No one is certain how they survived the Scourge, perhaps because, as anyone who studies the Bindari quickly discovers, deception is a survival mechanism, especially in matters of defense and war. They will exaggerate immensely to make the enemy overestimate their capabilities and leave them alone. Many tales are told. Some say that the Horrors avoided the badlands, thinking that there would be nothing there to hunt, or fearing the Bindari and the might of their Jurraqi adepts. Others say that the Bindari turned themselves into pillars of sand, and vanished into the desert, reappearing when the Scourge was over. Yet more tell of tunnels and catacombs extending for miles underneath the badlands. The Bindari are reputed to still use them to disappear when hunted, materializing behind their enemies. Whatever the truth, the tribes survived with no outside help, without the Theran rites and the burden of debt those rites would have brought.
The concept of debt is vital to understanding the Bindari. They believe
that the Passions will only take a soul that has no obligations left in
the physical world. Unpaid debts tie the tribesman to the cycle of birth,
death and rebirth until that debt is cleared. The Bindari refused to bargain
with Thera for the Rites of Protection and Passage, fearing the burden
of a debt involving the survival of their entire race. The steep price
the Empire demanded would have tied the Bindari to Thera for generations.
The Bindari's rejection of the rites puzzled the Therans, bafflement soon
turning to irritation when the Bindari continued to remain obstinate about
having no contact with the Empire. To this day, Thera and the Bindari remain
enemies, with the enmity being more on the Bindari side than the Theran.
Of late, some of the Bindari have found their way northward, drawn by tales
of Barsaivian resistance to Theran dominion, wishing to meet with similarly
minded Name-Givers. Included in this group have been several adepts of
the El-Kadi Discipline, journeymen of the path sent by their elders to
gather information.
Then came the Scourge, and the Bindari refused to bargain for the Rites. Surely they will all be killed off, said the scholars, and then after the Scourge, we can go back and claim what resources the Horrors leave behind without these annoying desert rats plaguing our expeditions. But the Bindari survived the Scourge without the Rites. The administration of the School of Shadows, the whispered-of Heavenherds, are convinced now that there's something else there in the desert, something extraordinarily valuable that the Bindari are protecting. Exploratory missions from Thera are still harassed.
Recently, the hostilities have escalated. Acting without orders from Thera, troops recently poisoned several wells along the regular travel routes of the tribes. This backfired severely. The commander of the troops, who has since been relieved of his post by the Arbiters and given over to the ghareez, expected the tribes to be crippled, to surrender. Instead, a berserker fury has seized the nomads. The Bindari have taken to launching magical attacks against any airship passing over the desert. Numerous border outposts along the edge of the desert have been overrun, their garrisons slain to the last. The Theran actions struck deep into Bindari beliefs. Skirmishing and even outright war the Bindari respect. Water holes, however, have always been neutral ground and inviolate among the tribes. It is considered barbarous to engage the enemy near their own camp. Only those completely without honor put noncombatants at risk or damage the environment. Attempts at a diplomatic resolution to the unfortunate act have been unsuccessful, as the Bindari attack any Theran band on sight, refusing to recognize a parley flag.
What's out in the deep desert, nobody's saying. The Heavenherds have restrained the military, on the theory that if the Bindari are crushed, there won't be anyone left to question. They ponder a way to establish communication with these recalcitrant nomads, and discover what it is they're guarding so zealously. As far as the Empire is concerned, the Bindari remain an annoying curiosity.
Other Name-giver races are counted among the tribes of the Bindari. Clan Jenat of the Sufbai is composed primarily of trolls, who adopted Bindari ways well before the Scourge. The story of why these trolls migrated to the desert and became part of the Seventeen Tribes belongs to a much larger work. Elves, dwarves, orks, obsidimen and windlings are also found among the Bindari, for the most part being escaped Theran slaves. When the Bindari find such a person wandering in the desert, they are taken in, cared for, and offered a choice. The tribesmen will escort the fugitive to the edge of the desert, provide them with a mount and minimal gear, and leave them to make their own way in the world. The former slave can also take refuge with the tribe, and live as a Bindari. This requires undergoing a formal rite of adoption, and living by the strict Bindari rules. Stories are told of several former slaves who became Bindari and accomplished themselves as adepts and adventurers.
Bindari dress consists of loose outer robes (the color varies by tribe) of woven goat hair or camel wool, with a gauzy inner robe of unbleached fabric, knee-high horseman's boots and headgear made of a long strip of cloth wound about the head in complex fashion. A veil is held in place with a coiled cord. The cord can be used for many things, being strong enough to support a person's weight. The veil is used in bad weather or when a Bindari is confronted with something she does not wish to acknowledge. Adults wear a sash to carry their sword and dagger, which they are never without. Leaders wear sashes of brightly colored silk, with embroidery if they are important enough. Tribal chiefs also weave fine gold thread into the cords of their headgear.
Saddles are similarly decorated according to social station, ranging from no decoration at all for a common tribesman, to highly ornate for a proven warrior. A chief's saddle is decorated with gold leaf. The remainder of their harness and tack is plain, without decoration or bright metalwork. The halter is of woven camel wool in the colors of tribe, clan and House and does not include a bit. In battle, all Bindari use plain, utilitarian saddles and wear identical drab brown robes, so as not to give themselves away with a flash of reflective metal or make their leaders easy targets for enemy archers.
A traveler inadvertently finding himself in another tribe's myrq will usually try to claim rights of hospitality, but must first establish the identity of the tribe he has encountered. On meeting strangers, certain questions are permitted: What do you want? Of which tribe are you? Where are you going? Knowing these things, the traveler may then claim ayefiq, protection in the sight of the Passions. The word must be uttered while touching one of the local tribesmen. Once protection is properly claimed, the one claiming it is a guest and the hosting tribe becomes responsible for everything that happens to that person. As a result, if tribesmen met in the open desert keep their distance, or answer the few permitted questions vaguely or not at all, the traveler should assume himself to be in danger.
The Bindari consider it rude to directly question people newly met. An arriving guest must not even be introduced directly. The guest will instead relate his connections with the host, and hopefully the host will recognize the guest. If not, the guest may then introduce himself.
Within the camp, a formal ritual of welcome is performed, known as the Cup of Peace. A brewed drink (usually tea) is ceremonially presented to guests with the words "Welcome! May it please thee!" repeated twice. Once the words are spoken and the cup is drunk from, the safety of the guest and all under his authority is inviolate. The guest-to-be may present the cup to the host and remind him of the obligations of hospitality if the host does not offer the cup in a reasonable time. If the host refuses then to offer the cup, there will likely be bloodshed, as such a refusal is tantamount to an open declaration of war between the respective groups.
Note that the cup is offered and accepted between the two of highest
rank present. Trouble, if any, is restricted to the same level, and may
be resolved or expanded at the will of the next level up. Thus, if a sub-chief
of the Badil refused the cup to a sub-chief of the Sheulu, their septs
would be at odds, but the chief of the Badil would be able to either resolve
the problem and settle the dispute by decree, or declare war at the tribal
level. Other septs of equal rank may not become involved without the permission
of the next level higher, up to the chief of the tribe. Beyond that, the
Council of the People takes action to resolve the dispute. See the chapter
on Government.
Guests also enjoy noncombatant status. In any conflict with another group, guests may stay behind in the camp and avoid fighting if they so desire, with no dishonor. A guest who wishes to take up arms and assist his host in a time of trouble will be welcomed with effusive gratitude. A host never asks a guest about his status in a conflict. Such a question would be shockingly rude, attempting to force a choice from the guest. Help must be freely given or denied, to maintain the spirit of the code of hospitality.
Guests are also under the protection of their host. If harm comes to
a guest, the host is responsible. The debt will include payment of blood
price for a guest killed while under his protection. The host is not responsible,
however, if the guest provoked the trouble, and the person committing the
act is of another sept, clan or tribe, depending on the social rank of
the host. In the case of a dispute, the usual methods of resolving payment
of blood price and other repercussions are followed. See Concerning
Blood Price, further on in this record.
Guests are also not protected against themselves. Warning is provided of known hazards, but if a guest chooses to ignore the warnings, his fate is his own folly. It is against the nature of the Bindari to protect people against their own stupidity. In the desert, only the clever survive, and the Bindari feel that that is the way things should be. The natural order does not favor the slow and the foolish. Which is more cruel, they ask: to allow someone to die from their own bad judgement, or to save them from their fate and allow them the chance to take others with them with the next mistake?
Guests who enter combat willingly on the part of the host are treated
the same as any other combatant. They are not afforded priority with the
healers after the battle. Blood price is paid by the enemy in case of death.
Disputes over the payment of blood price incurred in combat are frequent
and never resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.
Children's hair is kept cut to shoulder length to protect the child
from the influence that could be gained from cutting off a braid, and as
a sign that the child is not ready for the responsibilities that magical
abilities bring. At puberty, children's hair is ceremonially cut for the
last time by the parents. A year later, the child goes through a rite of
passage into adulthood. During this rite, the child's hair is bound up
by the same-gender parent at the nape of the neck with a sky-blue silk
ribbon, symbolizing the power and freedom of the sky. Blessings are pronounced
by the tribal shaman, and the former child takes their new adult Name.
From that day forward, no one else will touch their hair save for truly
intimate acquaintances -- lovers, immediate family members and the like.
Children are taught at an early age that their parents' braids are not
playthings. Touching a Bindari's hair without invitation is a mortal insult,
and normally demands blood. Ignorance of tribal customs is not considered
an excuse.
The Bindari will not react well to other Name-givers using poison. They
may shun that person's company, or make remarks concerning the person's
lack of prowess. In no wise will they be subtle about this, making it abundantly
clear that they do not approve of the practice.
Blood spilled from a kill during a hunt must be dealt with before the animal may be seen to, usually by throwing sand or dirt over it. Only after the spilled blood has been covered may the animal be dispatched properly. Butchering a kill is a tedious and careful process, done in such a way as to avoid staining clothing, as well as to minimize contact between blood and skin.
Spilling blood from another Name-Giver has tremendous impact. A complex system of blood prices governs the consequences of such an act. Slaying a tribesman in a fight is permissible only in retaliation for that person's having slain a blood relation, such as a sister or close cousin. Otherwise, a blood debt is incurred: 25 camels and 2 mares must be paid to avoid continuation of the feud. Guests of the tribe have double the price of combatants. Failure to pay the blood price of a slain guest can result in open warfare and the outlawing of entire clans. Even the spilling of blood from a minor injury carries a high price. Lifelong debts have been incurred from injuries. The degree of injury is not considered as important as the amount of blood spilled. A severe bruise does not incur as much of a debt as a scratch that bleeds.
In combat, tribesmen prefer not to spill the blood of other Bindari. Skirmishes between Bindari are normally to the first strike, sometimes to first blood if the dispute is severe enough. The desert is hostile enough. The Bindari have too many enemies to slay each other. Killing in combat is reserved for non-tribesmen.
Because of these beliefs, blood magic is not used by the Bindari. Oaths,
charms, blood peace, all are forbidden to the tribes. Tribesmen find the
idea offensive, and prefer not to associate with other Name-Givers who
overtly use such practices.
On the day of the wedding ritual, the groom brings the bride a white lambskin rug, known as the Virgin Fleece. The bride wears bright colors, red and green and gold. A lamb is sacrificed at the feet of the bride, and its blood is used to paint the tribal mark on the neck of the mare that the bride will ride for the ceremony. The lamb is then given to an orphaned child selected by the ranking person in the camp.
A guard walks before the bride, carrying a drawn sword (preferably one with a long history), proclaiming her arrival to the gathering. The bride carries the Fleece into the bedchamber and spreads it on the couch where the marriage will be consummated. An el-kadi, preferably an adept, presides over the vows, and then all withdraw to give the newlyweds their privacy. The middle pole of the tent is taken down. The sagging roof serves as a do-not-disturb sign.
Marriage among the Bindari is for life. Separation and divorce are not
allowed. If grievances against a spouse are severe enough to threaten the
bond, an el-kadi will pass judgement and impose penalties, usually on both
parties. One of the most common judgements passed on a married couple who
fight constantly is for the two to be chained together at the wrists, left
to right, for a period ranging from a week to several months. The two will
come to agreement or one will kill the other, either way solving the problem.
Bindari justice is known for its severity.
The Bindari hold that souls which have achieved a high degree of enlightenment, who have managed to live without incurring new debts, are removed from the cycle by the Passions. To escape the burden of rebirth, one must free oneself of all debts and obligations, not only from the present lifetime but from all previous as well. Thus, the Bindari are reluctant to create lasting bonds and to deeply involve themselves in others' affairs. This also explains why the Bindari hold generosity as such a high virtue. Giving freely discharges debt, and if no return is expected, the recipient is not placed into debt. This applies to favors, obligations, and other intangibles as well as material goods. Some Name-givers find the Bindari aloof and arrogant, or slow to pursue a fight. They are not a cold, unfeeling people. Far from it. The Bindari have a higher percentage of Questors than any other, from their tendency to take all of their passions to extremes. They are, however, reluctant with their friendship and their lasting enmity, for both friends and enemies are ties to the cycle of death and rebirth.
The Tuase' rules on issues affecting the Bindari as a whole. Matters internal to a single tribe are normally of no interest to the Council. The organization also provides a forum for discussion of issues that may or may not affect multiple tribes, policy decisions that must be made by each tribe on an individual basis but where the advice of other tribal leaders is desired.
Disputes that cannot be solved at any of the lower levels are also brought before the Tuase'. As such, it serves as a sort of supreme court. In most cases, the Tuase' will ask the senior elders of the El-Kadi for advice before ruling, to ensure that their decision conforms with the extant body of tradition and precedent.
The meeting site of the Tuase' is one of the most closely held secrets
of the Bindari. Rumor has it that there are several meeting sites, and
that the Tuase' moves from one to another at random. Non-members who are
brought before the Council to give testimony or to receive orders or judgement
are blindfolded and led a circuitous route. Adepts or suspected adepts
are enspelled to prevent them from using Talents to trace their path.
Each tribe is divided into multiple clans, or major familial lines. The office of clan chieftain, or na'ib, is hereditary, and is held by the eldest member of the eldest surviving generation. The latib is the only member of the tribe who is not subject to his na'ib. Again, an informal council of elders and sept chieftains advises the clan leader.
Clans are further subdivided into septs, also known as Houses. These are the basic familial units, the smallest unit that each family line is divided into. The office of sept chieftain, or vesib, is hereditary, but can be usurped by any sept member of adult status who can gain sufficient power within the sept, in terms of family connections, favors owed and material wealth. Whoever controls the largest share of the sept resources and is owed the most favors leads the sept. In practice, vesib'im are not often challenged or overthrown, and never in time of open war. The latib of the tribe is vesib of her own sept, and is never challenged.
| Onkigye | blood red | |
| Dusibi | sky blue | |
| Kiyugo | pale green | |
| Touedi | dark blue | |
| Dmidsi | deep yellow |
| Chysan | black | |
| Izume | light magenta | |
| Dawei | rust red | |
| Gykune | charcoal grey | |
| Madosa | deep violet | |
| Tzimeq | pale grey | |
| Nomaja | burnt orange |
| Bishrim | bright green | |
| Kinegu | jade green | |
| Geyll | dark brown | |
| Duriysn | malachite green |
Letziq of the House of the Resfiyd, Clan Tobaro, the current latib, is rumored to be a follower of Chorrolis. While the Bindari are no strangers to the Passions, greed is considered undesirable, as the desert only provides so much in the way of resources. A Bindari should never take more than he needs. If it can be proven that Letziq is a questor of Chorrolis, the tribe could suffer harsh penalties for straying from the traditions.
The Chi'ond wear robes of bright red, with vertical stripes down front
and back of white, orange and green. Their Clan and House is noted by stripes
around the cuffs, Clan on the inside and House on the edge.
| Tobaro | turquoise blue | |
| Rennar | medium brown | |
| Resfiyd | wine red |
| Irilorey | bright orange | |
| Neraan | amber | |
| Gampase | deep green | |
| Tbosa | dark blue |
| Voldon | medium blue | |
| Raneji | pale aqua | |
| Jenat | crimson | |
| Ukona | pale yellow | |
| Voaf | dark grey | |
| Iapaj | bright purple | |
| Detli | gold |
In addition to being hunter-gatherers, the tribes also raise horses. The meager forage and rugged climate produces few each year, but those few bring a high price at the horse-fairs. Bindari mounts are hardy, able to travel on half the provender of any other breed. They are highly aggressive, needing little encouragement to perform well as warhorses. Beyond that, the breed is remarkably intelligent, and staunchly loyal once their respect has been earned. Cavalrymen adepts and beastmasters will pay nearly any price for one of these rare animals. The monies go to supplement the tribe's food supplies, as well as purchasing items such as cookpots and metal stock that are difficult to produce in the badlands.
As well as horses, the Bindari raise camels, sheep and goats. All three provide wool or hair for fabric, as well as milk and occasionally meat. Camels are the principle riding beast of the Bindari. Horses tire easily in the desert climate, and cannot carry burdens as easily and for as long as camels. Thus, the tribes ride camels for travel, and switch to mares for combat. Stallions are never ridden, being kept aside for breeding if their lines are good, or gelded and sold if not. Other animal products, including butter and cheese, hides and dried meat, are sold when there is a surplus.
Bindari tents are made by the tribesmen from horsehair or camel wool,
either woven or felt. No embroidery or other ornamentation is used, and
the tents are uniformly brown to blend in with the desert. The poles are
either bamboo, cut in the lowland swamps at the south edge of the Bindari
range, or assorted woods cut from the northern highlands or scavenged from
downed airships and raided villages.
Horse raiding and recovery is done by specific rules. A valued mare was taken by the Fektim. The Sheulu sent an offer to buy her back for 40 camels. The offer was refused. The Sheulu duly informed the Fektim that they intended to take back the mare by force. This was not a declaration of war, but instead a challenge. No unnecessary blood would be shed, and actions would be restricted carefully to the declared objective -- the recovery of the mare.
There is some conjecture about the real reasons behind the tradition of horse raiding. One theory states that the Bindari raid each other for horses to keep their bloodlines from stagnating, and keep their stock viable. Another says that the raids serve as training for warriors, giving them experience that they will need against the Therans and other enemies of the Bindari.
| ayefiq | Protection in the eyes of the Passions, a claim of guest status |
| chy'ib | leader of the Tuase' Neieur |
| el-kadi | judge, lawgiver, keeper of the traditions; normally an adept of the El-Kadi Discipline |
| latib | tribal chief |
| myrq | tribal orbit, territory, zone in which a tribe wanders |
| na'ib | clan chieftain |
| Tuase' Neieur | Council of the People, Great Council; the intertribal ruling body of the Bindari |
| vesib | sept chieftain, head of the House |
The Bindari also have two Disciplines unique to the tribes: the Jurraq
and the El-Kadi. The former derives from basic attitudes required for survival
in the hostile environment of the desert, while the latter comes from social
necessity. These comprise the primary Disciplines of the el-kadi, the jurraqi
outnumbering Warriors, Swordmasters and Cavalrymen put together.
Followers of Dis and Vestrial are slain upon discovery. The Bindari have a deep and abiding hatred of the Therans and everything associated with them. Dis is regarded by the Bindari as the patron Passion of the Empire. Questors of Dis, therefore, are regarded as Theran agents. Spies have never been popular. Vestrial and his followers are regarded as dangerously insane at best. The truth is so important to the Bindari that they have developed a Discipline devoted to its discovery and preservation, the El-Kadi. A liar, especially one who lies to deliberately hurt, is regarded as a dangerous lunatic. For the safety of the people, such individuals must die before they can cause harm.
Raggok is regarded with sorrow, but accepted as part of existence. A people who have a tradition of blood feud could hardly deny him. Followers of Raggok are treated as injured or possessed, suffering from damage to their spirit. Other Bindari will try to help them see reason and to work out the source of their bitterness, including lending assistance in combat if their rage leads to it. Questors of Raggok are treated as terminally ill, and are often sent out alone into the desert to die.
The Bindari are very private about their faith. They do not allow their
views and conceptions of the Passions to be known by outsiders. Images
of the Passions are veiled or draped in fabric when non-Bindari are in
the vicinity. Intentionally uncovering an image of a Passion is considered
a blood insult.
As the Jurraq replaces the Warrior, Swordmaster and Cavalryman among the Bindary, it has a powerful legend on which to draw. Tales of the jurraqi are told throughout the clans and houses of the Bindari, a nation albeit a small one, and well into the Theran Empire and Cathay. Thus, jurraqi adepts can reach Circles that most racial Disciplines are denied. The singularity of their focus also contributes to this.
Karma Ritual: The adept walks out into the open desert, beyond
earshot of all other Name-Givers. He seats himself on the ground and stares
off into the distance, meditating on the harshness of the land. The adept
considers the techniques he uses for survival, and reviews how they were
learned by example, from study of the animals and plants native to the
region. The adept then searches visually for a sign of life in the surrounding
area: a plant, a basking lizard, a desert mouse -- anything living will
do. When the adept has focused his attention on this life and reviewed
the specific ways in which it survives, and how he can use those ways himself,
the ritual is over.
Important Attributes: Dexterity, Toughness, Charisma
Artisan Skills: Leatherworking, Dance, Weaving
| Circle | Talent | Special |
| 1 | Karma Ritual | |
| Melee Weapons | ||
| Avoid Blow | ||
| *Locate Water | ||
| *Animal Bond | ||
| *Tracking | ||
| 2 | Durability | |
| Throwing Weapons | ||
| *Silent Walk | ||
| 3 | Missile Weapons | |
| *Haggle | ||
| 4 | Thread Weaving | Sandrunning: For 1 point of Strain, the adept can run across sand as if it were firm ground. No footprints are left when using this ability. Duration is determined by a WIL test; the effect lasts for the result in rounds. |
| Trick Riding | ||
| 5 | Wheeling Defense | Social Defense +1 |
| Charge | ||
| 6 | *Steely Stare | Karma: The adept can spend karma for any straight Charisma roll. |
| *Endure Heat | ||
| 7 | Durability (Mount) | Recovery: The adept gains another Recovery test per day. |
| *Suremount | ||
| 8 | Eagle Eye | Initiative: The adept gains a 1 step bonus on initiative. |
| *Lion Heart | ||
| 9 | Detect Falsehood | Social Defense +1 |
| Disarm | Physical Defense +1 | |
| Critical Hit | ||
| 10 | Quickblade | Recovery: The adept's Recovery Step increases by 2. |
| Call Mount | Karma: The adept can use karma for any Dexterity-based test, either Attribute or Talent. | |
| 11 | Hypnotize | Initiative: The adept's Initiative Step increases by 1. |
| *Tame Mount | ||
| 12 | Rally | Out of the Sands: For 2 points of Strain, the adept can vanish in a swirl of sand. This is a limited form of invisibility that only works in the desert. The adept makes a WIL test, and remains concealed by the effect for the result in minutes. To detect an adept using this ability requires an Extraordinary success on a PER test against the adept's WIL. The adept can hide additional people at a cost of one strain point each, up to a maximum of his WIL. |
| Sense Poison | ||
| 13 | Unmount | Physical Defense +1 |
| Moving Earth | Social Defense +2 | |
| 14 | Multi-Shot | Spell Defense +2 |
| Astral Sight | ||
| 15 | Gain Surprise | Karma: The adept's maximum Karma increases by 25 points. |
| Aura Armor | Sands of Time: This ability can only be used once during the lifetime of the adept. For 10 points Permanent Damage, the adept triples his lifespan and freezes his physical age at the moment when he used the ability. The adept will not physically age until the end of the extended lifespan, when all the accumulated years descend upon him in a few seconds. |
Adepts may not cut their hair any shorter than waist length, nor allow it to be cut. Men must also protect their beards, which must extend past the middle of the chest. If hair or beards are cut beyond these limits, by the adept or by another, willingly or not, the adept is under a Severe violation until the hair or beard grows back.
As with all Bindari, jurraqi may not use blood magic. Any use of blood magic not sanctioned by an el-kadi constitutes a Heinous violation. Under extreme circumstances, use of blood magic may be reduced to a Moderate or even Mild violation, such as a jurraq pushing one of her Talents to save the lives of her entire sept. After performing such an act, however, the adept will normally be required to go into seclusion until the blood wound heals, usually spending such time in meditation alone in the desert. Sacrifice magic is permitted.
Failure to adhere to the Bindari code of honor can range from a Mild
to a Heinous violation, depending upon the severity of the breach. Being
slow to offer the cup of peace, and having to be reminded to do so, would
be a Mild or Moderate violation, while deliberately slaying someone under
ayefiq would be Severe or Heinous, depending on the situation. Cutting
down a guest who was attempting to slay the chy'ib, for example, would
be less offensive than murdering a guest in cold blood, but both would
still constitute a violation.
The ritual of initiation is never discussed with non-Bindari, and hardly ever with others of their own people. It takes place well out away from all traces of civilization, and requires the presence of a Warden jurraq. Other than that, it is a private affair, to be spoken of only among the participants.
Karma Ritual: The adept spends a half hour considering a past
case that he had no part in, with multiple complications, reviewing the
decisions made and the legal and traditional precedents involved. When
the adept decides how he would have ruled in the case, and why, the ritual
is completed.
Important Attributes: Perception, Charisma, Willpower
Artisan Skills: Calligraphy, Sketching, Sand Painting, Storytelling
| Circle | Talent | Ability |
| 1 | Karma Ritual | |
| Melee Weapons | ||
| *Read/Write Languages | ||
| Unarmed Combat | ||
| First Impression | ||
| Steel Thought | ||
| 2 | Durability (6/5) | |
| *Evidence Analysis | ||
| Item History | ||
| 3 | *Lore Memory | |
| *Lore Recall | ||
| 4 | *Thread Weaving Social +1 | |
| Resist Taunt | ||
| 5 | Lip Reading Spell +1 | |
| Empathic Sense | ||
| 6 | Steely Stare | Karma: The el-kadi can use karma for any PER test. |
| *Speak Language | ||
| 7 | Detect Weapon | Clear Sight: The adept may increase his Perception Step for a single test, raising it by one point for each point of Strain he is willing to take. Perception may not be increased beyond double its base value. The increase lasts for only one test, but the adept may increase his Perception for as many tests as he can withstand the Strain. |
| Spirit Talk | ||
| 8 | Orbiting Spy | Social Defense +1 |
| True Sight | ||
| 9 | *Bardic Voice | True Speaking: For 2 points of Strain, the adept may speak 3 truths about any place, event, thing or person. The adept must have a link to the pattern of the subject: a minor pattern item, the presence of the subject, or the adept's presence at the place or the site of the event. The adept may specify what knowledge he is seeking, but what truths are actually revealed are up to the GM. |
| *Detect Falsehood | ||
| Memorize Image | ||
| 10 | Spirit Strike | Initiative: The adept's Initiative Step increases by 2. |
| Hypnotize | ||
| 11 | Spirit Hold | Spell Defense +2 |
| Sense Magic Weapon | ||
| 12 | Thought Link | Recovery: The adept gains two additional Recovery tests per day. |
| *Sense Poison | ||
| 13 | *Blood Guilt Weapon | Social Defense +2 |
| Detect Influence | Spell Defense +2 | |
| 14 | Matrix Strike | Karma: The adept's Max Karma increases by +40. |
| Mind Wave | Social Defense +1 | |
| 15 | Soul Shatter | Reading the Ancestral Pattern: For 2 points of Permanent Damage, the adept may reach back into the ancestral memories of his people, and recover knowledge that was known by any member of his tribe. The knowledge does not have to be something shared with another Bindari. All that is required is that one Bindari knew it at some point. Like True Speaking, the adept may specify what knowledge he is seeking, but the extent of what is recovered is determined by the GM. |
| Second Chance |
Adepts of this Discipline are under the same restrictions regarding
poison, hair, blood magic and tribal honor as the Jurraqi.
The children of an el-kadi are by custom trained into their parent's Discipline. Whether or not they become adepts determines their recruitment. Children who do not develop the Talents tend to become retainers and assistants to adept el-kadi. Occasionally, an el-kadi will spot a particularly wise and gifted child. Approaching the child's parents regarding training their offspring is normally done over a formal dinner hosted by the el-kadi. If the parents agree, and very few ever decline, their child goes to live with the el-kadi and is trained in the normal fashion thereafter. The child, however, is not adopted into the el-kadi's household, but retains their original House. Adults are not normally accepted for training, although exceptions may be made by Warden el-kadi. El-kadi Ghost Masters have occasionally begun training of a promising candidate who would have been otherwise overlooked, then sent the new el-kadi to the elders for formal initiation. This is an extraordinarily rare occurrence, however, having only happened fourteen times since the beginning of the Scourge, over five hundred years ago.
Adepts of the 13th through 15th Circles do not normally consult with others before making and carrying out decisions. When they do, they confer only with others of high rank. The Thought Link Talent is used for such consultations, to secure privacy.
To summon a Ghost Master, the el-kadi must first find a situation that lies well outside the existing precedents. The adept must compose a treatise in his mind, committing nothing to writing, detailing the situation and why it lies outside all previous judgements. Any distantly related precedents must be discussed, and a judgement rendered on the situation that not only does not conflict with existing traditions, but extends them in a way appropriate to their spirit.
Once this treatise is composed, requiring a minimum of one contiguous
week spent meditating for eight hours per day, the el-kadi must perform
the summoning ritual. With chalk or sand, the el-kadi draws the layout
of a judgement tent, then enters the ritual space, speaking the appropriate
formulae for opening a formal pronouncement. Taking the seat of judgement,
the el-kadi then delivers the treatise verbally as if pronouncing a judgement
before the clan. When the final ritual phrase is spoken, entering the decision
into the traditions, the Ghost Master appears, and the ritual then proceeds
as appropriate.
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| DEX: 8 STR: 9 TOU: 9
PER: 8 WIL: 9 CHA: 6 |
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| Initiative: 8 | Physical Defense: 10 |
| Number of Attacks: 1 | Spell Defense: 10 |
| Attack: 10 | Social Defense: 8 |
| Damage: 16 | Armor: 0 |
| Number of Spells: 0 | Mystic Armor: 4 |
| Spellcasting: 0 | Knockdown: 16 |
| Effect: 0 | Recovery Tests: 4 |
| Death Rating: 50 | Combat Movement: 75 |
| Wound Threshold: 14 | Full Movement: 150 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 43 | Legend Points: 140 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
Entire contents copyright c1998 Andrew W. Ragland. All rights reserved.
Earthdawn and all associated terms, ideas, and references copyright c1998
FASA Corporation. All rights reserved.