Moonbeak and the Seven Heroes

The Duck Cults

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History

Before Time

The duck races appeared as the result of a curse during the Great Darkness. Their oral traditions reveal a weak goddess of water, bird and plant powerless to influence the events of Godtime providing only a vehicle for the outpourings of misery. The Dawn of Time did not change things and the ducks remained oppressed.

Since Time

For a long while, centuries perhaps, the duck races were oppressed and used as slaves by trollkind, as a result of trollish sizeism. During this time, the ducks in their misery worshipped their ineffectual goddess whilst being fattened for the troll tables. Then toward the end of the Dawn Age appeared a duck called Moonbeak, some say of the Mallard tribe. He attained Hero status and set about liberating all of duck kind. He inspired seven like minded ducks, one from each of the tribes, and all eight heroes went on quests to gain skills, spells and abilities by gift, work, trade, mediation and (most frequently) by outright theft. The heroes then came together and led by Moonbeak launched a crusade against trollish slavery and liberated duck-kind. At the same time, the Lunar cults were battling for their own state and ever since the relations between the duck and the human cults have been good. The ducks proved instrumental in defeating the Second Darkness and according to duck history launched the final assault upon Trollcastle by the forces of light. The ducks also claim responsibility for the Curse of the Trollkin whereby the trolls who were sizeist were stricken with smallness and promptly enslaved by their larger brethren. The eight heroes ascended to Godhood at the end of the Dawn Age and their cult has burgeoned since as ducks spread throughout the world during the Moon Age.

Life After Death

All ducks look forward to joining the Eight Hero Gods in Hell, but full spiritual development demands that cultists be able to return from the dead. Only the shaman cult of Ghostwalker does not allow Resurrection or Death Divints. Initiates of Ghostwalker may die only once no matter which other cults they join.

Runic Associations

All the eight duck Hero-Gods share the Bird rune, of course.

Duckweed retained the original runes of Water and Plant and may be regarded as the vestigial remains of the ancient Duck Goddess. The worshippers of Duckweed grow water plants and are responsible for feeding the duck communities. They are greatly revered by duck kind for they sustain their brethren.

Featherdown learnt the healing arts from Lucifer and has the Life rune.

Ghostwalker learnt the shamanic arts and is now attributed the runes of Death and Spirit, possibly stolen from Azrael.

Hawkeye learnt about the Beasts and was one of the three heroes who stole some Lunar powers from Selene. He used these powers to hunt in the Second Darkness when nothing grew.

Moonbeak himself stole his element Selene and his sword skills from Humakt, who unlike the Moon Goddess resents this particularly as the duck hero lacks restraint being the Moon-Bird of Disorder.

Nimblewing learnt the arts of leatherworking and artisanry from Neibelung by honest craft rather than theft and she mastered the art of making leather armour last forever. She has the runes of Stasis and Mastery.

Razorbill was the ascetic. He disciplined himself to overcome Trollish opponents by natural means without resorting to artificial weapons. He is attributed the runes of Harmony with Mastery or Fate.

Finally, Webweaver the third of the Moon-thieves who stole their element from the Moon, but unlike the others stopped to learn of the power as well as her element. Her runes are Moon and Illusion and her powers were used to ensnare the unwary in unseen traps.

Nature of the Cult

The eight duck hero gods' worship falls into that grey area between subcults of one deity and that of separately worshipped gods. There are eight deities but just one vehicle of worship and all ducks are at least lay members. The cult exists to serve duckkind and provide for them the means and reason for living, defining their place in duck society.

Most ducks will initiate into more than one cult and may join upto three. A layduck of one is a layduck of all. Non-ducks are allowed to join but one subcult, and may find certain required skills beyond them.

The cults ethos is centred on duck freedom from racial oppressions. It has little in the way of a coherent theology - individuals pick and choose aspects of worship as they please.

Socio-Political Position and Power

The cult is nowhere powerful and indeed political power is an alien concept to ducks who value freedom and only dabble in politics to preserve their own freedom and racial security relative to other societies. Other peoples opinion of them varies. Trolls hate them, of course. Their artisans are valued for their skill in leather working. On the whole, ordinary folk are baffled by a streak of devil-may-care attitude - the ducks care only for personal freedom and racial freedom and even their lives are secondary to these issues.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

Ducks hate trolls but sensibly don't persue vengeance but are content to take revenge when and where opportunities arise. Duck fashion tends towards harassment and maiming and stops short of killing as they value mental torture above physical. Many people believe that ducks are in fact not particularly concerned with vengeance but they are mistaken for their love of personal freedom and natural frivolity masks an abiding racial memory of when they were bred like cattle for food. Generally Darkness is not liked, Chaos is distrusted and where the two meet a genuine hatred arises.

Moonbeak is very friendly to all the cults from which the Heroes gained skills by any means, the ducks referring to them all as associates, but several (notably Humakt) are hostile to the ducks regarding them as thieves of skills, abilities, and spells. Selene alone returns the friendship perhaps because of aid given during the Lunar Wars at the end of the Dawn Age.

Finally, the ducks get on well with the other minority cults of races onece oppressed such as Blueface and Sawtooth. Relations with Phoenix are mixed but it is noticeable that the Chaos Fire Bird cult supported duck kind against the trolls and are regarded as associate.

Organization

Duck society is organized into communes based around shallow, fast-flowing, fresh water, suitable for growing cress. The communes may be near towns or away in the wilderness. The commune is ruled by two bodies, each of eight individuals representing the eight tribes and the eight subcults and the ways of life that goes with them. Below this, organization is very loose and based only upon such personal ties as between the individual and, for example, his parents, siblings, priest, tutor, etc.

Duckpoint is the home of the duck religion and is held to be where the eight heroes met to launch their crusade against the trolls. Here there is the duck Priest who has spiritual suzerainity of all worshippers but rarely exercises his authority. He can call all ducks to war. He is recognized as an independant Prince by the Duke of Heliopolis but this was obtained so as to free the ducks from other ties. His is not a hereditary position but one elected for life.

Centres of Power and Holy Places

If power resides in anywhere in duck society, it is at Duckpoint, though it is seldom used. There are two important holy places - Duckpoint, and the mountain peak Octherne where the Eight Heroes ascended to Godhood.

Holy Days and High Holy Days

The seasonal holy day is Waterday, Illusion week. That in Dark season is the High Holy Day, commemorating the fall of Trollcastle. The ducks are known to celebrate Moonday as a day of no work, and for not recognizing Sacred Time due to their gods' being born since time began and attaining godhood heroically.

Lay Membership

All ducks are lay emebers from birth. Trolls and other Darkness creatures are barred. Furry races may join at CHA−5, feathered at full CHA, and others at CHA−10. Obvious chaos features are not allowed and chaos creatures, e.g. broos, must prove exceptional in a test of (POW+CHA)×⁵⁄₂.

Ducks are lay members of all eight subcults, non-ducks may only be lay members of one. Members must sacrifice one piont of power on a holy day and two on the high holy day. Ducks get free room and board, non-ducks must pay, but only cheaply. All laymen must give all they earn to the cult, unless they earn it by heroic means, e.g. theft, when they can keep all but half. Lay ducks are considered as being part of the community. They may have full-price training in all cult skills and spells but usually specialize in their parents professions or similar. Other races gain full price training in the skills and spells of just one of the subcults, and are regarded as belonging to just that subcult.

Lay members are expected to work their way towards initiate status but no particular stigma is attached if they should choose to join other (non-anathema) cults - after all this is how the Eight Heroes originally gained their deific powers.

Initiate Membership

To qualify for initiation a person must be a lay member for at least one year and have all the relevant subcult skills at 50% or better. He must pass a test abstracted as [swimming skill% + (POW+CHA)×⁵⁄₂%] ⁄ 2, with CHA modified as for the lay members test.

The first subcult initiated into gives the cultist a gift from the Hero-God and a geas. Non-ducks may only initiate into one subcult, but duck initates may later initate into a total of three subcults, gaining additional geases but no more gifts. Failure to initiate into a subcult means that the lay member must wait ine whole year before reapplying to that subcult. Ducks may attempt to initate into further subcults during that time, non-ducks may not.

A fumble on the initiation test means that non-ducks must leave the Duck Heroes' worship and not return; ducks are barred from joining that particular subcult. Initiates have the same benefits and restrictions as laymembers, save that they may keep 90% of cash and kind gained by questing. Ducks are very keen on quests and the cult likes to encourage this. Other benefits accrue according to the following tables.

 

Runelord Membership

Runelord ducks of the Eight Heroes pantheon can be distinguished by the feathers that grow from the sides of their heads which look like, and are usually referred to as, ears. Their colour usually contrasts with the head of the duck.

To qualify for Runelord, the applicant must have 15+ POW, mastery of all four relevant subcult skills plus one other cult skill - Note that right and left handed sword attack count as one skill. Swimming does not count as a cult skill for this purpose. The candidate must also have been an initate of good standing for at least two years and completed at least one famous quest or mighty deed.

To be accepted the candidate must pass a test abstracted as (DEX+(2×CHA))×⁵⁄₃%, with charisma modifiers for non-ducks as for laymen. If accepted, the Runelord is inaugurated at the following High Holy Day. The ears start to grow within 5-10 days.

The Runelord is expected to perform heroically and teach skills every once in a while. He leads the duck warriors when they fight en masse. Other restrictions are as for initiates.

He may attune iron, though he won't be given any. He gains an allied spirit which is usually put into armour, but can be a waterfowl familiar or, in the case of Ghostwalker, is a fetch. He gains Runelord Divine Intervention, magic resistance etc. However, only the skills of the subcult of which he is a Runelord may rise above 100%, but he may become a Runelord of as many subcults as he is allowed to join and for which he qualifies.

Ducklords (as they are known) are expected to really epitomise the Hero-God to whom they are attached and they are the champuions of the oppressed.

Runepriesthood

Supposedly titled Duckpriests, ducks frequently call their priests beaks in a most irreverent fashion.

To qualify, an initiate of at least three years standing must have 18+ POW, Read/Write Duckwrite at 90%+ plus one specific skill at 75%+:

• Duckweed - Duck History
• Featherdown - Diagnosis
• Ghostwalker - Duck Ancestor Lore
• Hawkeye - Spot Hidden
• Moonbeak - Spot/Set Ambush
• Nimblewing - Bargaining
• Razorbill - Meditation
• Webweaver - Tracking

The applicant must pass a test of:

(the average of all the subcult skills + (2×INT) + (3×CHA) − 100) %.

Charisma is modified as for the lay members test. Bonuses may be applied if the candidate is known for conducting quests, but questing is not required.

If successful, ordination follows at the next High Holy Day. Failure requires reapplication, but the reapplicant must have 90%+ in the cult specific skill. A third attempt may be made when the skill rises to 100%. If this test is failed, no further attempts may be made and it is assumed that the candidate is not wanted as a priest by that Hero.

Duckpriests may be recognized by their bald heads - the down falls out within days of ordination. They may not allow a duck of their tribe to be oppressed or afflicted by a stronger party. Usually he will petition a Ducklord to lead a rescue party.

A duck whose first ordination is into Ghostwalker gains a fetch rather than an allied spirit and he is a shaman. Otherwise, becoming a priest of Ghostwalker only grants access to the Ghostwalker Runemagics. Both Ghostwalker shamen and Razorbill priests require a full year of additional free training before they are recognized.

Runespell Compatibility

Duckpriests have access to the following standard Runemagics: Absorbtion, Dismiss Elemental I, II, and III, Divination, Divine Intervention, Multispell I, Reflection, Shield, Spell Teaching, and Warding. Certain subcults have access to elementals as described below. Each Hero has his own Runemagics to which his priests have access, which are marked with the Hero's initial letter. The three point spell Mindblast may only be sacrificed for by Runelevels and only Ducklord-Priests and High Priests get it reusably. Initiates have access to all relevant reusable Runemagics on a one use basis.

Cult Special Runespells

One Point Spells

Ascetic Power:^R Range Self; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable
This spell, when cast, boosts the casters characteristic POW by two, even beyond racial maximum. This power is available immediately, affecting POW rolls, spell offence and defence, spirit combat, and is available to fuel spells. When the spell expires, remaining unused power may be used to top up the caster's current power. Casting the spell requires a successful ascetic concentration roll for each point.

Duck Courage:^N Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable
This spell may be cast upon any duck. It causes the recipient to become steadfast and fearless, immune to all spells which impair morale, i.e. not Fanaticism or Berserker. It has an interesting effect on Befuddle, although confused the recipient will know who cast the befuddle and will attack him fanatically if possible, followed by anyone else who casts a spell on the recipient. Stacking increases the number of individuals affected or doubles the duration.

Flurry:^R Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Stackable to 4 points; Reusable
When cast upon a bird, this spell confers 2 points of Shimmer and 2 points of Countermagic. It will confer only 1 point of Shimmer and 2 points of Countermagic on furry creatures. Bareskinned creatures gain only 2 points of Countermagic. This spell is not compatible with Shield, Absorbtion, etc. It causes the feathers to fluff up increasing the apparent size by 1 per point of spell.

Free Ghost:^G Range 160m; Duration instant; Non-stackable; Reusable
Upon a successful POW vs POW roll, this spell unbinds a ghost or other disembodied spirit and sends it back where it belongs. The POW roll succeeds on a 01-95 against duck spirits.

Heal:^F Range touch; Duration instant; Non-stackable; Reusable
This spell heals all hit point damage in one recipient instantly. There is a bright spark of light as the caster touches the recipient revealing this spell to be identical to the Luciferan spell.

Illusion:^W Range touch; Duraction permanent; Stackable no limit; Reusable
When cast upon an inanimate object, this spell alters how it is percieved by one specific sense. Stacking affects extra senses or allows larger objects to be affected.

Alternatively if one point could make a dagger look like an old leather cap, 2 points could make it smell like one too; and so on so that 5 points would cover all five senses. Six points would also allow it to function in all ways as a leather cap - for example causing it to function as armour, not sparking if struck.

Extra points may also be used to change the apparent size and weight of an object, one point per category moved. Otherwise, only objects of similar size may be used to mask the object.

Thus it would take 17 points of illusion to turn a two storey town house into a coin. It could then be picked up and carried, but not on Freezeday for then it would revert to its original form and become a building again.

Objects can be disguised but cannot become invisible, e.g. a transparent sword would still be as visible as a glass sword.

Finally, the spell is reusable provided that the previous casting is cancelled and the spell prayed for as with other Runespells. If the illusion is dispelled then the spell is lost permenantly and must be resacrificed for. However, Dispel Magic is ineffective. It has been noted that some illusions are very resistant to being dispelled - it is not known why or how.

Matrix Creation:^N Range touch; Duration permanent; Stackable; Non-Reusable
This enables the caster to place a spell or spells, battle or rune, into a magical device. The device must be related to the function. Once created, it can be attuned and then used as if the spell was the owner's. Extra spells may not be added after the first use of Matrix Creation. If stacked with Divine Intervention, the device may be self-powered at one point of power per point of Divine Intervention stacked. Divine Intervention may also be used to make the device command activated. Devices may be used unattuned but power cost is usually permanent. The spell to be placed in the matrix must be known to the caster or someone in Mindlink with him. Each point of Matrix Creation allows the making of one point of Runemagic or two points of battlemagic matrix, plus one point per extra spell in the matrix. Only reusable spells may be placed in matrices (see Create Super Matrix). Nimblewing cultists use this spell to make matrices in leathergoods usually out of magical or supernatural hides to avoid them wearing out.

Mature Plant:^D Range 80m; Duration instant; Non-stackable; Reusable
This spell causes one plant to mature in one tenth the normal time, or one field of crops near harvest to come to full ripeness in one week from the day of casting. This is a useful spell for the cress farmers who harvest continually from Sea season through to Last Harvest Day.

Moondisc:^M Range touch; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
When cast upon a discus, causes it to glow with a silvery light and adds +20% to the chance of hitting and +8 points of damage. It is stackable with Speedart, but not Firearrow or Multimissile.

Moonvision:^H Range 160m; Duration 12 hours; Stackable; Reusable
This enables the caster to see in moonlight as if it were daylight. Each extra point stacked enables an extra person to be targetted simultaneously.

Slow Poison:^F Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable
This spell arrests the effects of all poison in the recipient for the duration of the spell, allowing adequate time for treatment. Extra points stacked allows doubling of the duration, or extra recipients to be targetted simultaneously.

Speak to Bird:^All Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This enables the recipient to converse with avian creatures with INT less than or equal to 3. Oratory may be used to influence them.

Summon Bird:^All Range 160m; Duration 1 day; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell summons a random bird to the service of the caster.

Demibirds, owls, parrots, songbirds and waterfowl are all very friendly and will serve the caster to the best of their ability. Eagles, gamebirds, sunhawks and woodpeckers will serve - usually in return for one point of battlemagic power per 5 points of POW or a similar reward. Cranes, gulls, storks, stormcrows, and vultures are sullen and hostile; vultures are mercenary. They demand permenant POW and can be treacherous. Penguins are attached to the Darkness rune in some way and frequently get violent. They will not serve worshippers of the Eight Heroes. Flying birds will appear in d6 rounds, flightless in 3d6 minutes. This is modified if the creature has to come far from its normal environment.

Summon Duck Ancestor:^G Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell summons a random duck spirit from that part of Hell stolen by the Eight Hero Ducks. See Azrael for the spirit reaction table. Note that unlike Summon Ancestor, this spell does not necessarily summon a spirit of the caster's ancestor but instead summons a duck spirit.

Summon Small Lune:^HMW Range 60m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
As the standard RuneQuest^TM spell.

Summon Small Undine:^D Range 60m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
As the standard RuneQuest^TM spell.

Note that undines and lunes do not get on!

Two Point Spells

Berserker:^M Range 80m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell can only be cast upon a willing cultist. It functions as Fanaticism, Vigour, and Countermagic II. The recipient cannot be demoralized and must make an INT×1% roll to stop fighting before the spell expires. A berserker with no obvious foes will attack friends, mounts, trees etc. Duck berserkers usually throw themselves at the largest opponents. The spell has double effect when combatting trolls.

Concealment:^H Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell renders the recipient unnoticeable unless he deliberately draws attention to himself. It functions against the observer's psyche - and so does not fool inanimate objects such as matrices - and the user will still trigger Wardings and detection spells. It is a form of illusion and does not function on Freezeday but does work if there is at least a crescent moon.

Create Baneweapon:^N Range touch; Duration permenant; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
This spell is cast when making a weapon designed to combat a particular type of foe. The weapon must be suitably forged of runemetal and should contain the essence of the type of creature it is aligned against and a symbol of that which is effective against it. The smith must roll a POW×5% as he casts the spell - success indicates that the weapon is complete, failure implies that the weapon is useless and the spell is lost. If successful, then whenever the baned weapon is used against its target, then the damage done is doubled and cannot be healed or regenerated save through natural means. A weapon may only be baned against one type of creature. Ducks use this spell mainly to make magical armour out of magical or supernatural hides. This will protect with double armour points against those creatures it is aligned against. The manufacture of special armour and weapons is difficult and takes much longer than normal manufacture and must be started and finished on certain calendar dates.

Cure Duck Disease:^F Range touch; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Upon a successful POW vs. POW roll (against an unwilling possessed recipient), this spell will rid any duck of any disease save Plague. 96+ is always a failure. A failure causes the caster to be exposed to the disease. A fumble results in automatic infection. This spell does not restore any lost characteristics but Divine Intervention may stacked with the spell to do so on a point for point basis.

Gander:^R Range self; Duration 15min; Non-stackable; Reusable
When cast by a duck with a successful Ascetic Concentration roll, this spell causes SIZ to be increased by half and STR to be doubled. Any troll or trollkin thereby finding itself smaller than its Gandered opponent will be automatically demoralized. This spell improves hit points, adds +1 to movement rate and impairs Stealth, Parry, and Defence bonuses.

Moonbeam:^H Range 160m; Duration 15min;; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell has two functions:

1. it illuminates a circle of 20m radius as if by bright moonlight,
2. it can be used to spotlight intruders in 1m diameter moonbeams from the moon above. It is not necessary to know where the intruders are. The number of intruders that can be illuminated is 1 + ¹⁄₃ of the caster's INT (rounded down). The order of priority for illumination is:
   1. trolls - largest first,
   2. other darkness cultists/creatures,
   3. anyone else.

   The spell illuminates those closest to the caster in case of ties. The beam will follow the target once it is picked out until either the caster pulls it off or the target leaves the area of effect, in which case the released beam will find a new target.

This spell does not function on Freezeday.

Moonglow:^M Range 160m; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell causes a 60m radius circle to be illuminated as if by bright moonlight. In daylight it will create a pool of darkness - but only when the moon is at least half full. At night, it affects trollkin and cave trolls as daylight. It confers +20% defence if cast in moonlight.

Regrow Limb:^F Range touch; Duration instant; Non-stackable; Reusable
This spell causes a severed or maimed limb to regrow at the rate of 10% per week per day elapsed between the injury and the casting of the spell. A spark of light passing from the caster to the recipient betrays this spell as having been stolen from Lucifer.

Resist Element:^R Range self; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
When cast, this spell renders the caster totally immune to the ravages of one element, which must be decided at the time of sacrifice. It will not work against Dragonbreath. It requires a successful Ascetic Concentration roll to be successful.

Smite Troll:^All Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell confers the equivalent of Strength, Coordination and Vigour upon its recipient, provided he is fighting trolls.

Speak to Departed:^G Range self; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Summons the spirit of someone known personally to the caster or to someone in physical contact with him. The spirit may return briefly and speak using the caster's voice. It may do nothing else unless possession spells are used. This spell is normally used to allow grieving relatives to speak to the recently dead. The dead usually tell the truth but are not necessarily constrained to do so, however the caster will usually have a good idea of their veracity (INT×5%).

Speak to Plants:^D Range 160m; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Allows the recipient ot talk to any plant of at least the size of a small bush, one plant per round. Oratory can be used to influence them. Sentience is not relevant.

Summon Specific Ancestor:^G Range 160m; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell summons the named spirit of one of the caster's direct ancestors from Azrael's Halls of the Dead. It must be stacked with Summon Ancestor, or Summon Duck Ancestor.

Supermatrix Creation:^N Range touch; Duration permanent; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
This must be stacked with Matrix Creation. It has two functions:

1. it allows the making of a matrix of a non-reusable Runespell, or
2. it can render the matrix creation reusable bar one point per spell matrixed, but only if the spells are reusable. Matrix spells cannot themselves be matrixed.

Ducks make artefacts out of exotic leathers by preference.

Tangling:^W Range 160m; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This is a form of illusion spell and may only be cast when the moon is at least half full. On a successful POW vs POW roll the target becomes entangled and tightly wrapped by a net of fine silver wires. These may not be snapped or cut, but are subject to Dispel Illusion. Any victim can free himself by rolling DEX×5% once per round for a number rounds equal to his size to wriggle free.

Tripwire:^W Range touch; Duration permenant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell must be placed upon some sort of physical trap, tripwire, pressure plate, or similar. It must be stacked with another spell - battle or Runemagic. When tripped, the tripwire spell casts the other spell at the victim with a power equal to the caster's at the time of casting. The spell does not have to be halmful or malign, it could be a healing spell for example but it must be able to affect the victim of the trap. If the carried spell is a Runemagic then it cannot be recalled until after the spell is triggerred. If the Tripwire is dispelled, the carried spell is lost.

Waterlung:^D Range 160m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Upon a successful POW vs. POW roll, this spell causes the targets lungs to fill with water, immediately incapacitating him. Thereafter he takes d3 damage critically to his chest every round until healed, first aided or he makes a critical CON×5% to cough the water out. After recovery, he must make a successful POW×1% roll to return to normal activity. Once cleared his chest may be healed normally.

Three Point Spells

Mindblast:^All Range 160m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable¹
This spell does d6+1 damage to the target's head, and on a successful POW vs. POW roll totally destroys the targets INT for 24 hours. The target will then recover at the rate of one point of INT per hour.

1. See Runespell Compatibility for reusability criteria.

Subservient Cults

The Donors

The Eight Heroes clearly stole most of their abilities from other gods, including Humakt, Azrael, Lucifer, Selene, Neibelung and Matar. Most of these now view the duck cults with suspicion and hostility. Ducks however behave as if these gods were willing donors and regard them as associate. Only Selene can be said to have forgiven them, the others are at best neutral.

Cult Spirit of Reprisal - Featherbrain

Ducks who offend against their gods' strictures may be visited by the spirit Featherbrain. He appears the first night a moon is in the sky and attacks in the transgressors dreams, POW vs. POW, draining INT. For a minor transgression, there is only one attack and this can be avoided by doing suitable penance - the cultist will be given time to do this. Featherbrain will attack real malefactors a d6 times on each of upto six nights. Featherbrain manifests as a cackling duck with a d6 INT, he has d6 per point of INT + 6 POW. This variety is due to Featherbrain only sending a portion of himself each time.

Associate Cults

The ducks regard the Donors as associate but the following cults are those which are truly associated, the others eschewing recognition of the Heroes.

Blueface

The baboons know what it is to be persecuted and provided a refuge and military aid during the oppression and the troll wars which ended them. Blueface gives

Speak to Beasts: Range 160m; Duration 15min; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 point
Allows the recipient to converse with mammals with INT less than or equal to 3. Oratory may be used to influence such animals.

Chief Eagle Fella

Many whole clans of Eagle Tribes fought along side the ducks and to this day there is considerable goodwill between the Bird rune cultists.

Kraken

Ducks and newtlings do not really compete - for the ducks like shallow pools and fast flowing streams whereas the newtlings prefer deep lakes and slow moving rivers. The two cults have fought side by side in the past and in recognition the following spell is available to the duck cults which live on rivers with white water rapids.

Race: Range 160m; Duration 15min; Stackable; Reusable; 1 point
Causes the recipient to become invulnerable to collateral damage from rapids and waterfalls. Stacking doubles the duration.

Phoenix

The cult of the Chaos Fire Bird was the most ardent and reliable ally during the troll wars, tied by a hatred of darkness and the fellowship of the bird rune. In recognition of the goodwill between the cults, any worshipper of the Hero Ducks can claim half price training in Speak Eaglespeech from a Phoenix temple.

Sawtooth

Beavers get on well with ducks, the latter often living in the shallow borders of the lakes created by dams. Beavers living with lunatic ducks are far less likely to be molested by dambusters than if there were no berserkers to ward them off. Sawtooth offers the following spell to aid in defence.

Alarm: Range self; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 point
This spell must be cast while the caster slaps the surface of the water. (Ducks used their webbed feet). It conveys a warning to all native beavers and Sawtooth cultists on that river, including all upstream tributaries. They will hear the warning and percieve its direction and distance.

Selene

Alone among the Donors, the Moon-Goddess forgave Moonbeak and his companions for their theft and became properly associate, regarding the ducks as true Moon worshippers. Ducks get bonuses when initiating into Selene and may purchase knowledge of the Ravings at half price, even if uninitiated.

Miscellaneous Notes

Cult Skills

Ascetic Concentration: Knowledge; Base 00%; Cost 500/1000/2000/4000
This is the skill that allows a duck to focus his mind upon a matter or problem and use his willpower to overcome it. Razorbill cultists use this skill to overcome body affecting spells such as harmonize and shade attacks. It can be used to overcome other physical problems too such as traumatic shock. If prepared then it may be used to enhance defence against incoming spells, a success raising the effective POW by 2 points, a special by 4 points and a critical by 7 points. It has other uses but in all cases a fumble can be unpleasant.

Duck Ancestor Lore: Knowledge; Base 00%; Cost 250/500/1000/2000
This is knowledge of duck ancestors. Otherwise it is similar to the Azraeli skill Song of the Ancestors.

Duck History: Knowledge; Base 10% (for ducks); Cost 400/800/1600/3200
This is knowledge of the ducks in history - great events, social conditions and such.

Meditation: Knowledge; Base 00%; Cost 500/1000/2000/4000
A form of quiet thought and prayer that concentrates the mind and focuses the intellect upon a problem. It can be used to overcome spells such as Befuddle.

Waterplant Growing: Knowledge; Base 05%; Cost 300/600/1200/2400
A skill that embraces all aspects of growing waterplants such as cress, duckweed or lillies as a crop.

Waterplant Lore: Knowledge; Base 00%; Cost 250/500/1000/2000
As Plant Lore, but only covers those plants that grow in water.

Quack-Fu

Denied weapons by their oppressors, Razorbill sought to find a way of fighting without weapons and to this end developed Quack-Fu.

Notes:
1. A successful wing parry takes no damage from a hit unless it is a special, a special success on the wing parry can only be damaged by a critical, etc. A critical hit to a successful wing parry does double damage to that arm, including armour.
2. Each degree of success reduces the level of hit by one category. Thus a special dodge will reduce a critical hit into an ordinary one. A fumble produces one automatic hit in addition to any other effects.

Duel of Razorbill

Disputes between ducks are frequently resolved by a Duel of Razorbill, when both antagonists are Quack-Fu trained. The two protagonists face each other in a circle 10m across and fight using no magic, armour or weapons. The last one on his feet inside the circle is the winner. Each of the Eight Heroes has a form of duel but they use their own skills - such as Waterplant Lore as a riddling contest. The Duel of Razorbill is the preferred way whenever possible.

Duck Races

There are eight races of duck, all of which are typically found in any duck commune. Some are more common than others. All have a distinctive colouration for both sexes. Decks are very proud of these and insist upon wearing stained or dyed clothing or laquered armour to match.

It is said that each of the duck heroes came from a different race.

Starting Character Ducks

Roll characteristics as in the RuneQuest^TM rulebook, and for race using the previous table. Roll for one subcult on the following table

The character gains all the subcult skills for the indicated cult at 50% plus bonuses. The character may select two other subcults. He gains the subcult skills for one of them at 50% plus bonuses and the other at 30% plus bonuses. The character may initiate into any subcult in which he has all the skills at 50% or better.

He gains the gift of the first subcult he initates into, plus the geases of any he initiates into. He gains the free battlemagic, as described in the initate section.

He also gains the following skills (all plus bonuses):

• swimming 80%
• read/write duckwrite 10%
• speak a local human tongue 50%
• speak lunatic 15%
• speak trollish 5%

Initiates of Moonbeak will have two swords and a discus. All cultist will have light infantry armour (see Mithras).