A caerbhaighlien is a source that is strong in mebhaighl but cannot be owned by any regent. Instead, it is free for the use of any that can master its power. Some feel that the magic is so much a part of these places that it is controlling them, rather than they it.
Because of the lack of "ownership", no-one can claim regency from a caerbhaighlien. Likewise, no leylines can be connect to it.
From time to time ley lines will spontaneously from a caerbhaighlien, during these times (typically equinoxes, or after some great magical disturbance such as a ley storm or battle in which several realm spells were unleashed) any caster who can attune themselves to the caerbhaighlien can draw upon its magic.
Caerbhaighlien sources tend to be in addition to the normal source manifestations of a province, they tend to form near ancient faerie mounds, over dragon graves, in the most ancient forests where sidhe have long dwelt, or in deep swamps where the goblin sorcerers of old worked their magics and raised mebhaighl to wage war with the sidhe.
Some sages amongst the Khinasi theorize that caerbhaighlien result from links between the world of Aebrynis and the Shadow World - the caerbhaighlien being places where the magic of the seeming crosses into Aebrynnis as raw magical energy; other Khinasi sages suggest that high source potential and long mystical use can lead to caerbhaighlien forming either spontaneously or by design. These latter sages suggest that the giants of old or Karamhul encouraged the formation of caerbhaighlien in mountains, the sidhe in forests, and the goblins in swamps. These sages are typically at a loss to explain why no new caerbhaighlien are known if they can be created and mutter vaguely of loss arts, or the lasting effects of the Battle of Mount Deismaar.

[top]Using Caerbhaighlien

To 'master' the power of caerbhaighlien is to immediately prove human folly - one does not master mebhaighl of any sort, caerbhaighlien least of all. One embraces it, one opens their soul to the land and lets the mebhaighl pour in, one caresses and teases the magic of the land into aroused power and shapes it to their will. So speak not of mastery, to try to force mebhaighl to your will is as pointless as to try to force water to stand in place when the vase about it is removed.

To use caerbhaighlien a caster must make successful knowledge (Nature) and knowledge (Arcane) checks against a DC equal to 15 + twice the source level. The DC increases by the sum of any domain spells cast in the province in the past year.

[top]Effect of caerbhaighlien

A domain spell cast using caerbhaighlien generally has no (or heavily reduced) cost, nor does the spell have to be memorized - or sometimes even known. Often the caerbhaighlien is said to cast itself through the caster - particularly when some grave unnatural terror is present, in such a case - a demon from the Shadow World, or sometimes even an awnsheghlien, an effect similar to the Land's Choice occurs, and the spellcaster is driven to approach near to the caerbhaighlien manifestation and cast the magic - even if they have never cast domain magic before or lack the skill to do so normally.

Tags for this Page

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

Posting Permissions
  • You may not create new articles
  • You may not edit articles
  • You may not protect articles
  • You may not post comments
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your comments
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.