Way of Earth

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Ancient koldun hospodar rulers once claimed sovereignty over the lands of Eastern Europe, manipulating the magically rich chernozem - “black earth” - to invoke their power and instill fear in their boyars and peasants. Now, the young koldun of the Sabbat beckon the spirits of the Western soil and derive their powers of the Way of Earth from natural surroundings. When a koldun employs a power of this way, his eyes change color to walnut brown and his skin ripples with small patches of stone.

1)Soil Silhouette
A koldun invoking this power has the ability to command dirt to rise up from the ground and crawl up the legs of an individual. The soil rises up very quickly and, as it passes above a victim’s knees, renders him immobile.

System: Success on the activation roll causes the dirt anywhere within a 100-foot radius of the invoker to roil and crawl up a victim’s legs; the dirt ends its ascent about halfway between the knees and hips. Unless the subject can score five successes on a Strength + Survival roll (difficulty 6), he remains trapped in place by the Soil Silhouette for a number of turns equal to twice the successes the player scored on the activation roll.

2) Unearthly Stamina
A koldun invoking this power temporarily borrows the earth‘s resilience, lending him stamina. Some elder Tremere of Eastern Europe reminisce on the frightening capacity for pain their rival koldun could withstand when invoking Unearthly Stamina. Sabbat koldun often use this power to prove their mettle during the ritae.

System: After spending a Willpower point and making a successful Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 6), the player may add two temporary Stamina dice when soaking damage. These can be included in soaking aggravated damage. This effect lasts for one scene.

3) Soil of Death
By invoking Soil of Death, a koldun commands roots to rise from the ground and drag a target below the soil, incapacitating him. Once buried up to his neck, a victim finds it increasingly difficult to breathe as he feels the weight of the earth crushing his chest.

System: Roots issue forth from the ground and wrap themselves around the legs, ankles and waist of a victim, pulling him underneath the earth. For every success a player scores on a Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 7), the victim remains trapped underground for one turn. Mortals and ghouls will have a very difficult time breathing due to the prolonged pressure from compact earth, and must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 7) or suffer one level of lethal damage for every turn they spend entombed in the earth.

4) Root of Vitality
Many healers believed that burying a person in the ground would allow the rich soil to purge him of his ailments. This power allows the koldun to draw any person into the ground up to the neck to heal grievous wounds.

System: With the expenditure of a Willpower point, the koldun commands the soil to pull a person down into the ground in order to heal her wounds. A character must remain underground for one turn per health level he heals. All damage a character suffers can heal in this manner including aggravated wounds, though the injured party must spend a blood point per aggravated wound level that he desires to heal (assuming the wounded character may do so). During this time of healing, the subject is helpless and unable to perform any other actions.

5) Dracula's Restless Soul
Peasants whisper silent prayers to protect themselves from the unusual tremors that sometimes shake the Carpathian Mountains, which they believe to be the spirit of Dracula waking from centuries of slumber. In truth, this odd seismic activity is the result of koldun calling upon the dormant wrath of the blighted land. When invoking this power, a koldun creates a large earth tremor capable of shaking the foundations of a city block.

System: With the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 9), a player enables her character to cause the earth to shake violently. Each success she scores increases the radius of the quake; victims within the area of effect suffer 10 dice of lethal damage. Cars, RVs and small houses suffer substantial damage and, at the Storyteller’s discretion, may be destroyed altogether. Buildings three stories and higher, such as apartment complexes and office buildings may sustain some structural damage, but this supernatural tremor is not strong enough to cause them to crumble and fall. This tremor lasts for one turn.

1 success: One structure
2 successes: Five structures
3 successes: A residential street
4 successes: Half a city block
5 successes: A full city block