GUIDE
Explanation
In Greek legend, the heroes Achilles, Heracles, Jason, Aeneas, Asclepius and Peleus learned archery and the arts from the centaur Chiron—quite a list of students, considering that Chiron himself was the titanspawn child of Cronus. Military mentors, spiritual guides and other gifted advisors often figure prominently in legends from other parts of the World as well. Perhaps the ancient Gods find power in the form itself, because even in modern times, they are known to bless their children with guides.
Potential guides come in many forms: sagely mortals, fellow Avatars or even legendary beings. A Greek Avatar might visit a particular grove to commune with one of the “rural ghosts.” Japanese Avatars might do the same at remote Shinto shrines. Loa guides have the jarring habit of dispensing wisdom through convenient passersby, often at inopportune or embarrassing moments for their students.
Purchasing this trait is no guarantee that a Avatar’s guide will always be available to answer questions. Indeed, the most powerful and knowledgeable guides usually have the most distractions. Avatars with guides that can be reached through a relic (see “Relics and Other Birthrights,” p. 160) will usually find their mentors easier to communicate with.
In the same vein, no guide is unerringly accurate or completely honest about all subjects. They are characters with limitations and ambitions of their own. In general, however, a guide can be relied on to fulfill his archetypal role: sometimes confusing, sometimes preoccupied, but ultimately delivering a crucial education in the way of the hero.
Because the interaction between a Avatar and his divine parent is so fundamental to the game, the Guide Birthright cannot be used to define this relationship. A few Gods contact their children almost daily, some are complete absentees, but most fall somewhere in between. Regardless, an immortal mother or father is always more than just a guide (though Gods occasionally fulfill the guide role for Avatars who aren’t their children).
Trait Effects
| ● | A wise mortal. The guide can offer useful advice about several aspects of mortal life (Ability specialties, the conduct of war, finances, etc.). Such guides might be knowledgeable in certain areas relating to the Gods—the mystic practices of their worshipers, unconfirmed accounts of titanspawn, and so forth—though they rarely have firsthand experience with Avatars or their divine parents. In fact, many guides at this level have no idea how or why a deity would select them to mentor their children. |
| ●● | A very wise and/or powerful mortal. The guide is either an extremely knowledgeable mortal—the World’s foremost expert in his or her chosen
field, for example—or one who wields wide influence. The more power guides possess, the less time they have to guide their charges. A guide at this level could also be one of the rare individuals who is aware of the struggle between the Gods and the Titans. Such guides often have direct experience with other Avatars or titanspawn. |
| ●●● | An experienced Avatar. The guide can offer considerable insight into all things semi-divine. She might know other Avatars from several pantheons, or even a few Gods. Many have experience fighting various strains of titanspawn. Unfortunately, Avatars mentoring Avatars can sometimes resemble the blind leading the blind. Even experienced Avatars sometimes misunderstand the inscrutable intrigues of their parents. Another drawback to having a Avatar for a mentor is that she’s often involved with her own heroic Band, leaving her less time to guide her pupil. |
| ●●●● | A legendary being. The guide could conceivably be any sort of creature or being. Many kami and loa serve in this capacity, as do the numerous nature spirits that crop up in Greek and Norse legend. Although they aren’t outright Gods, such creatures are particularly attuned to the workings of divinity. These guides often have considerable experience with titanspawn, and might even have a rudimentary knowledge of the Titans themselves. Such creatures typically have limited knowledge of the mortal World, however. Sirens know lots about sailors, for instance, but their knowledge of cars and stock exchanges is limited. |
| ●●●●● | A minor God or Goddess. The guide possesses considerable firsthand knowledge of the Overworld, the Underworld and destinations in between, though he is often preoccupied with his divine duties. Some Gods are notoriously cryptic or find it difficult to communicate with mortals. Such deities confound (inadvertently or otherwise) as often as they guide. |
