Knacks: Blinking, Fleetfoot, Floating, Hiding, Slippery

Apprentice Degree: Jinx
Adept Degree: Affliction
Master Degree: Malediction

While the Triple Kingdoms are home to an innumerable number of Sidhe of varying sizes, shapes, and dispositions, none are so uniquely bound to the land as the Leithbrágan of Inismore. These wily, diminutive tricksters are the very embodiment of Inish culture, celebrating music, laughter, and a hearty lust for life (and for gold). They are known to dress predominantly in green, and each bears a coin purse containing a single golden coin, with the O’Bannon’s face on one side and a four-leaf clover on the other. If a mortal captures a Leithbrágan, the creature is obliged to surrender his coin to his captor. These coins are rumored to have magical powers, and losing one’s coin is said to bring down the wrath of the O’Bannon upon the poor Leithbrágan who suffers this misfortune. Whether this is mere legend or Glamour-rich truth, a Leithbrágan guards his coin vigilantly, and each has been granted special powers to aid him (there are no accounts of a female Leithbrágan) in preventing his capture, and thus, the loss of his coin.

A Leithbrágan does not possess traditional Glamour, instead practicing a unique offshoot called Sonasach, the Cymric word for “lucky.” While a Leithbrágan is said to possess the good fortune of Lady Anne herself, and it is true that the little Sidhe can be quite prodigious in avoiding capture, this Magic also manifests in ill fortune upon those who hunt them.

Apprentice Degree
As an Apprentice, a young Leithbrágan’s Reputation Dice are considered Fortune Dice. Fortune Dice may be used to activate a Leithbrágan’s Sorcerous Knacks, or to diminish the effects of someone else’s actions. To use this ability, the Leithbrágan rolls a Fortune Die and subtracts the result of the roll from any mortal’s Attack Roll, Skill Check, Reputation Action, or any similar roll (except Damage Rolls or Wound Checks). All Leithbrágan are known tricksters, and sometimes use this ability to embarrass or inconvenience a mortal, but a Leithbrágan also uses it to punish attackers. Fortune Dice always explode, even if the Leithbrágan is Injured.

Note that a Leithbrágan receives neither Drama Dice nor Glamour Dice.

Adept Degree
At this level of Mastery, a Leithbrágan causes great misfortune upon those hunting him. Any mortal seeking out a Leithbrágan loses two Drama Dice from his pool for as long as the hunt continues. These Drama Dice return when the hunt is called off. This ability in no way interferes with the mortal’s ability to earn Drama Dice in the typical manner, and if a mortal has no Drama Dice when the hunt begins, this ability has no effect. Regardless, the mortal(s) will suffer from countless minor annoyances while hunting the Leithbrágan: brambles will tear at his clothes; gnats and mosquitoes will plague him, his rations will become unwrapped and spoil in his pack, and so on.

Master Degree
In addition to receiving Fortune Dice based on his Reputation Score, a Master of Sonasach receives a number of additional Fortune Dice equal to his highest Trait.

Sorcerous Knacks

Blinking. In addition to being difficult to strike or catch, a Leithbrágan can befuddle an opponent by “blinking” out of range of an attack. If an attacker has successfully penetrated a Leithbrágan’s Passive Defense, the Sidhe may spend a Fortune Die to use this Knack for an Active Defense (by rolling Wits + Blinking). If the Active Defense is successful, the Leithbrágan may also “blink” to another location within a radius of ten feet for every Rank the Sidhe has in this Knack.

Fleetfoot. A Leithbrágan is capable of running very fast to evade pursuit. By spending a Fortune Die, a Leithbrágan may add Unkept Dice equal to his Rank in this Knack to any use of the Running Knack until the end of the Scene.

Floating. While a Leithbrágan cannot fly per se, they are capable of jumping up steep inclines or otherwise moving long distances with a single bound. By spending a Fortune Die, a Leithbrágan may add Unkept Dice equal to his Rank in this Knack to any use of the Leaping Knack until the end of the Scene.

Hiding. When being hunted for his gold coin, it can be very helpful for a Leithbrágan to move quietly and without being seen. By spending a Fortune Die, a Leithbrágan may add Unkept Dice equal to his Rank in this Knack to any use of the Stealth Knack until the end of the Scene.

Slippery. A Leithbrágan can be notoriously hard to strike in combat, and even harder to grab hold of. By spending a Fortune Die, a Leithbrágan may add his Rank in this Knack to his TN to be hit until the end of the Scene. If an opponent is attempting to Grapple a Leithbrágan, the Sidhe may add three times his Rank in this Knack to his TN to be hit instead.

Game Master’s Secrets
While many legends about the Sidhe are merely old wives’ tales (either in whole or in part), the enchantment within a Leithbrágan’s gold coin is entirely real. If a Leithbrágan is captured by a mortal and cannot escape, the Sidhe may be commanded to surrender his coin. Each coin contains the capacity to grant three specific “wishes,” though each coin can only grant one of the following boons, chosen by the captor at the time the coin is surrendered.

Good Fortune. A mortal who selects this “wish” is immediately considered to be Half-Blooded in Sonasach, even if he is already Fully-Blooded or Twice-Blooded in other Sorceries. The mortal’s Ranks in this Magic are equal to half the Rank of the captured Leithbrágan, rounded down, to a minimum of one. For example, If a mortal captures a Leithbrágan with a Rank of 3 in Blinking, the mortal receives a Rank of 1 in the Blinking Knack. The Leithbrágan is reduced to Half-Blooded in this Magic as well. Ranks in his Sorcerous Knacks are reduced by the amount gained by the mortal; in the example above, the Leithbrágan would be left with a Rank of 2 in Blinking. The mortal must maintain possession of the coin to reap the benefits of this boon; if it is lost or given away, it reverts to a simple piece of treasure, but the Leithbrágan does not regain his lost Ranks in Sonasach until the coin is retrieved.

Heads or Tails? A mortal who selects this “wish” benefits from ridiculously good fortune surrounding his use of the coin. If the coin its used for a coin flip, (i.e., heads or tails), it will always land on the face the bearer desires. While the coin is out of his possession, a Leithbrágan cannot use his Fortune Dice to reduce a mortal’s die rolls. The mortal must maintain possession of the coin to reap the benefits of this boon; if it is lost or given away, it reverts to a simple piece of treasure, but the Leithbrágan does not regain his ability to reduce a mortal’s die rolls until the coin is retrieved.

Safe Passage. A mortal who selects this “wish” is granted Safe Passage to the realm of Bryn Bresail. He can pass freely through any portal between the mortal and Sidhe realm, and while he is within Bryn Bresail, the typical dangers (e.g., the effects of consuming Sidhe food or drink) have no effect on him. In addition, the coin gives the bearer one free Raise per the Leithbrágan’s Mastery Level in Sonasach on all Charm actions attempted against members of the Seelie Court, and on any Intimidate actions attempted against members of the Unseelie Court. While the coin is out of his possession, a Leithbrágan cannot leave the mortal realm to return to Bryn Bresail by any means. The mortal must maintain possession of the coin to reap the benefits of this boon; if it is lost or given away, it reverts to a simple piece of treasure, but the Leithbrágan does not regain his ability to travel to Bryn Bresail until the coin is retrieved.

A Leithbrágan who loses his coin will become obsessed with getting it back; he can be coerced into performing almost any favor for the mortal who carries it (only one favor, though, after which the coin must be returned), unless that favor would result in significant harm to the Leithbrágan (e.g., attacking one of the Queens of the Seelie Court). If the mortal does not wish to barter for the Leithbrágan’s services, the Sidhe will pursue the bearer of the coin incessantly until it is retrieved. For as long as a mortal carries a Leithbrágan’s magical coin, he is considered to have the Hunted Background at a Rank of 3, even if this places him over the limit of Backgrounds imposed by his Rank in Panache.