Vartach

The Vartach (pronounced var-toch) are underground-dwelling mages and scholars with a rigid caste system.

Playing a Vartach

If you’re playing a Vartach you will likely be trained in the arcane arts, or if you do not have the ability to cast spells you will be dedicated to a particular pursuit or martial discipline. It takes a lot to bring the Vartach up from their subterranean home in the Realm of Draíod, and those Vartach who emerge into the outside world are often the most driven and determined.

Every Vartach is marked by one of five birthmarks called “brands”, most often on their forehead or cheek. These brands are seemingly random and they do not follow family lines, however traditionalist Vartach set great store by them and will judge individuals by the brand they bear. Even as children, Vartach are expected to live up to their brand. If you are branded with the Sun Spear, you are deemed to have a great destiny, and will receive intensive tutelage from a young age in order to meet your full potential. At the other end of the spectrum, Line Breakers born in traditionalist communities are considered cursed and will be blamed for any misfortune.

Vartach Brands

Vartach society is fundamentally based on the five marks that define them as a species, called brands. Starting as an indistinct tangle of black and gold magical veins, these coalesce as they start to come of age, and the shape it takes defines the rest of their life. There are five brands observed in the Vartach, and below is further detail on how the brands influence the lives of those who bear them.

Sunspear

The most auspicious mark, those chosen by the Sunspear have a bright future. It is a mark associated with power, wisdom, and good fortune. Many Sunspears become great mages or military commanders, and they make up the vast majority of the Council of Saoi. Regardless of what their specific destiny is, those marked by the Sunspear are seen as having tremendous potential and being meant for something great.

Upon developing the Sunspear, the Vartach usually receives a significant scholarship stipend to either attend one of Draíod ’s most prestigious colleges of magic or receive other intense training suited to their skills.

Clashing Swords

Those marked with the Clashing Swords are well regarded, and seen as stalwart defenders of Vartach kind. While this is often interpreted in a martial fashion there have been many Swords who became renowned healers to defend their people from disease, or teachers to protect the Vartach from stupidity. The mark of Clashing Swords is associated with courage, loyalty, and strength.

Upon developing the Clashing Swords, the Vartach often enter a period of intense martial training, and many will end up serving with the Gallóglaigh for a time with almost any Vartach (or indeed Fathach ) Gallóglach being happy to sponsor a Clashing Sword.

The Hook

The most common brand, the hook is seen as the mark of the honest, decent, hardworking Vartach . While not destined for individual greatness, the industriousness of the Hooks is seen as vital to the success of the Vartach, and Draíod as a whole.

The mark of the Hook is associated with duty, intelligence, and honesty.

Those marked with the Hook normally enter a year long period of apprenticeship shortly after developing it, moving between multiple professionals to find the craft that their talents are best suited for.

The Broken Chain

The Broken Chain is seen as an ill omen, a warning sign of an untrustworthy individual. A Broken Chain is normally the first individual to be investigated when a crime is discovered. While they are not necessarily excluded from Vartach society like the Line Breakers are, they are generally viewed as troublemakers and often have difficulty obtaining and keeping positions of influence.

The Broken Chain is associated with untrustworthiness, anger, and criminality.

After developing the Broken Chain, a Vartach is often assigned a mentor to oversee them and attempt to keep them on the straight and narrow, frequently a Hook or a Clashing Sword.

The Line Breaker

Those marked as Line Breakers are viewed as the biggest threats to Vartach society. The least common of the five signs, these individuals are destined to destroy Vartach society if they are not opposed and thwarted. They are generally feared and despised by Vartach society as a whole.

The mark of the Line Breaker is associated with doom, destruction, and chaos.

Many Vartach who develop the mark of the Line Breaker are summarily exiled from their community and must find a place in the world among the other species, generally outside of Draíod . Some families continue to shelter and care for their Line Breaker kin but the many famous examples of those who attempted to live up to their mark means that they are kept under close observation.

The Marred

Some Vartach either feel their destiny is a burden they wish to reject, or do not wish for others to know what destiny is in store for them and burn off their brand. This is a painful process not lightly undergone, and leaves a permanent and very obvious scar where the mark was, which never fades away.

Those who chose to hide their mark are generally treated with suspicion by the rest of Vartach society and are frequently assumed to be Line Breakers. Because they don’t have a mark they are considered to be outsiders to Vartach society who have chosen to reject their place in it along with their destiny.

Vartach Facebook Group

The Vartach don't yet have a Facebook Group, but no doubt they'll soon task a Fathach with making one for them.

Costuming Requirements

Every Vartach Must have one of five symbols on their face. The symbols are the Sunspear, the Line Breaker, the Broken Chains, the Hook, and the Clashing Swords. Alternatively, you must have a prominent and visible scar where this symbol was removed.

Vartach Characters

• Aziz
• Cruach
• Deirbhile Nic an Bháird
• Malartu
• Ultan Twinspears