Horse Divinities & Folk Variations
Characters can select various horse totem abilities, spells, side-effects, and totem tests to replace ones they would normally have, reflecting how the horse can bring one to new places. Select or roll 1d6.
Characters can select various horse totem abilities, spells, side-effects, and totem tests to replace ones they would normally have, reflecting how the horse can bring one to new places. Select or roll 1d6.
1. Greek & Centaurs: Followers of Zeus can espouse Pegasus, mixing the swiftness of the steed with the flying ability of the eagle to assist with thunderbolt use and vanquishing monsters. Poseidon's acolytes may instead espouse Hippocampus which combines piscine water-abilities, Arion which emphasizes virility and battle. Other Greek divinities & titans are followed by centaurs, who can make for iconic horse barbarians and shamans (link).
2. Roman: Mars's devotees often enjoy harnessing the horse via Equus October, and thereby focus on its more martial and sacrificial aspects. Charioteering is emphasized too, see #6 below for details.
3. Celtic: Detailed here (link), as horse goddess, Epona represents a tie to the land. The totem can be used to emphasize that and to add a variety of choices for her faithful as well.
4. Anglo-Saxon: Until they can be described in more detail, Hengist and Horsa (stallion and horse) can be represented fully by the totem as divinities. Instead of shamans, they are served by clerics who use the Anglo-Saxon magical side-effect table 50% of the time instead (link). Similarly all random results become averaged. For example a +1d3 modifier becomes a +2, because the magic of divinities is more steady than that of totems.
4. Anglo-Saxon: Until they can be described in more detail, Hengist and Horsa (stallion and horse) can be represented fully by the totem as divinities. Instead of shamans, they are served by clerics who use the Anglo-Saxon magical side-effect table 50% of the time instead (link). Similarly all random results become averaged. For example a +1d3 modifier becomes a +2, because the magic of divinities is more steady than that of totems.
4. Norse: Odin's faithful can emphasize the horse's travel quality, even unto other realms, via Sleipnir. Such power can take on more abstractions with the Raidho (riding) and Ehwaz (horse) runes, granting might via transition and union respectively. The latter can become quite prevalent amongst the cult of Freyr especially.
5. Slavic: The horse's free movement can be emphasized in the followers of Jarilo. Dazbog's devotees too can harness the horse, though via his chariot, and is more swift and martial in nature. All would benefit upon the open plain.
6. Sintashta & Chariots: Following along the trend of chariots, the Indo-European Sintashta culture is perhaps the first to use horses to protect their lands and defeat their foes in such a manner. They, and others like them, can use many of the totems benefits, especially ones that aid in conquest. And with the chariot aspect, they can grant another who is next to them the same benefits at the same time, though with double the chance of a divine test. It is a powerful but dangerous endeavor indeed.
Next week: we move on from Totems for now and begin a new series on Folk, starting with Elves!
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