Koldunic Sorcery

Long before the blood magics of the Tremere appeared, the Tzimisce wielded the mystical art of Koldunic Sorcery. Unlike the arcane paths of Thaumaturgy, Koldunic Sorcery is a spiritual magic that manipulates the elements in nature. From the magically rich and diseased soil of their ancestral demesnes, the Tzimisce drew demonic power. Now, through the proper rites of contrition and binding, a koldun can summon forth the elemental correspondences that shape natural forces. The specific ways of this spiritual magic were often taught to novice koldun based on their regional settings.

For example, though the Ways of Spirit and Fire were universal, the Way of Wind was known only among koldun residing in the Carpathian Mountains. The Way of Water was predominantly practiced by koldun who made their havens near bodies of water like the Black Sea, the Plain Lakes and rivers of the Danube, Somes and Arges. The Way of Earth was common among koldun residing in the flatlands and plateaus of Eastern Europe.

During the time of Clan Tremere's birth, Koldunic Sorcery was at its height in practice. With the threat of the Tremere and their blood magic, this sorcery became the weapon of choice for the koldun fighting to protect their lands. Bloody feuds between these two camps of sorcerers stained the Danube crimson and powerful magic defiled the land. As the Dark Ages passed, Koldunic Sorcery faded as well, unpracticed and spoken of only in passing and half-truths.

In tonight's world, only a few, very ancient Tzimisce practice Koldunic Sorcery. These surviving koldun are extremely territorial, rarely surfacing long enough to make their presence known, and prefer to keep to themselves, surrounded by ruins of once-mighty castles and manses. With the mysterious disappearance of the Tremere antitribu, knowledge and philosophy of Koldunism is more frequently shared with anyone willing to learn of its existence, and has begun to spread among the ranks of the Sabbat's youth. Some suspect that enterprising Fiends have leaked a bit of their wisdom to the sect in order to keep the old ways in practice. More cynical Sabbat, though, believe that a clever Cainite or pack managed to steal a few secrets from a lax Tzimisce and passed them on to whoever wanted to learn.

System:
Koldunic Sorcery consists of five elemental ways and several rituals, and is learned in a system similar to Thaumaturgy. A character's base Koldunic Sorcery Trait dictates how well he may learn the ways of the magic, and each dot earned in the Discipline also earns the character another dot in the way of her choice. Obviously, this bonus dot may not be allocated to a way that would be rated higher than the character's knowledge of Koldunic Sorcery. Kindred intent on learning Koldunic Sorcery must also study the unique Knowledge of Koldunism. For a character to invoke the powers of Koldunic Sorcery, a player must spend a Willpower point, then make an appropriate Attribute (governed by the way in question) + Koldunism roll ( difficulty 4 + the level of the power). These five types of Attribute rolls are Charisma for the Way of Spirit, Stamina for the Way of Earth, Perception for the Way of Wind, Wits for the Way of Water and Manipulation for the Way of Fire. Unlike Thaumaturgy, there is no primary path that must be learned; any of Koldunic Sorcery's ways are accessible at the standard cost of paths, provided the koldun can find a teacher or suitable text.

Storytellers are advised that this is a rare form of spiritual magic, and that characters are unlikely to have access to it unless they are apart of the Sabbat or otherwise have reason to research Koldunism. Players must keep in mind that Koldunic Sorcery has only just begun to circulate within the Sabbat; it is a certainty that a member of the Camarilla or of the independents isn't going to be searching out this art, if she is aware of it at all.

The Way of Earth
The Way of Wind
The Way of Water
The Way of Fire
The Way of the Spirit
The Way of Sorrow