Race Upon the Land
Epona shows her cleric the truth of riding through fertile
bounty and overcoming those who would seize or destroy it.
Divine
Tests
1-3. It is time for quiet reflection,
at least 2d6 turns, though if mounted or in a place where horses dwell, she need
only take 1d3 turns, none if at a Node (q.v.)
4-9. All steeds
must return to pasture or stable at times and so too must the druidess of Epona.
She experiences a
reduction in spells available (50% chance for each one) for the rest of the
day. Roll 1d6 for each spell lost to determine what she needs to do in order to
get it back before then:
[1]
Ride a willing mount for at least 1 hour
[2]
Run free for the next 2 hours
[3]
Stop to graze upon oats and forage foods for 1d6 rounds at a time (she can digest them), whenever new
ones become available, for the rest of the day
[4]
Promote fertility, whether in herself or in others (a base 50% chance of
success for each attempt per hour)
[5]
Repel or slay a humanoid invader, foreign to the land
[6]
Put a tyrant or despoiler of nature in his or her place: any will do, but it
will most likely earn his or her ire (a 95% chance)
10-12. Epona rides far and her horse
cult has similarities to a number of other Divinities. Rather than experiencing
a Race Upon the Land, reroll and consider this Test to actually be for one of
the following instead (roll 1d4):
[1]
Artemis (see Vol I)
[2]
Danu (see Vol. II)
[3]
Eostre (bonus Divinity- contact Dan for the link)
[4]
Manannan (see Vol. II)
The
Referee should feel free to adjust any results to make them more ‘Gallic’. See
the Appendix of Divinities and Cults: Volume II for guidelines, though Epona is
quite gentle and strong.
13-17. It is now
best for the druidess of Epona to be changed in order to better experience
fertile freedom. Each one lasts for 4d6 hours per instance of this Test. Roll
1d4 to determine what the alteration is:
[1] Be changed into a horse in all regards except
for her mind: the type is determined by the druidess’s nature (per Referee;
even a unicorn or pegasus if over 5th level).
[2] Turn into a Gallic centaur mare, granting her +1
HD and the speed of a horse, while still being able to speak and use her upper
body normally. Still, she will also get some strange looks from others (a 65%
chance), as well as a -4 penalty to Casting Rolls.
[3] Become a Godivan nymph: she must remain mounted
and unclad and any ‘peeping toms’ that look at her at first must save twice to
avoid blindness and even death! The rest just avoid taxation.
[4] Merge into the land itself as some sort of Gallic
genius loci. She will be aware of what goes on in a 1d20 x 10 yard radius area,
leaving a hill figure-type chalk representation upon the ground, even being
able to cast spells within the place. Others may attempt to Commune with her,
as per the spell during this time, though she may not leave.
18+ Some Races Upon the Land face
challenges, and this is one of them. Whatever strangeness befalls her, the
druidess must remember that all occurs for the sake of fertility. Roll
1d4.
[1]
In eponymous fashion, the druidess’s name now becomes associated with the general
locale that she is standing in when this Test occurs, causing likely confusion when
discussed from now on (a base 75% chance), even possibly hostility from
strangers (a base 20% chance).
[2]
All horses within her presence now talk, causing those unfamiliar to save or
become hostile to either the steeds (a base 25% chance) and/or to the druidess
herself (a base 75% chance). Luckily, they are likely to stop talking once she
departs: a 85% chance, minus 10% per instance of this Test.
[3]
Rainbows, bright colors, hearts, glitter, and unicorn horns adorn any mounts
that the druidess of Epona rides or is within 60’ feet of for the next 1d6
hours. All those of a masculine disposition that witness such a fey effect must
save or suffer a -3 to all rolls during this time, due to manly disgust.
[4]
Though the druidess would only do what is right for her people and would expel
invaders and despoilers, they are misled and do not see it that way. Via a vote
(or the like) she is denied the next leadership role that she would have.
