Sky Fire
Svarog will
illuminate for his faithful all that sparks underneath his great domain.
Image: Life of the
East Slavs by Sergey Ivanov, 1908.
Divine Tests
1-3. Gaze upon all that Svarog has forged! The cleric must
do so for the next 2d6 turns, except if a smith’s fire or beautiful skyscape is
available for his viewing (a base 25% chance in appropriate areas). In this
case, the cleric then need only gaze for 1d3 turns.
4-8. The volkhv 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 he needs to do in order to regain it before then:
[1] Make sure a
marriage is monogamous (a base 50% chance that it is not already so). If not,
then he must take steps to correct it!
[2] Administer at a
Kapishche for 2d6 turns (Slavic
outdoor sacred enclosure). If not available, a new one can be built with the
assistance of 1d4 others and 1d20 in gold pieces for double that amount of time.
[3] Consult omens for
1d3 turns, though the spell only has a 50% chance of returning in this manner
(if it was a bad omen!)
[4] Engage in a ritual lasting at least 2d6
turns, requiring 1d6 other participants, a good fire, and either a lawful land
or the open sky (or both).
[5] Make an offering
of harvest foods that reflect the nature of the spell lost (per Referee).
[6] Make a living
sacrifice that matches the nature of the spell lost (are there any missionaries
around?)
9-12. As Sky Father, Svarog has many children. Rather than
experiencing Sky Fire from Svarog directly, reroll and consider the Test to actually
be for one of the following Divinities instead (roll 1d4):
[1] Dazbog (as Apollo:
see Vol I)
[2] Svarožič (as Vulcan:
see Vol II)
[3] Perun (as Thor:
see Vol. I)
[4] Lada (as Freya:
see Vol. I)
The Referee should
feel free to adjust any results to make them more ‘Slavic’, especially until
those Divinities can be given their own, unique entries in a later work.
13-17. Whether it be Chernobog or some stone-stealing duck, the priest of Svarog becomes preternaturally
intolerant of dark, primitive, and/or deceitful beings. Even if it might seem
foolhardy at the time, he must now save or attack such creatures and individuals on
sight until they’ve fallen, though he also now gains a bonus to all other rolls
made against them, as well, by becoming more (roll 1d4): [1] bright, [2] windy,
[3] fiery, or [4] lawful-smith-like. For every Sky Fire result over 12, increase
the difficulty of the save by 2 and the bonus to all other rolls by 1 (for -2
save/ +1 to all other rolls for #13, -4 save/ +2 to all other rolls for #14,
etc.) Though the effect is permanent, additional instances of these results may
only adjust the priest’s visage and modifiers to different types and values:
they do not accumulate.
18+ Svarog forged this world and it might come
to an end at any time! The cleric realizes this truth and the next adult being he
looks at (that could be considered ‘an encounter’) has a 50% of ceasing to
exist! If that being continues to exist, then the next one he looks at has a
50% chance of ceasing to exist, and so on. This Test continues until one being
ceases to exist for every Sky Fire result over 17. The cleric would be wise to avoid
reflective surfaces during this time...