Divine Tests1-6: To shine, one must reflect. The priest incurs a -1d3 penalty to his rolls for the next 1d12 hours. It could be that he's entered a less fortunate otherworld (see further below), or at least gets a glimpse of one.
- For example, an animist priest of Meness may find it difficult to attune with the local spirits (as well as do other things) for the next 3 hours. Perhaps they have become different somehow, or has he?
7-11: The moon sets and the priest loses access to some of his spells and/or turn ability (a 50% chance for each one) until he takes certain acts based on his emphasis approach test requirements (see below) to satisfy them individually. Whatever they are, they'll be more challenging than what his spells would normally need.
- With a focus on paganism, a priest of Meness might have to use a rare silver sword, tempt yet ensure fidelity amongst 4 women not akin to such things, and eliminate 5 dark invaders, so he can use 3 of his spells again.
12-17: Moonshine can alter all it bathes. The priest is changed for the next 1d12 days, becoming more obviously attuned to local spirits, Baltic myth, or folkways, perhaps even an otherworldly version of himself. Three of his ability scores are reduced by 1d3, one improved by 1d3, and the alterations will be noted by others. Even more, the priest is strongly influenced by the moon in other ways while it lasts: +1 to rolls regarding new beginnings when Waxing, +1 regarding completeness or restoration when Full, +1 regarding endings when Waning, -1 to all rolls when New.
- For a folk magic priest, he might become more unearthly, losing 2 Strength, 3 Intelligence, and 1 Constitution, but gain 3 Wisdom for 7 days, being represented by having a silvery sheen to his form and softly glowing eyes. Upon noticing it, non-moon types may take pause, some even wondering if he's somehow been replaced with an odd double. At least if the moon were Full, he'd have a bonus to mending any fences while it lasts.
18+ To avenge the sun goddess's honor, the storm god strikes the priest, breaking the moon for a time, lasting for 1d3 days per divine test result over 17. His emphasis approach determines what occurs. For repeated results, other forces and cults may turn upon him too, adjusting the results as well, possibly related to the priest slipping into some otherworld, or inhabitants of some otherworld slipping into his. Beware the lunar light.
Animist - Unless the moon is full and in view, the priest's chances of being able to contact the local spirits is only 75% if Gibbous, 50% if Half, 25% if Crescent, or 0% if New or out of sight, showing only its dark side.
Paganism - The priest is formally accused by the cult of Saule with the backing of the cult of Perkunas. Usually potential allies, the sun goddess and the storm god's faithful and priests instead now work to chastise and forcibly imprison him for some apparent infidelity, even if untrue.
Folk Magic - Fertility is needed, but it can interfere with love. A man may want a woman, who only wants another man, who doesn't want her instead. Each grown person that the priest encounters must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or be so quite unfortunately smitten, with the save DC increasing by 6 if they aren't already betrothed. What might engender romance for some also may be accursed by others for now.
- A folk magic priest experiencing a divine test result of 21 could have much lunacy occurring around him for 8 days, with heartache only being unexperienced by saves, -6 more if no husbands and wives are in the vicinity. With a repeated incidence of this test, a cult of Velnias (detailed in a few weeks) might be at work, so such things can be triggered by purer chaos than the sun and storms having issues with the moon, perhaps even originating from some otherworld entirely.
Make a Charisma check* with a -5 penalty to negotiate with strange local spirits while attuning at a new sacred grove (alka) or (roll d4)...
1. In a new place, but familiar land with the moon at a certain phase: new, crescent, gibbous, or full- roll d4 to see which one is needed.
Support moonlike philosophy by (roll d4)...
1. Using a sword, chariot, or plow made of silver, engage in considerable moonlit lovemaking, or by having been in a new sacred grove (alka)- determine at random which one it is each time this result is rolled.
2. Enticing fertility while also encouraging fidelity in those not akin to that- especially by women and wives (which will trigger sunny types).
3. Removing 2d3 dark folk from this world, made obvious by seeing how their spiritual corruption shows through their hides.
4. Spreading love, fertility, or alternate possibilities to 2d3 other Balts or similar types.
Use moonlike components, such as a (roll d4)...
1. Group of at least 1d3 other Baltic or similar folk that's around, who have only now been led to be lunar.
2. Very rare and valuable item from an alternate place or any silver worth at least 1d3 x 100 gps- that's taken with the spell.
3. A notable symbol of love, a chariot, or a sword that has a moon origin or strong association- expended afterward.
4. 2d3 fights, plowings, or romantic encounters- roll d3 to determine at random each time which it is.
Otherworlds
Apart from the Upper, Middle, and Lower of the Balts, other otherworlds exist. And though potentially strange, some of these 'alternate realities' might make far more sense than this one. Use what follows when called for by magical side-effects and tests of Meness, or even from just gazing at the moon too long. The table listed under Manannan Mac Lir in Volume II or under Odin in the upcoming Companion I can provide some ideas as well. All is illumed as a result.
Visitors to otherworlds will have such changes either improve or penalize certain rolls for them by + or - 1d6 (an equal chance of either) while there, or be multiplied by +/- 25% if need be. Still, it may take some time for them to realize what's happened.
Roll a d12 to see in what manner each traveler is affected.
1. Health: How one's body responds in general to the very nature of such a place.
2. Wealth: What are one's financial prospects and what bounty can be found here?
3. Love: How fairly the fairer sex treats them, how well in return, and for how long does such persist.
4. Liberty: To what extent are they free from drudgery, toil, tyrant, or mob rule?
5. Belonging: Does one feel at home at this place, or like some sort of outcast?
6. Recuperation: How well can one find rest, comfort, recovery, and be at ease, whether the world itself is like a dream or not.
7. Power: Would one's skills and talents be more or less potent here?
8. Variety: How much selection does one have, or are choices peculiar, which may even adjust other aspects above.
9. Luck: Whether an adversarial or amicable domain, it can make quite a difference in nearly all cases.
10. Sense of Purity / Corruption: Something unseen and altogether potent is at work here, affecting the visitor deeply and especially, not only with rolls, but in other ways too.
11. Hope: What is the outlook for events in this place, and do things make sense or is it some sort of world of clowns, affecting more than just modifiers?
12. Various: Reroll twice- the otherworld is quite odd indeed.
Referees should feel free to create whatever otherworlds they wish. The following can help guide in what divergences may have caused the effects above to occur. Of course, Referees could decide to make the changes not actually be true, simply created in the 'traveler's' mind, rather making them experience lunacy, believing that they're in another world although they're not. Still, even if the changes are true, locals might see the traveler as moon-struck in any case. Roll d12 or select below.
1. Divinities: The gods, goddesses, or cults primarily followed here are different, or even unknown to the traveler.
2. Local Spirits: What interacts with mortals might be more harmonious or haunting, or even absent entirely.
3. Folk: The people themselves are changed, whether in manner, who rules, level of sanity, culture, type, or even race- the latter making them perhaps not even people at all.
4. Particular Personage: A certain individual has set contrasting events in motion, possibly even being one of the visitors' doubles.
5. The Landscape: Anything from terrain to geography to even the written word might vary, or even their meanings, let alone how they're pronounced.
6. Flora / Fauna: What grows and roams can be unusual at best (or beast), affecting food availability or taste, what blooms, as well as palatability or peril.
7. The Sky Above: Whether recent or always the case, the place has a noticeably variant firmament, sun, moon, stars, or even weather or warmth- or lack thereof.
8. Historic Anomaly: What would have happened, has not, or the reverse, whether extinction or war, with changes now apparent.
9. Monsters: How common and dangerous are supernatural beings or fell creatures, yet alone understood?
10. Differing Technology: More primitive or advanced, or simply distinct in reliability or use.
11. Magic: High or low, fantastic or gritty, wonderland or sorcerous, or lacking magic in every respect.
12. Doom: Does some woe beset the land or cataclysm impending, or is such not the case at all?
For example, a group of three Balts journey into an otherworld, thanks to one of the magical side-effects of Meness. The first experiences a minor negative change, suffering a -1 to all rolls related to his wealth. It may be found that in this place, he has 25% less treasure than what he had stored when he left, and all money endeavors become 1 more difficult.
The second does quite well, getting a +4 for love. She enjoys even better treatment from her husband here, who had actually died in the world she came from, certainly a 100% improvement at least.
The third does quite badly, getting a -5 for luck. Things just don't seem to work out for him while in this place, with all sorts of strange misfortune occurring 125% more often than normal.
The Referee determines that the divergence and reason for these changes is that a different king reigns in this otherworld instead (Particular Personage). He has raised taxes, taking some of the first Balt's wealth. He never sent the second Balt's husband to war though, so the latter still lives and is quite exuberant. And last, he simply just doesn't like the third Balt, who may have a double in this place who was a villain and has been cursed. The whole situation would be particularly ironic if the different king here is someone they all knew in their original world, and two of the three would only be too happy to return and punish (the non-reigning version of) him.
Other changes can affect the travelers as well, depending on how many divergences occur. It may also take them some time to realize that they are in fact elsewhere in the first place, but having more things altered can make it more obvious.
Folk Variations
Meness can be seen as the man in the moon in many lands.
- Arawn: Welsh, lord of the otherworld, though via death.
- Manannan Mac Lir: Gaelic, though interested in the sea, see Volume II.
- Mani: Norse / Germanic, also chased by the wolf Sköll.
- Myesyats: Slavic, husband of the morning or evening star, Dazbog's uncle.
- Nanna: Mesopotamian, see Volume III.
For example, a priest of Manannan could use some of the magic side-effects and tests of Meness, and vice versa.
