Mercury (Balance, Agathocacological, Intermediate, Major God) Mercury travelled upon his winged slippers, and he served as the messenger of the Olympians. He was also a thief and a trickster, and sometimes was called upon for healing. In practice, his primary worshippers are merchants, with no small number of thieves of varying sorts also paying him homage (his medical aspects have migrated to Asclepius). Priests of Mercury are generally called 'Messengers', after the service that Mercury often serves for the Olympians. Many of them have taken Criminal Activities, Physical in honor of his other activities, although some prefer trade and merchanting K/S Areas. While the temples are small, devotion among merchants (and thieves) tends to run high, and Priests of Mercury are among the most reliable messengers available. Rulers who can afford one or more often have a pair as runners, the employment of which helps support the church, of course. Grade I: FLEETFOOT CANTRIP Time: 1 hour Other Heka Costs: Area: 1 creature R&D: Nil Distance: Self Other: 10:1 add'l hour E/F/M: By means of this Casting, the Messenger is able to allow himself to run half again as fast as he would normally. The duration may be extended by an additional half hour per 10 Heka spent, to a total of one hour per 10 STEEP possessed. This Casting may be applied to other personas, provided that the recipient pays homage to Mercury (i.e. worships within the Greco-Roman pantheon). SAFEMESSAGE CANTRIP Time: 1 day per 10 STEEP Other Heka Costs: Area: 1 missive R&D: Nil Distance: Touch Other: Nil E/F/M: The Safemessage Cantrip will cause the missive so affected to appear completely innocuous. The missive will continue to radiate Heka for the duration, and a successful disjoining of the Casting will return the message to its original form. Grade II: SECRETMESSAGE CHARM Time: Special Other Heka Costs: Area: 1 page R&D: Nil Distance: Touch Other: 10:1 add'l page E/F/M: This charm has two applications. The first allows the Messenger to simultaneously write two messages. In such a case, one message is visible, read by anyone who can understand the language, and typically innocuous or erroneous. The second message does not appear, it is effectively 'written between the lines'. The message cannot be brought out by any means other than this charm, although the page so affected does radiate Heka. The second application of this charm is to read the second message from a missive so protected. By means of additional Heka (10 per additional page), the Messenger can write upon additional pages, to a limit of one page per 10 STEEP possessed. SWIFTRUNNER FORMULA Time: 1 hour per 10 STEEP Other Heka Costs: Area: 1 subject R&D: Nil Distance: Touch Other: 10:1 additional hour E/F/M: This quick formula is an enhanced and extended Fleetfoot Cantrip which allows the subject to run at twice his normal running rate. However, the subject so blessed (which does not have to be a priest of Mercury) must be on a mission of urgency. Note that the duration of the formula may be extended beyond the 1 hour per 10 STEEP possessed by an additional expenditure of 10 Heka for every additional hour, to a maximum of 1 hour per point of STEEP possessed by the caster. Grade III: BURST OF SPEED CHARM Time: 1 CT Other Heka Costs: Area: 1 subject R&D: Nil Distance: Touch Other: 5:1 additional CT E/F/M: This charm grants a sudden burst of speed to the recipient, doubling movement, attacks, etc. In addition, the recipient receives a -10 bonus to initiative. (Note that Heka cannot be focused any more quickly, so Casting time is not shortened, nor does it increase the speed of Mental or Spiritual attacks.) The duration of the casting may be extended for 1 CT per 5 additional Heka spent, to a maximum of 1 CT per point of STEEP possessed by the priest. Grade IV: MASKMOVEMENT CANTRIP Time: 1 AT Other Heka Costs: Area: Self R&D: Nil Distance: 0 Other: 10:1 additional AT E/F/M: By means of this Casting, the Messenger makes his movements less obvious, granting a bonus of 25 to Criminal Activities, Physical (Hiding, Sneaking sub-areas), as well as effectively increasing the DR by 1 of any Perception check to notice his activities. The duration of this masking may be extended by expending 10 additional Heka per AT, to a maximum total of 1 AT per 10 STEEP possessed by the caster. Grade V: WINGED BOOTS RITUAL Time: 2D6 ATs + 1 AT/10 STEEP Other Heka Costs: Area: Self R&D: Nil Distance: 0 Other: Nil E/F/M: By means of this brief, five minute ritual, the priest is able to imbue his footwear with the power of flight (provided that appropriately consecrated feathers are attached to his footwear). In general, the priest will be able to carry his normal belongings, plus some small items of insignificant weight (such as a message). Too much weight (e.g. another person) will result in the inability to fly. The priest will move at 10 times his normal movement rate as long as he is airborn (probably around 30 to 40 miles per hour). The ritual's duration may not be extended, and the wings on the footwear are consumed over the duration of the casting. Well, that wraps up another Greco-Roman deity. That leaves two more (Vesta and Vulcan) to wrap up the Olympians. Don't expect them immediately, though, as they're both fairly difficult to brainstorm for :-( I'm probably going to visit a couple other pantheons briefly (some more castings for Thor, maybe some Thoth, Horus, and Set), although that depends on what ideas strike me :-) Please please please let me know what you think of these, and let me know if you find them useful. Believe it or not, I don't get a lot of feedback from the casting stuff I do..... Especially let me know if they find a home in your campaign, I wouldn't mind knowing how well (or poorly) they work in other people's games..... Mike Phillips [m s phil] at [birds.wm.edu]