Copyright © 2001 by Robert J. Hall

Not a gift of a cow, nor a gift of land, nor yet a gift of food, is so important as the gift of safety, which is declared to be the great gift among all the gifts in this world. -Panchatantra

Priests of this church worship Our Lady of Holy Sanctuary, and draw all their magical energy from their goddess. Our Lady is called by many names in different lands, but all titles use the honorific.

The major aspects of Sanctuary Magic include protection, sanctuary, and defense of the weak. Minor aspects include humility, charity, and solitude. The symbol of Our Lady is a golden rose emblem upon a white background. Many of the spells of Our Lady are difficult to learn, and require much study and prayer in the temples. The spell effects almost invariably display a golden hue, and the priests must carry a special blessed shield which bears the emblem of Our Lady.

The temples of Our Lady are constructed in highly defensible locations, and double as a secure fortress. Often these holy citadels are monasteries located atop a remote mountain peak or rocky island. Those invited on to church grounds are immediately granted sanctuary by the priesthood for a period of not less than 24 hours, and will be defended to the death by the clergy unless they violate the sanctity of the grounds with bloodshed. For this reason, the priesthood is cautious about allowing strangers on to their holy ground.

The priests of the Church are usually armed with an ornate Staff, Club, or other blunted weapon, and employ a sling to attack at range. They prefer to strike so as to disable rather than to slay, but will not hesitate to kill in order to protect themselves or their charges. Failure to defend the weak and helpless at all costs is considered a major affront to the Lady, and will result in the loss of magical abilities for a lengthy period.

Basic Spells

Smite Most Foul

The Priest projects a golden mailed fist at a foe, striking a fierce blow. This spell is more strenuous than normal, as striking another is usually against the creed of this church.

Holy Armor

Upon casting this spell, the Priest is covered in the polished golden armor of Our Lady. This armor is hardened, and so is resistant to armor piercing, penetrating, or indirect attacks.

Dispel the Dark Arts

The priest hurls a golden sphere at the target. Upon striking, the sphere bursts and tries to shatter the target spell.

Aura of Magic

Sanctuary priests can use this spell to detect the presence or use of magic nearby. Once cast, any magic will give off a golden glow.

College Spells

Aid the Helpless

This spell can be used to dramatically increase the healing rate of the target, restoring 1 BODY for each turn the spell is in effect. The priest spends the number of END needed to maintain the regeneration for the required number of turns at the time the spell is cast. Restoring a large amount of BODY in this manner can be quite exhausting to the cleric. If the priest fails his Magic Skill roll, he goes into a temporary state of shock.

Begone

Upon casting this spell, the eyes of the target turn golden, and he has a sudden, powerful urge to return home. If the target is already located in his home, den, or natural territory, this spell has no effect. (This includes a seasonal home, such as a migratory nest or hibernation cave.) The spell also has no effect if there is no way for the target to return home, other than a sharp sensation of homesickness.

Behold the Wicked

This spell allows the sanctuary priest to see those who would seek to harm others. The individuals glow with a golden-orange fire of malevolence. It remains up to the priest to determine the actual target(s) of the hatred.

Banish the Undying

This spell allows the priest to drive away most undead creatures, causing them to flee from the glowing holy shield of Our Lady.

Bless Journey

This spell will bestow the blessing of the Lady upon a fellow traveller in the form of a faint golden halo floating just above his head. This enchantment will bring good omens to the target for a period of a month, and protect him on his journey.

Blessed Rose

This spell is named for one of the standard defensive formations of the priesthood. The priests form a ring of six defenders facing outward, and each protects the flank of the person to their left and right. This spell increases the efficacy of this formation by placing a golden flower of protection over the ring members.

Cleanse the Spirit

To cast this spell, the sanctuary priest must clear his mind of all dark thoughts. The cleric is then protected from all forms of mental assault. Any word, thought, or deed related to harming another is sufficient to cancel this spell.

Dismiss the Unclean

By calling forth Our Ladies' protection, this spell can be used to dismiss any creature summoned through the dark arts of magic. A golden sheet flies from the praying hands of the priest toward the target, wrapping it in the folds and vanishing with a flash of light. This spell will normally dismiss all but the most powerful foes. If the priest fails his Magic Skill roll, he is stunned by intense magical feedback.

Endure the Flames

This spell covers the sanctuary priest in a polished golden sheen, allowing him to endure intense heat and flame with minimal damage. This reduction works against normal and magical fire, including killing attacks.

Ever Watchful Lady

This spell creates an invisible guardian that will watch over an area to look for a specific event. The type of event must be specified when the spell is cast, but it can be anything stated at the time the spell was cast. (Players should write down the event at the time the spell is cast.) The maximum range of the spell is 250 meters.

Free the Body

This spell allows the trapped cleric to escape physical imprisonment by spirit passage to a nearby location. This spell is unusual in that it requires neither gestures nor an incantation. Instead, the priest must maintain a steady mental chant to his goddess. Casting this spell is fatiguing and requires total concentration until the priest is free. If the priest fails his Magic Skill roll, he is momentarily stunned by magic feedback.

Glyph of Sanction

This spell creates a golden sigil of warning on any surface, such as a door or floor. Anybody touching the sigil without speaking a key phrase will trigger an intense blast of pain to anybody standing nearby. The mental blast is a one-sided explosion, and the number of STUN dice drops by one per hex of distance from the sigil.

Note that eventually this spell will be discharged when an unfortunate animal touches the sigil, unless they are kept out of the hex by some means. Any creature with more than 50 points of shrinking (smaller than a mouse) will not trigger the sigil.

Hands of Our Lady

Upon casting this spell, a pale, golden image of Our Lady will appear superimposed upon the priest, and her hands will swiftly deflect any incoming ranged attacks aimed at the cleric. Casting the spell requires concentration to bring forth the protection of Our Lady.

Open Thy Heart

This spell causes the opponent to open his heart to Our Lady and lose his combative ardor. He will continue to defend himself, but will not attack unless others seek to kill him. If he suffers from the berserk disadvantage, this spell will usually cause him to lose his combat frenzy. If the priest fails his Magic Skill roll, he suffers a stunning backlash of intense emotions.

Resist the Fury of Nature

This spell allows the sanctuary priest to function in otherwise punishing environments, including intense heat or cold, strong winds, sunburn, crashing surf, poison gases, and underwater. The cleric is protected by repeated bands of glowing gold light which move down from his head to the ground, increasing speed as the environment grows harsher.

Ring of Steel

Upon casting this spell, flashing scimitars appear in the ring of hexes 2" from the target hex, and they proceed to whirl about, slashing any who enter. Those who stay within the outer ring of hexes are protected and remain untouched by the blades.

Because of the lethal nature of this spell, it requires additional effort to maintain. Use of this spell is frowned upon by the majority of the clergy of Our Lady, save in the most desperate of circumstances.

Shield of Deliverance

This spell allows the cleric to make it more difficult for someone to teleport into the vicinity of the target hex. This is often used by the clergy during a siege to prevent the attackers from teleporting troops into a castle, or at least into critical areas such as the gate house. The area warded from teleportation is suffused by a faint golden mist.

Stay Death

The target of this spell is bathed in a healthy golden aura, and becomes warded against blows that would otherwise prove lethal. Wounds will close by themselves, and the subject quickly recovers his physical prowess. This healing bonus is lost once the priest falls asleep or is rendered unconscious.

Suffer the Frost

This spell covers the priest of Our Lady in a golden glow, allowing him to endure intense cold and frost with minimal damage. This reduction works against normal and magical cold, including killing attacks.

Temple of Solitude

This spell is used to create a small pocket of solitude, where the priest can pray to his goddess without disturbance from the outside world. The nature of the pocket allows the priest to view events that are occurring where he left the world, but he is unable to affect their outcome until he returns.

Turn the Dark Arts

This useful spell allows the sanctuary priest to temporarily diminish the magical powers of a Wizard. A band of golden fire flies from the fingers of the cleric and hovers above the head of the target. Because of the nature of this spell, it has no effect on any clerical powers derived from the gods. The priest must concentrate during the full phase it takes to cast.

Unravel Binding Knots

With a golden touch, this spell will undo most entangle attacks by unraveling all knots and links. No other gestures are required for this spell, so the caster escape a trap that would otherwise hold him helpless. As a result, however, Unravel Binding Knots requires steady concentration and additional effort to cast. This spell has no effect if the entangle is transparent to attacks.

Walk with Humility

To cast this spell, the sanctuary priest must clear his mind of all egocentric thoughts. The cleric then becomes invisible to all but the most powerful forms of magical detection. Any word, thought, or deed that is clearly egocentric is sufficient to cancel this spell.

Ward Malevolence

Upon casting this spell, the priest takes on the brilliant golden facade of Our Lady, causing intense awe those who would do harm to him and his charges. Most evil foes will flee at the sight, or grovel in surrender.

Unique Spells

Eternal Exile

This spell is used to punish an individual who has perpetrated a serious crime against Our Lady. The criminal is banished for all time from a 120km radius centered on the holy ground where the spell is cast. To exile the target, the priest will need a piece of the body of the criminal, such as a lock of hair, some nail clippings, or even a finger or other appendage. The body part is planted 6' under the holy ground, packed with ash and salt, then buried by rocks. (Destroying the body part is sufficient to cancel the spell.)

By tradition, the exile is escorted from the area before the curse is put into effect. Whenever the criminal returns to the area, his flesh acquires a golden burning glow and the mark of Our Lady appears upon his forehead. The magical curse will not allow him the mercy of unconsciousness, and he must watch as his flesh burns and falls off. Casting this spell requires a sacrifice by the cleric, costing him 1 character point.

Great Siege Wall

This spell can be used to create a strong, 14" long wall made from any nearby material, including wood, metal, stone, glass, bones, bamboo, and so on. The wall can be any shape, including a 3" radius sphere. The wall will eventually be knocked apart with repeated battering by a sufficiently strong force.

Holy Fortress

Within the area where the spell is cast, a golden, hexagonal fortress materializes. The (9" radius) walls of the fortress are plate metal, with two exits which can be barred from the inside. Arrow grills line the second floor of the fortress, shaped in the form of the ladies' rose. On the third floor, the walls are crenellated. The interior is divided into six primary chambers, each containing two pallets, a bench, and a small altar to the Lady. There is also a stable on the first floor with room for four mounts. Spiral staircases run between the floors, and each of the interior doors can be bolted from both sides.

Penultimate Barrier

This powerful spell creates an illusionary barrier that blocks any who attempt to cross. The nature of the barrier is left to the cleric, but all the usual mental illusion modifiers apply. Any walls or similar features are treated as major changes to the setting.

Suffer Thy Wrath

Upon casting this spell, the sanctuary priest is completely wrapped in the golden glow of the Ladies protection. Attacks upon the priest are turned back upon a foe: missile weapons are reflected back, and any damage from a melee attack is also inflicted on the attacker. Of course this defense is not perfect. Some missiles will still get through and the total reflected damage is limited to the maximum allowed by the power.