Ecology
| Ecology is the specialization of Hunting which is open for druids and commune bards. Those who choose Ecology tap into the essence of animal, plant and minerals. They are also charged with maintaining the balance of nature, protecting its delicate balance. Most notably, ecologists often have an animal familiar that follows them around. |
| Skill | Learned At | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy | Master+0% | Empathically communicate with animals. |
| HillsSmudge | Master+20% | Mud slides can be a danger in the hills. |
| SoftCharm | Master+40% | Basic minerals can be used to protect. |
| WingsFetish | Master+60% | Craft a bone fetish and add deadly wings. |
| BatBane | Master+80% | Sounds cause pain to sensitive ears. |
| Rebirth | Gifted+0% | Give animals new life in a new form. |
| DesertSmudge | Gifted+20% | Desert sand storms can scour the flesh. |
| HerbRenewal | Gifted+40% | Even barren locations can be made to flourish. |
| FetishArmour | Gifted+60% | Make your familiar invincible with your fetish. |
| FamiliarSmudge | Gifted+80% | Armoured familiars can carry your smudges. |
| FinsFetish | Expert+0% | With fins, your bone fetish is even more deadly. |
| SwampSmudge | Expert+20% | Beware the quicksand found in swamps. |
| AnimalGrowth | Expert+40% | Enlarge animals to be more deadly. |
| PreciousCharm | Expert+60% | Add precious metals to your protective charm. |
| FamiliarSting | Expert+80% | Poison the bone armour on your familiar. |
| SwiftFetish | Virtuoso+0% | Your bone fetish can find its target within line of sight. |
| ValleySmudge | Virtuoso+20% | Tornados often form in valleys. |
| StingerFetish | Virtuoso+40% | Place a stinger upon your bone fetish. |
| Unite | Virtuoso+60% | Travel to your animal familiar where it may be. |
| SnakeBane | Virtuoso+80% | Sensitivity to poisons become more pronounced. |
| HardCharm | Fabled+0% | More protections can be added with the hardest ore. |
| MountainSmudge | Fabled+20% | Only in mountains is there a danger of avalanches. |
| FangsFetish | Fabled+40% | Your bone fetish can grow vicious fangs. |
| SnakeBond | Fabled+50% | Place a stinger upon your bone fetish. |
| HerbBane | Fabled+60% | Curse a body to violently reject healing herbs. |
| FamiliarShield | Fabled+80% | Your armoured familiar will attempt to protect you. |
| Conceal | Mythical+0% | Conceal the movements of your animal familiar. |
| ForgePath | Mythical+20% | Create the mystic pathways with another forger of paths. |
| ForestSmudge | Mythical+40% | Sometimes fires are necessary to a forest's health. |
| BerserkFetish | Mythical+60% | Instill a berserk state within your bone fetish. |
| FamiliarBerserk | Mythical+80% | Make your familiar berserk for a short period. |
| Transmigration | Transcendent+0% | Prepare a soul for transmigration. |
Empathy
You are now able to connect empathically with animals, and so will be able to influence them. However, as animal minds are fairly simple, they only understand empowerment and weakening, so the influencing methods you use must be to one of these two purposes.
Note well that an ego battle with an animal requires a direct conflict between your emotions and your very spirits, as this is the common ground needed to communicate with animals. You are not able to influence any kind of marine life, as their minds and emotions are too alien to you.
HillsSmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION HILLS SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3p (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: pennyroyal 2 |
You can fashion a smudge stick from herbs found in the hills. When you burn the smudge, the smoke will eventually form into fleeting hills, causing a mudslide to harm your enemies.
NOTES ON SMUDGE STICKS: Smudges are powerful items made of the plant kingdom, infused with your own spirit through use of your ego. As such, you can only ever have one prepared at a time, and only you will be able to burn it. Gusts of wind will temporarily blow a smudge stick out, but it will eventually rekindle on its own. Smudges can be burned both on the ground or in trees.
SoftCharm
| Syntax |
| CHARM FASHION <comm> <amt> [<comm>] [<amt>] ... |
| Damage Modifier: 2/2-X (total, divided as outlined below) |
Charms are made of the mineral kingdom and can be powerful protections when worn. A charm must be made with exactly 20 commodities. The commodities you use determine what the charm will protect against and the weight it will protect you. You begin by learning to work with with soft minerals and ores, which protect against the following:
- Sulfur : Protection vs. Poison
- Salt : Protection vs. Electricity
- Coal : Protection vs. Asphyxiation
For every 5 commodities of a type in your charm, the cap for that type increases by 2. For instance, a charm with 5 sulfur and 15 salt confers a 2/4 protection vs. poison and a 2/8 protection vs. electricity. You can fashion your charm in any proportion so long as 20 commodities are used. You can fashion your charm as often as you like, though there will never be more than one charm and it is only usable by you.
WingsFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH FASHION FROM <animal> FETISH GRAFT WINGS FROM <animal> |
| Power: 10 (any) (to fashion and graft only) |
Bone fetishes are representations of the power of the animal kingdom. First, you begin by making a basic fetish from the bones of an animal. This is your basic bone fetish and is not useful until you begin grafting parts of animals onto it. You first begin by learning those animals who produce the following poisons: ANEROD, NIRICOL, BOTULINUM, CONTORTRIN, or PYROTOXIN.
Generally, animals who produce these poisons fly and you will need to find the bones of one of them. Contact a poison expert if you are not sure what animal produces ANEROD, NIRICOL, BOTULINUM, CONTORTRION or PYROTOXIN. Then you can graft representations of wings onto your fetish. At this point, through use of your ego, you can use your bone fetish as a weapon to deliver these poisons. You will, of course, need vials of these poisons handy for your bone fetish to use.
If you lose your fetish, you can always CALL it back to you.
BatBane
| Syntax |
| BANE BAT <target> |
| Power: 3 (Any) |
Those under the curse of the Bat Bane are particularly sensitive to sound, and will suffer increased damage from all sources coming from sound, including mana barbs, power spikes and ego vices. There are no cures for banes but they will lift on their own after one minute.
Rebirth
| Syntax |
| REBIRTH <animal> |
| Power: 5 (commune nexus) |
Sometimes you may want to give the spirit of a dead animal another chance upon the cycle of life and death. Though not all animals may be given a chance at rebirth, if successful it will be granted a new animal body.
The first animal you give rebirth to will form a close bond with you, and if your bonded animal dies, you will suffer great damage so it is important to keep your bonded animal safe. After its death, the next animal spirit you grant rebirth to will become your bonded animal. Of course, you can continue to grant rebirth to as many other animals as you desire but you will only ever have one at any time that has the special bond.
| Syntax |
| BOND LOOK BOND MOVE <direction> |
| Power: 5 (any) (To recall from another plane) |
After you develop this bond, you are able to give your familiar various commands using your bond with it, provided you are on the same plane as your bonded animal.
Commanding your familiar to listen will allow you to use its ears as your own, picking up all conversations that it can hear, while commanding it to look will allow you to use its eyes, showing you what it sees. You may also command it to move remotely, and recall it to you if necessary, though this will take longer if it is out of your local area. Finally, you may command your familiar to attack an enemy that is with it. You can also order your familiar to observe its surroundings. In the event you wish to dismiss your familiar, you can as well.
DesertSmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION DESERT SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3 (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: sage 1 weed 1 |
You can create a smudge from the plants of a desert. When burned, this smudge will create a terrible sandstorm that will scour your enemies. See AB ECOLOGY HILLSSMUDGE.
HerbRenewal
| Syntax |
| RENEW HERBS |
| Power: 5 (any) |
In any natural environment capable of growing herbal plants that happens to be barren, you can renew the ground causing one type of plant to sprout. The type is a random type that naturally grows in that environment.
FetishArmour
| Syntax |
| FETISH ARMOUR <CLASP|UNCLASP> |
You may use your fetish to encase your familiar in living armour, making your bonded familiar invulnerable to all damage. While your familiar is armoured, you will not have access to your fetish. Also, if your armoured familiar is not in the same room as you, it will always seek to return to you if it is attacked.
FamiliarSmudge
| Syntax |
| BOND SMUDGE <target> |
If your familiar is armoured, you can have it deliver a smudge to a target up to 10 rooms away. The target can't be in the same room as you, nor will your familiar drop the smudge anywhere other than at ground level.
FinsFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH GRAFT FINS FROM <animal> |
| Power: 10 (any) |
You can graft fins onto your bone fetish. Fins are made from the bones of any animal that produces the poisons SAXITIN, BOTULINUM, MANTAKAYA, CALCISE, TETRODIN, INYOKA or MORPHITE. Likewise, your fetish can now use any of these poisons. See AB ECOLOGY WINGSFETISH.
SwampSmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION SWAMP SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3 (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: calamus 1 myrtle 1 |
You can fashion a smudge from the plants of a swamp. When burned, your enemies may be caught in quicksand, making it impossible for them to move until freed. Note that the larger the size, the easier it is to get out of quicksand (ironically enough), but trying to move will cause a victim to sink deeper into it. See AB ECOLOGY HILLSSMUDGE.
AnimalGrowth
| Syntax |
| ENLARGE <animal> |
| Power: 5 (any) |
You can temporarily enlarge any animal, increasing its size and strength.
PreciousCharm
| Syntax |
| CHARM FASHION <comm> <amt> [<comm>] [<amt>] ... |
| Damage Modifier: 2/2-X (total, divided as outlined below) |
Your protective charm is now more effective than it was before, and you can now fashion your charm with precious metals which give more options for protection. Otherwise the charm operates exactly the same as before. See AB ECOLOGY SOFTCHARM.
- Gold : Protection vs. Fire
- Platinum : Protection vs. Cold
- Silver : Protection vs. Magic
- Gems : Protection vs. Psychic
FamiliarSting
| Syntax |
| BOND ENVENOM <poison> BOND ENVENOM SHOW |
| Power: 3 (any) |
You may envenom your armoured familiar with 10 poisons. When commanded to sting, the familiar will attack its target with those poisons. You may also order it passive to stand down. When ordered passive, your bond will retain the remaining stings and you can continue from where you left off by re-issuing the sting command. If you re-issue the sting command and add the 'FULL' qualifier, you will expend another 3 power and refill the number of attacks your bond will make.
SwiftFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH SWIFT <person> <direction> <poison> |
Your bone fetish can now be used to target anyone within your line of sight.
ValleySmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION VALLEY SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3 (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: yarrow 1 rosehips 1 colewort 1 |
You can create a smudge stick with herbs of the valley. Burning this smudge creates a tornado that can blow your enemies up into the sky. See AB ECOLOGY HILLSSMUDGE.
StingerFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH GRAFT STINGER FROM <animal> |
| Power: 10 (any) |
From the bones of an animal that use the poisons MACTANS, PYROTOXIN, CHANSU, MELLITIN, HADRUDIN or CHARYBDON, you can graft a stinger onto your bone fetish in order to use those poisons to attack with it. See AB ECOLOGY WINGSFETISH.
Unite
| Syntax |
| BOND UNITE |
| Power: 2 (Any) |
Your bond with your animal familiar is now so strong that you are able to travel to it through sheer force of will. You must focus very hard on your bond, and after a short time the connection will become so powerful that you will be unable to be apart, and so you will be brought together. As opposed to recalling your familiar, this will bring you to its location, rather than it to yours.
SnakeBane
| Syntax |
| BANE SNAKE <target> |
| Power: 3 (Any) |
This curse will make the recipient much more receptive to poisons, greatly decreasing the chance to shrug off poison effects. There are no cures for banes but they will lift on their own after one minute.
HardCharm
| Syntax |
| CHARM FASHION <comm> <amt> [<comm>] [<amt>] ... |
| Damage Modifier: 2/2-X (total, divided as outlined below) |
The protections of your charm is now as great as they will ever be. You now also have the option of adding hard elements of the mineral kingdom for other protections. Otherwise, it operates the same as before. See AB ECOLOGY SOFTCHARM.
- Marble : Protection vs. Blunt
- Iron : Protection vs. Cutting
MountainSmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION MOUNTAIN SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3 (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: juniper 1 arnica 1 kafe 1 |
You can fashion a smudge stick from mountain herbs. Burning this smudge will cause a tremendous avalanche of rocks to devastate your enemies. See AB ECOLOGY HILLSSMUDGE.
FangsFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH GRAFT FANGS FROM <animal> |
| Power: 10 (any) |
You can graft deadly fangs onto your fetish from the bones of an animal that produces DULAK, DENDROXIN, ANATINE, ALEUTIAN, CONTORTRIN, ESCOZUL or HAEMOTOX, after which your bone fetish can use those poisons. See AB ECOLOGY WINGSFETISH.
SnakeBond
| Syntax |
| SNAKEBOND <snake> SNAKEBOND DISSOLVE |
By bonding with a poisonous snake, you can convince it to shack up inside your familiar's armour. It will strike every time your familiar attacks by virtue of FamiliarSting.
The snake must be alive, be poisonous, have full poison glands, and be in your hands. Your familiar must have armour clasped to it.
HerbBane
| Syntax |
| BANE HERB <target> |
| Power: 3 (Any) |
While under this powerful curse, the body rejects herbal remedies. There is a 50% chance that any purity wafer eaten will instead drain health from the one cursed. There are no cures for banes but they will lift on their own after one minute.
FamiliarShield
If you have this skill, your armoured familiar will automatically attempt to protect you from venoms. Your familiar must be in the same room as you and must be armoured.
Conceal
| Syntax |
| BOND CONCEAL |
This ability will allow you to conceal your animal familiar, and while this does not make it invisible, it will make its movements undetectable to the mortal eye.
ForgePath
| Syntax |
| FORGEPATH <path forger> |
| Power: 10 (any) |
With another person with this skill, you can forge mystic pathways between two locations of the same type of natural environment on the same plane. While the path is being formed, you are very limited in what you can do lest you disrupt the process.
ForestSmudge
| Syntax |
| SMUDGE FASHION FOREST SMUDGE [QUICK]BURN |
| Power: 3 (for quickburn) (Any) Ingredients: Mistletoe 1 Marjoram 1 Galingale 1 Coltsfoot 1 |
You can create a smudge with the plants found in forests. This will create a scene of a forest fire, which will burn your enemies with its hot wrath. See AB ECOLOGY HILLSSMUDGE.
BerserkFetish
| Syntax |
| FETISH ATTACK <person> BERSERK <poison> <poison> FETISH SWIFT <person> <direction> BERSERK <poison> <poison> |
You can put your fetish in a berserk state, causing it to attack with two poisons. This can be a normal attack or a swift attack in your line of sight.
FamiliarBerserk
| Syntax |
| BOND BERSERK <target> |
| Power: 6 (any) |
For a short period, your armoured familiar will attack at an extremely fast speed. See AB ECOLOGY FAMILIARSTING.
Transmigration
| Syntax |
| DEEPBOND
TRANSMIGRATION <on|off> |
| Power: 5 (commune nexus) |
You can form an even deeper bond with your animal familiar. This deep bond is the mingling of both your soul and its spirit. If you die, your soul will transmigrate into the body of your animal familiar and you will thus be reborn. You will only be able to transmigrate if you have Ecology as an active skillset.
Your familiar will also provide you with unique bonuses.
- Owl - 2/4 equilibrium recovery bonus, flight
- Badger - 1/5 max health bonus, 1/8 universal damage increase
- Fox - 2/4 balance recovery bonus, 1/8 cold resistance, 1/8 fire resistance
- Vixen - 1/5 max ego bonus, level 2 empower influence
- Tarantula - 1/5 max health bonus, 1/8 poison resistance, 1/8 cold resistance
- Viper - 2/4 balance recovery bonus, high resistance to dendroxin venom
- Widow - 1/5 max ego bonus, level 2 weaken influence
- Bat - 2/4 equilibrium recovery bonus, flight
Warning: If your familiar dies while you are in the realm, you will be severely injured.