the Meadow of Glamour at a point both armies
can reach or deny the other and make good objectives and reasons for a battle. If
neither side has a Magi (or no spells) then one can be placed anywhere.
Marking a Mana Line
Fay Stones are the anchor points of Mana lines. One or more mana lines can be anchored
to a Stone, running in/out from it in a straight line to the next Stone. When the
Fay Stone is placed roll a D6. On a 1-4 there is just one mana line anchored to the
Stone, on a 5 or 6 there are two.
For each Mana line, assign table edges a number, the Defender assigning 5 and the
Attacker 6 and roll a D6. The Mana line runs from the Stone to the middle of that
table edge. Use string or coloured paper to mark the mana line.
In Battle
Mana Lines and Fey Stones each have an effect on magi involved in a battle. Using
a Mana Line power counts as using a Spell that turn.
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Fey Stones: Any Magi within 6" of
the Stone can draw upon its concentrated mana and use it in one of the following ways:
-
To try and cast a second spell in a turn. On a 5+ test
on D6 a second spell can be cast.
-
To increase the difficulty in a target in resisting
her spell by increasing the target number +1.
-
To decrease the difficulty in a target in resisting
her spell, or making it easier for her to cast by reducing the target number by -1.
-
To stop a magi from being able to cast a spell at all
next turn by rolling 5+ test on a D6.
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Mana Lines: A Magi within 1" of a
Mana Line can feel its presence and use it in one of the following ways:
-
To create a barrier extending 3" from either side of
the Magi through which no Spell can be cast, also protecting the Magi.
-
Can try and stop the flow of mana to the Fey Stone
on a 5+ test on a D6; if successful no Magi can use the Fey Stone for the next turn.
-
Can try and speed up the flow of mana to the Fey Stone
and cause a painful surge to nearby Magi. On a 5+ test on a D6 all Magi within 6"
of the Fey Stone take an immediate A3 attack.
Mana Storms
If players want some added excitment with fielding Magi with or without Fey Stones,
they can fight a battle during a Mana Storm where the sky is broiling and dark and
the air alive and crackling with concentrated mana. The entire Meadow of Glamour is
covered by the storm and any part can be struck by lighting.
During a Mana Storm it is dangerous for a Magi to use her powers and cast a spell
or access a Fey Stone or Mana Line as they are swelled with more mana than they can
handle. If a Magi does any of these things roll a D6; on a 4+ the mana around the
Magi bursts into sparks instead of the spell being executed and the Magi immediately
and permanently suffers H-1, which may destroy the Stand.
Lighting, mana so concetrated it is visible even to non-magi and capble of killing
any living creature, flashes in the sky in white, red and blue, or punches the ground
leaving a smoking patch of ash in a sudden clapped outburst. Each turn roll a D6.
On a 5 or 6 there is no lightning that turn. On a 1-4 a bolt of lightning has struck
that table sector and all Stands in or 50% or more in the table sector
are in trouble! Stands take an immediate ranged attack from the table below:
Stand's D value
|
Lightning's A value
|
|
1-3
|
1
|
|
4-5
|
Equal to D
|
|
6+
|
Double D
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The heavier armed the more a lightning fork is attracted. Stands that are Magi suffer
an additional 2 die to the attack (D+2) and Stands in contact with a Magi Stand an
extra die (D+1).
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