Carman the Celtic Witch and her three sons, Dub (Darkness), Dother (Evil), and Dain (Violence)
Carman the Celtic Witch
Oil on Watercolour by Johannes Gubat
Concept, Adaptation, and Story by Bennet Gubat
STORY
Night falls on Lir’s Reach.
Daylight has finally conceded its battle against the blizzard that rampages through the countryside, vowing to return yet another time. The people have barricaded themselves against the heavy snows, keeping snug within their homes, cradling a warm pint, building up their fires to last the long cold night. Nothing stirs in the countryside. Not even the light from hearth fires spill past a few steps beyond shuttered windows. Except for the snows, everything everywhere is still. Everywhere… except for the Eastern Docks.
A cloaked figure leaps from a canoe to the pier and fastens the rope it carried to one of the pilings. With gloved hand, it beckons to its two brethren, who quickly join the first.
“Untie it,” the tallest one said. “We have no further use for it.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, huh, Dother?” the first one murmured.
“No Dub,” Dother replied. “I shall not be exiled from my homeland again.”
Dub merely shrugged and proceeded to untie the rope from its fastenings.
The three watched the canoe drift off into the icy sea. When it was lost to sight, the biggest one grunted, turned, and started walking. Dub and Dother soon followed.
Dub asked, “You know where to go, Dain?”
Dain merely grunted again in reply.
“He knows,” Dother said, “as well you should.”
“Yes, yes, just checking,” Dub replied. “Get close enough to the leystone, wait for the signal, start the ritual, and do everything before Imbolc. You’ve drilled us enough times to put a rock to sleep.”
“For an assassin, you talk too much,” Dother noted. “And yes, we must do it quickly before the gate to the Otherworld resumes its strength.”
“Mother would be so glad…”
A grunt of warning from Dain interrupts Dub, who continues in the same voice, “Rest easy brother. Between the wind and their walls, whoever is in that tavern will not hear a thing.”
“It matters not, for from here we move separately.” Dother looks askance at Dub and continues, “Try and not get into trouble before we’re done, will you?”
“And when have I ever failed you, brother?” Dub’s voice replies, as his entire form vanishes into shadow.
Dain grunts, takes a final look at his elder brother, and walks away, the sound of his footsteps faint against the howling wind.
Dother puts on his mask, then gets down on a knee to examine the frozen ground closely, fingers caressing the blades of brittle grass under the snow. Seeming to reach a decision, he raises his head to the north, and gradually but perceptibly vanishes from sight.
Except for the snows, everything everywhere is still once more.
APPEARANCES, BACKGROUND, AND DESCRIPTION:
Carman and her sons are of the Fir Bolg, the race that was ousted by the Tuatha de Danann. It is said that the Fir Bolg were descended from the Nemedians, the original inhabitants of Erin.
She and her sons were defeated by the Sons of Danu. Her sons were driven out to sea, and Carman was herself imprisoned. It is said that she died of grief and was buried in Wexford.
Now, just when the gates of the Otherworld were weakened by the passing of Samhain, and before it fully recovers with the advent of spring, Carman’s sons have returned in the hopes of bringing her back. They plan to harness the power of the leystones scattered across Lir’s reach to call out to her shade, and keep the portals weak enough for her to pass through.
Their ultimate goal is to once more wreak havoc upon the land, using their powers of blight to prevent spring from ever arriving, driving the descendants of the Tuatha away, and once more reclaim the land that they had always considered as home.
Carman appears as a shade in the Otherworld, staying close to the portal in order to pass through quickly once the ritual of opening has been completed by her sons. She uses a combination of fire and blight magic to burn and to weaken her enemies.
Her sons are human (Fir Bolg), have different specializations, and have each positioned themselves along leylines in Lir’s reach, at points equidistant from any 2 leystones.
Dother (Evil), the eldest, is an archer. Dain (Violence), is a hulk of a warrior, while Dub (Darkness), is a rogue.
POWERS
1. Carman
a. Wraith Touch – Carman’s Auto Attack comes with the chill of the Otherworld, dealing cold damage to her enemies.
b. Conflagration – Carman’s standard bolt. Single target, fire damage.
c. Carman’s Revenge – Wide-cast, radial AOE, doing initial poison damage and poison DOT.
d. Melancholy – Carman inflicts her grief on her attacker, reducing both HP and energy, and weakening their resistances for a duration.
e. Decay – Carman points at a random target, and inflicts a long duration curse, doing poison DOT.
2. Dother – “This is our home. Never again shall you drive us away”
a. Auto Attack – poison tipped arrows, initial piercing dmg, and poison DOT for lol.
b. Festering Vines –Radial, AOE. Rotted vines sprout from the ground, entangling Dother’s enemies, slowing their movement speed, attack speed, lowering evasion and causing light poison DOT.
c. Longest Draw – Dother draws his bowstring to its furthest extension, releasing his arrow to cause high piercing damage. Single Target
d. Call of the Wild – at intervals, Dother corrupts the minds of the creatures nearest him, including the rabbits and frogs, and orders them to attack his enemies. Wide AOE. Maybe give him a couple of corrupted wolves as adds
“Nature bends to my will”
e. Enrage – at 10% HP, Dother enrages, increasing his attack speed, but lowering his defense
“No, not again!”
3. Dub – “So, you’ve come to play with little ol’ me haven’t you?”
a. Auto attack – poison tipped knife. Does piercing damage, and poison DOT, again for lol.
b. Shroud of Darkness – Dub enshrouds himself in dark smoke, lowering the hit rating of those who dare attack him. Affects spells as well.
“Now you see me, and all that…”
c. Dance of Knives – Dub’s hands move with blurring speed, doing a quadruple strike on his attacker, or attacking up to 4 enemies within melee range. Slashing damage.
“Here a cut, there a cut, everywhere a cut, cut…”
d. Dance of Shadows – At 50%, 25%, and 10% life, Dub streaks across the battlefield, too fast for eyes to see. He steps behind 2 random targets and strikes, doing instakill damage, before returning to his original position.
(At initialization) “Upsy daisy…” (After move) “Downsy daisy!”
e. Enrage – at 10% HP, Dub is constantly Enshrouded. His other stats remain the same. Devs may choose to increase Dance of Knives frequency.
“Forgive me, brothers…”
4. Dain – “Rawr!”
a. Auto attack – Dain slashes with his giant axe. Doing slashing damage.
b. Poison Whirl – Dain does a Sweeping Blow type move, doing initial slashing damage within melee range. His poisonous sweat splatters across his enemies, cause a light poison DOT.
“Hungghrrraaaa!”
c. Shattering Stomp – Dain stomps the ground with extreme force, causing a cone-shaped AOE of spikes to erupt from the earth, doing piercing and blunt damage.
“AAAAaaaaaa!”
d. Poisonflesh – At 50% HP, Dain’s sweat turns into an acidic compound, causing instakill fire damage to those who auto attack him.
Dain’s body takes on a greenish tinge.
e. Enrage – if the fight lasts more than 15 minutes, Dain enrages, lowering his defense but increasing attack speed and frequency of skills.
f. Dying breath – “Hnnnngggh…”
Original adaptation from Celtic lore, culled from various articles across the interwebz
