Witen
General InformationPronunciationWite like “white”; Witen like “wit in”
Other NamesWitch-Birds, Hags
OriginsFirstborn of the Elder Children
AffiliationZhē Drūmor
MembersAderyn Sly, the Grandmother, Adargin
Physical DescriptionLifespanIndefinite on account of corruption by the Void
DistinctionsOwl-like; gifted with magic; tainted by madness
Height5’-5’5”
PlumageMostly molted feathers and quills, sometimes tinges of color remain
SkinLeathery brown; wrinkled and deformed, often mottled
It is told among the wise that in the time before the Fall, the Witen (sg. Wite) were a fair and joyous people. Their delight was in dancing winds and falling snows; and they were swift of wing, being fashioned in the like of owls by their father Gimīlhizar. Firstborn of the Elder Children, their lives and memories are long, and much of their knowledge they bent to the service of their maker, who was also their master. Then, when Gimīlhizar did the first of his most hateful deeds, for which he was named Zhē Drūmor, the Mad One, he called his servants to him, and out of love the Witen obeyed.
In his icy mansions at Rankaros, the Witen became perverted into beings of sorcery and death. Their skin gnarled and twisted. Their feathers fouled. They made secrets of their lore. And deep in their black hearts, the Witen loathed he who brought them into misery. Today, the Enemy of the Earth is gone, but the Witen remain. Witch-Birds and Hags they are called now, wicked creatures, for the shadow of Zhē Drūmor is a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed, and the Witen must bear his dark fruit until the end of days.
Character Creation
Starting Characteristics
Brawn: 2 Agility: 1 Intellect: 2
Cunning: 3 Willpower: 2 Presence: 2
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Wound Threshold: 8 + Br
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Strain Threshold: 11 + Will
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Starting Experience: 80 XP
Special Abilities
Starting Skills: Witen begin the game with one rank in Deception or Occult.
Foul Feathers: A Wite can slow their descent from great heights and can glide over small gaps or distances while falling. While conscious, a Wite suffers half damage from falling.
Knell of the Mad One: When spending Destiny Points, Witen flip Destiny Points from dark to light instead of from light to dark.
Old Magic: Witen begin with Instinct as a career skill and one rank in Instinct.
Soothsayer: Witen occasionally see glimpses of the future, letting them predict certain events even before they occur. In addition to seeing flashes of the future at the GM’s discretion, a Wite may spend a triumph result on a check to determine Initiative to perform a free maneuver before the encounter begins or to have an ally in short range perform a free maneuver before the encounter begins.