Mystic
Basic
1000 hours
Requires Mastery of Magic Lore
Counts as two skills at character creation
This is the knowledge of how to enchant a large immobile pole that protects a village. One or more animals or spirits must be defeated & slain, and bound into the totem. This is typically carved out of wood—occasionally stone—and is often decorated with painted features and fetish-items attached. Each animal or entity sacrificed for the tribal totem is represented on the pole, and each adds at least one special feature to the village. For example, a bear may help keep the village alive through a cold winter, a hawk may warn of approaching danger in the form of a dream, a fire Elemental may prevent the homes from burning, etc. The effects are subtle, and generally do not need game statistics. From the example, the Elemental would stop a dropped candle from destroying a house, but couldn’t prevent raiders from setting torch to the village. Learning this skill requires a solid knowledge of the culture for which you are shaping the totem in addition to strong knowledge of the principles of magic. Creation of a tribal totem requires at least two months.