The Sight

Romani Magic

I'm hearing right and wrong so clearly
There must be something more than this
It's only in uncertainty
That we're naked and alive
- Peter Gabriel, "That Voice Again"

When the gaje think of a Gypsy, they often picture a shrivelled old woman wrapped in a shawl, cackling over palms and muttering vague-yet-ominous prophecies of the client's future. Or they imagine a voluptuous young woman with raven hair and colorful skirts staring into a crystal ball and speaking of tall, dark and handsome strangers that will soon be knocking on the client's door. It's true that Gypsies often adopt these stereotypical roles when attempting to gain as much money as they possibly can from their target. However, when a Gypsy with the true gift of Sight uses her ability, the results can be truly powerful - and sometimes frightening.

A Gypsy with the Sight does not have complete control over all aspects of this ability. She is not always able to step out of the linear timeline in which we function to gain insight into both the future and the past. Both disciplined concentration and relaxation are imperative for the successful use of this Affinity. When attempting to use the Sight, a Gypsy normally favors one or two particular fortune-telling (or dukkerin) methods. Some of the most common methods of fortune-telling are listed below. A Gypsy with the Sight greatly values any and all of her fortune-telling tools, be they tarot decks, dice, crystals, etc. Normally, a Sighted Gypsy will carry her tools wrapped in silk, and will allow no other to touch her tools for fear the contact will somehow make them marhine (impure) and therefore less likely to impart true visions.
For characters with the Sight, players must choose either one of the major methods of Seeing or two of the minor methods of divination, or make up another that her character favors. If a character is forced to use a dukkerin method she is not trained in, or does not have her favored dice, tarot cards, etc., available, the difficulty level of any attempt at using her Sight to look into the past or future is increased by +2.

When a character attempts to use the Sight during a story, the Storyteller should ask the player what information the character is seeking. This could range from a general reading about the health of an individual to the specific ramifications of some action. The base difficulty level when using the Sight is 8. A character attempting to determine whether a particular building will be empty for the next few hours might have to roll against a difficulty of 8. Let's say people are going to be in the building. If the character then attempts to determine who exactly will be in the building, the difficulty would rise to a 9 or 10.

Clarity of Sight varies with the number of successes a character gains. For every success the character achieves, he receives one specific image or impression. For instance, if Katarina, a Phuri Dae with the Sight, achieves three successes while attempting to reach into the past to determine who murdered her friend, she will receive three pieces of information. In this case, the Storyteller tells Katarina's player that she feels a definite masculine presence, and that she is certain her friend knew her killer. Finally, the Storyteller informs the player that Katarina also has a distinct impression of the man's face, and that she will be able to recognize him on sight. If Katarina had only achieved two successes, she would not have received this final image.

When providing information through he Sight, be certain the information tends to be cryptic in nature. this is especially true for information given about the future. Information should also be vague and general, but grow increasingly specific and useful with greater numbers of successes.

A character may only attempt to learn information about a specific person, thing or event once, regardless of how much success (or lack thereof) she has in the attempt. She will not be able to gain any additional information about the same exact subject unless she actually uncovers new data about the subject, thus giving her a new focus.

The amount of time the character can attempt to look into the past or future is determined by her level of skill. The greater the seer's skill, the further her mind can reach across the threads of time.

Every use of the Sight costs one point of Willpower.

1) Novice: The character can see up to 1 month into the past and 2 weeks into the future.
2) Practised: The character can see up to 1 year into the past and 6 months into the future.
3) Competent: The character can see up to 10 years into the past and 5 years into the future.
4) Expert: The character can see up to 100 years into the past and 50 years into the future.
5) Master: The character can see any point in the past or future, though the difficulty for anything beyond 100 years past and 50 years forward is 10.

Greater Auguries
The methods of fortune-telling listed below are the most common to the Gypsies. They are also the most powerful. Whether this is due to the nature of the methods themselves or to the fact that they have been longer-practiced by the Rom is unclear. None of these methods is more effective than another; it is equally easy to discern answers regarding any subject when utilizing one of these methods of scrying. By the same token, none of the greater auguries are especially attuned to a particular type of scrying, as are the lesser auguries. Each of the greater auguries has its own peculiarities of form, but all are essentially the same in function.

The player may choose either one of these scrying methods or two of the lesser auguries.

Crystal Gazing: When using this method to overcome the limits of time and see the past or the future, the Gypsy stares into a crystal ball, a mirror or even a black bowl filled with water. Dim lights are preferable - ideally one candle is placed so as not to reflect on the surface of the crystal or the water. The Gypsy then relaxes and looks intently into the crystal or into the water until a vision appears to her. If the Gypsy is attempting to discover specific information, she will allow the subject in question to constantly "float" just on the surface of her mind.

Tarot Cards: There are many different versions of the tarot deck. Most Gypsies have a particular version they favor. In fact, many users of the tarot create their own decks. Unlike playing cards, the various symbols and pictures on each tarot card can be as meaningful as the numbers and names of the cards themselves. When the cards are turned face up on the table they can have many different interpretations. It is the Gypsy's Sight that ferrets out the specific meanings applicable to the particular reading. Her eyes will be drawn to certain parts of the images, to certain interpretations of the numerals, and from these she gains insight into the problem or question at hand.

'Tea Leaves: When reading tea leaves, the Gypsy usually uses a specific, favored tea set. she brews a rather bitter draught known as meski and has the person who is in need of her Sight drink down the tea. When the tea has been entirely consumed, the seer takes the cup and stares into its depths. The tea leaves form a pattern against the side of the cup. Staring long and hard at the cup, both the seer and the client (or just the seer if she is reading her own leaves) concentrate on the question or problem at hand. Slowly the Gypsy recognizes images formed by the leaves, and she then allows her Sight to interpret the meaning of these symbols for her.

Lesser Auguries

The greater auguries comprise the most popular and flexible styles of fortune-telling among the Gypsies. However, there are many other methods available. Some are age-old, while others have only sprung up in recent years. Each of the lesser auguries specializes in a certain type of knowledge, and it is easier for seers to follow the threads of time along this path. Characters gain a -2 difficulty modifier when searching for knowledge that falls within their lesser augury's speciality area. For example, a Gypsy seer suing dazing (speciality: death knowledge) attempting to look back in time at a murder receives a -2 difficulty modifier to her attempt.

Although it is possible to attempt to gain any type of knowledge with a lesser augury, the chances of learning anything about other areas of knowledge is slim. Characters receive a +2 modifier to the difficulty level of any other type of knowledge. In the example above, the seer using the dazing augury decides to look into the future to determine if her lover will be unfaithful. She receives a +2 difficulty level to this attempt, as it is not directly related to death.

Clever players may be able to use both their methods of lesser augury to learn about the same incident or person; however, they must be careful to concentrate on the subject from two entirely different angles, or else their vision will be blocked as discussed above. For example, the seer Katerina could use her skill at dazing to determine some of the facts regarding a murder. She could then use her skill at fire reading to determine more about the murderer's passions, perhaps determining that the murder both loved and hated his victim.

A few of the rarer and/or newer methods, or lesser auguries, are listed below. Storytellers and players should feel free to create other types of lesser auguries, deciding what type of knowledge each method specializes in.
Casting: Whether the casting is done with runes, dice, sticks, crystals, stones or a host of other materials, the seer studies the pattern of the toss. Searching out patterns, placement, and in some cases markings, the seer seeks the information her Blood tells her is revealed in the cast. Many Rom always carry dice or dominoes with which to make castings for both gaje marks and themselves.

Specialities: Knowledge of accidents, unexpected actions, and acts of fate.

Dazing: Bright strobes, neon lights and the overpowering blare of driving music are often combi8ned in the visionary method known as dazing. At a minimum, the seer must steadily stare at bright, flashing lights for several minutes. The seer lets the light and the after-images flash across her eyes while the vision (hopefully) imprints itself on her mind's eye. A recent phenomenon among the Rom, this method of invoking the Sight is most common among the seers of the Knife Tribe (Slayers).

For Gypsy seers who enjoy hacking and other computer-related activities, the monitor can aid in the dazing process. A few such seers have been known to use fractals to induce visions.

Speciality: Death knowledge.

Fire Reading: The hypnotic flames of the Romani camp-fires licking into the night sky have long been useful in stirring the visions of the prophets among the Rom. A seer who chooses this method will sit before an open fire, perhaps tossing small handfuls of salt onto the fire as it dies down. For those with the Sight, images may dance within the shining flames and smoke of the fire. This method is particularly favored by the seers of the Lupine clan.

Speciality: Knowledge regarding matters of love and hate.

Hand Reading: Often known as palmistry, this method of dukkerin actually involves the subject's entire hand. Although many gaje think hand reading is as simple as searching out a life line here and a love line there, hand reading is a highly exacting method requiring years of study. Every lump and whorl, every line and callous, the length of the fingers and the breadth of the hand – are all studied to gain insights into the individual in question. Often the Gypsy giving the reading will ask many questions of her subject over the course of the reading.

Speciality: This augury may only be used to determine events directly related to the individual being studied, or involving his or her direct ancestors and descendants. Any sort of knowledge can be determined; however, the seer receives the +2 difficulty modifier when attempting to determine information about the subjects' ancestors or descendants.

Knives and needles: Both knives and needles can be used to discern relatively simple information using the Sight. The knife or needle is suspended by a piece of string or thread and allowed to hang free. A piece of paper with a few simple answers on it, or perhaps a map, is placed beneath the instrument. The seer then places one finger lightly on top of the makeshift apparatus. Concentrating on the desired information, the seer relaxes. If the seer is successful, the knife or needle will slowly begin to move back and forth in the direction of the correct answer or proper place on the map.

Among certain city Rom, the practice of keeping a special needle pierced in an ear lobe or other body part, except when used in the divination, has become very popular recently. Those who do this maintain that it provides more accurate readings.

Speciality: Knowledge regarding where and when things and people are in time and space.

Thrashing: Some of the younger Rom use the frenetic energy and release of dance to bring their talent into focus. This method is frequently accompanied by alcohol and drug use, but not always. Thrashing, slamming and other frenetic dance forms seem to work best. As with the method of dazing, discussed above, just when the seer's body reaches its physical limits he is often violently besieged with images and symbols. It is wise for those who use this method to keep a tape recorder going, because the seer usually loses consciousness soon after the images fade, and the visions are often forgotten upon waking.

Speciality: Knowledge of pain and conflict.