Druidic Magic
It is said that the origins of the mysterious Zoats who dwell in the forests of Eriu, the first race that thought the Celts the way of the Gods and how to use magic, is lost in the mysts of time and no-one really knows where they came from. However, Cathbad, the Druid who was High Druid during Sláine's time, spent hours communing with the Gods and venturing into the great woods to have deep and long conversations with the Zoats. The manuscripts that he wrote are now in very bad condition, but from reading what is left you can still get a clear picture of the origins of the Zoats.
According to Cathbad's manuscript, the Zoats are an extremely ancient and poweful race that lived in the Warhammer world for thousands of years before the Celts originated. After years of studying High Elf books Cathbad came to the conclusion that the Zoats existed before the mythical Old Ones came to the world. The Zoats did not like these new invaders of their ancestral home, but could do little about it as the Old Ones and their servants were extremely powerful. But the Zoats using their arcane magic which was considerably different than the techno-magic that the Old Ones used, foresaw the collapse of the Warp-Gate and knew that it would be the downfall of the Old Ones and bring unthinkable evil into their world.
To prepare in the defence of their world, they realised that they had no chance of saving the whole world, no matter how much they argued with the Old Ones to warn them what was going to happen. So they concluded that if they could not save the earth, then they would save as much as it as they could. In the end they selected a group of islands off the mainland of The Old World which they believed they could save from the horrors of what was to come. On the night that they believed would be the last night before the warp-gate would collapse, two hundred of the most powerful Zoat mages lined the borders of the lands they wanted to save. They began uttering incanations, ancient spells of protection that would banish all evil spirits. Together they formed a web of magic between the two hundred of them. They shared their magics and built up and extremely pure barrier of magic that would hopefully save their islands.
The Warp gate collapsed in the ancient catastrophe that only few now know of, and the Old Ones perished in the flood of eveil that washed across the land. However, the poweful magical barrier that the Zoats kept going for as long as possible saved their lands from this oncoming of evil and set up a magical barrier that would keep the island safe for thousands of years. But of the two hundred Zoats that kept up the magical barrier, only 25 survived. Despite their massive losses, the Zoats celebrated and they knew that the Gods would be pleased.
Over the years they saw that many new Gods were being worshipped across the world, and according to the Zoats these were not real Gods, just spirits from the other dimension that the Old Ones had opened that impostered as Gods. The Zoats were unhappy but they eventually re-alised that the real Gods did not care. Danu herself spoke to the zoats and told them that these other fake Gods would provide a good basis for religion in the Old World, that people would be raised knowing that there were such things as Gods and holy dieties. However, Danu also informed the Zoats that eventually they would have to bring some of the men to the new land of the young and train them in the ways that are now almost unknown across the world, of magic, of the real Gods and of the way life should be lived. The zoats followed the Earth goddess' every command and when the time was right they assembled the true tribes and brought them to Tír na nÓg.
Cathbad realised from this that the magic he and the other Druids used was quite different from the magics used by the other realms of the world. While other wizards would call the winds of magic around them and channel them to make a spell of some sort, the Druidic way was slightly different. The Druids never actually cast spells as such, instead they act as channels for the Gods to act through them into the physical world, they use the powerful Winds of Magic to call the Gods of Danu, Lugh, Beann and the others and invoke them within themselves. The Gods take control of their bodies for a small instance and will use whatever magic the druid has requested against their enemies. In this way, Druidic magic is quite strong and powerful, and is not easy to tamper with. Druids must spend at least 20 years training just to become a lowly druid initiate.
Druidic magic is used in the game the same as any other magic deck, and spells are dealt out before the game from the deck as usual.
Druidic Magic Deck.
Curse of Lugh - power 2.
Range - 24"
The curse of Lugh calls down a mighty mind curse of the sun god, that fills the mind with a blinding light and can easily destroy your brain. The druid can cast this spell on any enemy model within 24". The victim is struck down with D6 strength 5 hits. The next turn the victim must roll 3D6 and get under his leadership to stop the mind curse. If he does not save it then he is struck with an aditional D6 strength 4 hits. Next turn the same proccess will continue except he gets struck with D6 strength 3 hits and this continues untill he is saved, he dies, it is dispelled or the strength diminishes to 0.
Remains in play.
Warp Spasm - power 3.
Range - self
The druid may call the mighty warp spasm onto himself, the ancient bloodlust that overcomes the greatest of warriors in battle. If the druid succeeds in casting this he is subject to the rules for the bloodlust that chieftains may have for the next turn only. For the bloodlust rules, see the bestiary.
Bless of the Horned God - power 1.
Range - 36"
The druid may invoke the Horned God Cernunoss to bless a unit of Celtic troops with his powerful strength. The druid may cast this on any unit within 36". The unit are blessed for the following turn with +2 strength.
Earth Pit - power 3.
Range 24"
The druid can call the power of Danu, the earth goddess to open a large pit in the ground beneath the Druid's enemies. The druid can place the 2" diamater template anywhere within 24" of him. Any models under the template (4+ if they are half covered) must roll under their I to escape. Any who are fallen under are trapped unless the druid dies or chooses to end the spell. If any models are swallowed up, the unit must make a panic test.
Remains in play.
Sacrifice - power 2.
Range - battlefield
As the word suggests, a sacrifice is giving something up for the greater good of something else. If the druid is in hand to hand combat with another character or unit, he may use the power of Dagda the father god, to sacrifice one of his own men to inflict worse pain on his enemy. The druid may choose any model in the Celtic army to die and that models wounds characteristic plus 1 are drained from the druid's opponent in base contact.
Flock of Crows - power 1.
Range - 24"
In this spell, the druid calls upon the earth goddess Danu, in her form of Morrigu, the crow of war, and a flock of crows will come to the battlefield to confound the foe. The druid may cast this spell on any unit within 24". A flock of crows surrounds the enemy unit and they cannot move or shoot while the spell is in play. It remains in play untill it fades away in D4 turns, or is dispelled.
Glamour of the Maiden - power 2.
Range - 36"
This causes a unit to be blessed with a glamour of the earth goddess in her form of Blodeuwedd, the beautiful maiden. The Druid may cast this on any friendly uit within 36". Any enemies are dazzled by the uit and are taken on by the enchanting beauty of the earth Goddess. Any unit in combat with them must automatically take a break test. If they are not in combat, any unit trying to shoot at them suffers a -2 modifier. It remains in play untill it is dispelled or the druid chooses to end it.
Remains in play.
Death Stench of Crom-Cruach - power 3.
The death stench is a forbidden spell, as it invokes the evil spirit of the worm God, Crom-Cruach. However some Druids still use it as it is a highly potent and destructive spell. The death stench uses the usual 2" diameter template and it is cast fom the druid in any direction and moves 3D6" every magic phase. Any model it passes over will suffer D6 wounds on the roll of 4+. The druid may choose to end it during any of his magic phases.
Remains in play
Mystic Transportation - power 2
Range - 18"
The mystic transportation spell calls the power of the lesser God of power, Hu. The druid can target any unit in 18" and they are transported 24" in any direction across the battlefield. A unit can not be moved straight into combat.
Hag - power 2.
Range - 18"
In this spell the druid calls upon the third form of the earth Goddess, Ceridwan the hag of death. It calls an enemy unit to the hag early in life and the hags draws them away to the hall of death in the el worlds. Every turn, Ceridwan secretly joins the ranks of the enemy unit and calls D6 models away per turn. To resist her draining their life, they must roll under their toughness to survive.
Remains in play.
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