Hearth Wisdom
“Did ye leave out the saucer of milk?” asked the midwife, turning the spit with a crinkled hand. “That’s why the pixies leave this house be.”
“There’s no such thing as pixies.” He spat a warm tobacco plug onto her rug just as shackles clicked in place around his ankles.
He stared at his ankles in disbelief, then looked up at the midwife to demand an explanation. What he saw stole the protest from his lips. Firelight gleamed off her now-satin skin.
“Disbelief can be dangerous,”she purred. The scream that followed startled and scattered the sheep the next glen over.
What berries can you eat? Will it rain tomorrow? What’s the best remedy for whooping cough? This wisdom is not found in books, but from sitting at the knee of people wiser than you, and spoken in sewing circles and market stalls. They know the cures and they know the reasons to be afraid of the dark.
● Novice: You listened at the fireside of your elders, at the docks when the ships came in. You know local lore better than most.
●● Student: Your recall for stories and traditions is uncanny, and you collect even the most esoteric of tales. You keep the words from being forgotten. Those who know bend your ear, filling it with centuries of wisdom.
●●● Learned: You are the collector of tales. You keep the words from being forgotten. No matter where you go, you collect bits of knowledge. People seek you out for answers to their problems.
●●●● Scholar: You are known for your expertise on the collected wisdom of your chosen field. Though your knowledge is not kept in books, you are sought for training by those who wish to learn at your hearth.
●●●●● Master: Though you are famed for all you know, there are murmurs that you know too much. Your vast body of knowledge influences the younger generations; you are their almanac.
Possessed By: Hardened sailors, healers, herbalists, farmers, hermits, grandparents, village elders
Specialties: Locale (e.g. central France), Culture (e.g. Celtic), Omens, Wards, Home Remedies, Poisons, Charms
