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Gates of Tartarus – Grimoire Additions
Patronage of Morana (General Winter) – The Death of Winter
Morana, Mara, Mazanna, General Winter; these are all names of the hauntingly beautiful but deadly
Slavic spirit of winter. Revered, feared and honoured all across the Slavic lands before the collapse, she
is most commonly appeased at the end of winter by the burning of wicker effigies to give thanks for
having survived the cold harsh winter safely. Once bound and imprisoned by the tyrant Yaroslav of
Kiev in the late 1390’s she was freed by the Mongols under Tsubodai and Batu Khan and has
remained so ever since.
The title General Winter comes from the wars of Jerome Bonaparte against Alexander of Russia. Here
they feigned defeat, lured Alexander’s armies over a huge frozen lake where Morana lay in wait then
cracked the ice and froze their enemies to death in the ice cold waters. This incident became known as
“The Planned Retreat”.
Note that all of the below apply vs cold & not ice, where such a distinction
matters.
Basic Patronage – may resist any on-going environmental cold effect for 2 essence or
body (per scene) with a short prayer asking Morana to watch over them. If they
could already do so (e.g. via Wilderness Lore), then they gain 1 free power a scene
for fueling such resistance when used against environmental cold.
GM (Any) – Burnt Effigies – if spends time making an effigy of a person from
something flammable and then physically burns it in offering to Morana within a
place, while within that place or its immediate environs (e.g. a house + gardens)
gains 3 power per scene to resist cold effects (in a similar manner to a warmth spell)
but no additional ability to do so. If other people, without this GM, are involved in
the offering and guided by the person with this GM, then they gain 1 power per
scene to resist cold effects.
GM (Any) – The Depth of Winter – for 2 essence and a short invocation may call
upon the protection of General Winter. This lasts a scene (and can be used in as
many scenes as desired for 2 essence a go, in exactly the same way as a shaman spirit
is invoked & maintained) and lets you aegis cold based damage and effects for 2
essence a go. Using this aegis shocks you.
GM (Air & Water) – Calling of Winter – now knows the standard cold spells (see
Frost Giant) up to their lowest rank in Air and Water magic (so Apprentice Air, JM
Water = knows Novice & Apprentice cold spells). Obviously doesn’t need to be
master in Air/Water to buy this Patronage GM.
Living Galvanic Elemental Attunement Crystals (Element) – are each a single
unique living galvanic crystal for a given element (each bound separately), grown to
be a perfect vessel for storing elementals of a given type. Each crystal is well made
and counts as fulfilling all three form/function/colour requirements for holding
elementals of their type and can hold an additional +2 of that type. Binding an
elemental into or drawing one forth from one of these crystals draws on life-force (as
per galvanism) at power one.
Bound Greater Minion of Desolation – Allows the bearer to cast Choke (2
Willpower, As often as desired) – This fills the targets lungs with sulphurous gas,
stunning them for 10 seconds. It can be reduced to a shock with Journeyman Fitness
for 1 Body and reduced again to nothing for a further 1 Body. Has a range of Close.
Bound Minion of the Hungerer – Allows the bearer to cast Hunger (1 Willpower,
Once per Day) – This curses the target such that they feel ravenously hungry. This
doubles power cost and does not naturally end.
Bound Minion of the Great Devourer – Grants +2 Body to the bearer.
Parthian Spear – the first weapon to draw blood at the Battle of Carrhae. This is a Master-
Crafted Spear which is also a Talisman of Dehydration [the published combined
fire/water spell] (it is specifically capable of binding three Salamanders and three
undines to it).
The Battle of Carrhae was an important battle between the Parthian Empire and the Roman
Republic: it was fought near the town of Carrhae, in 53 BC. The
Parthian Spahbod ("general") Surena decisively defeated a Roman invasion force, led
by Marcus Licinius Crassus. It was the first of the battles between the Roman and Persian
empires, and one of the most crushing defeats in Roman history.
Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate and the wealthiest man in Rome, had been
enticed by the prospect of military glory and riches and decided to invade Parthia without the
official consent of the Senate. Rejecting an offer from the Armenian King Artavasdes II to
allow Crassus to invade Parthia via Armenia, Crassus marched his army directly through the
deserts of Mesopotamia. His army clashed with Surena's force near Carrhae, a small town in
modern-dayTurkey. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Surena's cavalry completely
outmanoeuvred the Roman heavy infantry, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers.
Crassus himself was killed when truce negotiations turned violent. His death led to the end of
the First Triumvirate and the resulting civil wars between Julius Caesar and Pompey.