BADGERS

Badgers are a solitary People by nature, preferring the peace and dark of the Wild Wood, where they can rest at ease. They do not gather in large groups, except at the behest of the Burrow Council and even then uncomfortably. They have, by necessity, learned to live with their Stoat neighbours, remaining, but for the occasional territorial skirmish, at an uneasy peace.

Physically, Badgers come in all shapes and sizes, though their tough hide is common to all. Many have long sharp claws, able to do terrible damage while hunting or in combat. Badgers tend to eat flesh and most are not adverse to eating the flesh of other People, should they be considered fair game for The Hunt - though, like all of the People of the Land, none will eat of their own kind. Even the most average of Badgers are often superior crafters, with plenty of time to devote to the forge or the lathe; indeed, after the Knifewinter, it was often the Badger journeymen who retained the old crafts of the Race of Man. Some Badgers are great artists or sculptors, while others prefer to make fine weapons or armour.

Even though most Badgers live in the very heart of the Wild Wood, the home of a Badger Elder is likely to be a haven of civilisation, where they surround themselves with fine ornaments, rich art, tobacco or carpet slippers, luxuries that they have traded over the years from Weasel scavengers. It is this steadfast dedication to Culture and finery and their savage grasp on Peace, that keeps the Wild Wood from rising within them, despite the dark of the forest outside their homes…

Badgers tend to surround themselves with old fashions - their clothes will often have been passed down for generations as hand-me-downs. Badgers tend to prefer simple blacks and whites, unless they are hunting, in which case they will stick to muted browns and greens. Badgers pay little heed to Fash'n - the trends that Weasels and Toads delight in, but set great store in Art and luxuries. A Badger is much more likely to trade for a decent smoking jacket because it is comfortable and warm than because it is Fash'nable.

“Badgers have stood as the pillars of the community for hundreds of years. Ancestry is my Mantle. Justice is my Claw.” Ivan Brock, Badger Judge

“Badgers are a funny lot. Everything will be quiet. You won't see them for months, sometimes - they'll be holed up at home, in the depths of the Wild Wood, slaving over their latest work of art; or out in the dark, hunting for weeks on end, then all of a sudden the Burrow Council will put the word out - “The Rite of Justice must be upheld!” or “Lo! A Binding Oath has been Broken!” or even just “Those Weasels from the Putney Bridge Gang are Making Life Awfully Difficult for Us!” - and then a whole Territory will be swarming with Badger Enforcers, all bristling fur and sharpened claws and Justice, ready to tear strips off anybody who even thinks of disturbing the Peace.” Guv'ner Sharpie, Putney Bridge Gang

What is Right… A Badger will almost always have a clear sense of purpose - where she is going in the world and how she will get there. Most Badgers will have an opinion on just about any matter, if you can tease it out of them. Badgers seem to have an innate sense of justice - a sense that is often shaped by the rulings of the Burrow Council. Many Badgers are counted as Lawmen by the other Peoples of the Land, with Badger Elders often standing as judges in the Courts of the Burrow Council. Additionally, a Badger’s sound moral compass is usually (but not always) guided by the edicts of the Burrow Council - Badgers can often be relentless in the pursuit of injustice - there are stories of them hunting for weeks on end, rarely pausing to eat or drink until their prey is caught. Woe betide any criminal foolish enough to be caught and tried by Badger Lawkeepers!

What their family history is… A Badger's clear sense of where she is going comes from knowing where she has come from - Badgers are often deeply rooted in their family's history, able to recite names and tell stories of their forefathers back as far as the Knifewinter and sometimes beyond. Their homes in the Wild Wood, as well as being havens of culture and luxury, deep within the briars, are often testaments to their ancestors - filled with family heirlooms, paintings of “great-aunt-so-and-so” or “The wine that my great-great-great-grandfather was given by Mayor Chiefweasel Lorre…”

Where to hunt… In addition to simply knowing where her own hunting grounds are, or the best places to catch birds or smaller non-sentients, a Badger will have a nose for sniffing out Trouble and where (if she is a lawkeeper) to hunt for it. A Badger always keeps her ear to the ground for news and has a clear awareness of territory - which areas of the Wild Wood belong to whom, and who has hunting rights in them. The law of the Wild Wood draws very little from the rulings of the Burrow Council; and much more from knowledge of Territory and ownership.

Suggested Character Types: Backwoodsman; Hunter; Historian, Tanner; Furrier; Leatherworker; Lawkeeper; Bounty Hunter; Undertaker; Saboteur; Hermit; Journeyman; Craftsman; Teacher; Judge.

Badger Minimum Phys-rep Requirement: Mustelid mask with “Badger” markings.

Ferrets, Stoats, Weasels and Badgers have distinctive, different marks. You must NOT to use another race's distinctive marks. Please contact us if you have any questions about phys-repping.

• Stoats: Pale or white fur, with tribal markings.
• Ferrets: Rings of dark brown and grey or white markings.
• Weasels: Tan / red-brown fur and a white stripe down the neck and chin.
• Badgers: Black fur and a white central stripe.

• Your nature is “WILD WOOD” - you are affected by all calls involving “WILD WOOD”.
• You may stake claims in any Territory, but holding claims in the Wild Wood will be significantly easier.
• You may not use any item which requires a different Nature.
• You may use any item that requires “WILD WOOD” as a Nature. This includes Clockwork, but not Steam or Powder.

ALL Badgers have the following Merits and Flaws:

DEFENDER OF THE WOOD: Natural claws doing Double with appropriate larp-safe phys-rep

TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS: You have 3 extra body hits. Whereas other characters normally have 4 hits, you have 7

POWER OF THE FOREST: Each DT you may Meditate on the nature of the Wild Wood. If you choose to do so, you will be given up to three “Power of the Forest” cards at the start of the next game. Meditating takes 1 week per card.

SOLITARY: You may not band together with other characters with regards to Claims. No other character can understand or gain bonus from your Claims. You find interacting with others very tiring. Co-operating with others in DT is so tiring that you will spend a greater amount of time sleeping during the following DT.

SLEEPING: Badgers need to take 2 weeks each DT to devote to sleeping. Badgers get 14 weeks of DT instead of 16

Elder Badgers are wiser and sturdier than the average Badger, but they are also world weary and spend more time sleeping than younger Badgers. An Elder Badger will get only 12 weeks of DT, rather than 16.

All creatures of the Wild Wood have the mystical protection of the deep and dark forests and the natural wildness. This is as much a state of mind and way of life as it is a religion.

At their first event, those with the Nature “WILD WOOD” may collect “Power of the Forest” cards from the Ref Desk.

As a Badger you will receive three of these cards.

• Cards do not carry over between events and subsequently you will need to perform the Meditate Downtime action to acquire these cards for your following event – it takes one Downtime week to gain one point of power.
• At an event, you may meditate once a day, to replace a single card that you have used on the previous day.
• You may not carry more than three cards. Meditating requires a brief period of appropriate role-play during which time your character is quiet, uninterrupted and free from distraction.

All Badgers begin play with the following skill:

• You must tear one “Power of the Forest” card to use this skill.
• You may call Fear against a single target within 5 meters. For 10 seconds they must either flee for their life or role-play freezing in terror. You may not take offensive action while you are suffering from Fear.

When making this call:

• You must use appropriate role-playing before the call.
• You must CLEARLY indicate a single target by pointing at them. In addition, you must name or describe the target if possible – for example: “Ratty – FEAR!” (Whilst pointing at Ratty) or “Rat in the Yellow Coat – FEAR!” or “(Player’s name) – FEAR!”
• If you hear the call “FEAR” used without a clear target, you are not obliged to take the call.
• You cannot use this call on multiple targets. For this, you require an ability that allows you to call “MASS FEAR”. You must clearly indicate a single target when using this call.

• At your first event you will have automatic access to “Fear of the Dark” - subsequently you will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Fear of the Dark” in order to access it at the following event.

Elder Badgers are able to develop their powers further. If you are playing an Elder Badger, then you have the option of learning the following advanced Wild Wood Powers during Downtime:

This power costs 2 experience points to learn. You must already know “Fear of the Dark” to learn this power.

You must tear one “Power of the Forest” card to use this skill.

• For 10 seconds you are immune to Fear.
• You must call Resist to every Fear call that you are resisting.
• The Resist call may only be made in response to an initial Fear call.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Stout as Oaks” in order to access it at the following event.

This power costs 2 experience points to learn. You must already know “Stout as Oaks” to learn this power.

If you wish to use this skill, then you must give all of your “Power of the Forest” cards to a Referee.

• For the remainder of the event, you are able to Resist the Fear call.
• You must call Resist to every Fear call that you are resisting.
• The Resist call may only be made in response to an initial Fear call.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate - Oaks Enduring Heart” in order to access it at the following event.

Badgers may also use their “Power of the Forest” to interfere with Tech.

All Badgers begin play with the following skill:

You must tear one “Power of the Forest” card to use this skill.

• You may call Resist to any one Tech effect being directed at you – including and especially Gunshot). The effect / shot has no effect - the gun has misfired or the gadget has failed to function. The gadget is not Broken and there is nothing to stop the Tech wielder reloading and trying again.
• The Resist call may only be made in response to an initial Tech effect.
• At your first event you will have automatic access to this ability, subsequently you will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Misfire Tech” in order to access it at the following event.

All Badgers are able to develop their powers further. If you are playing a Badger, then you have the option of learning the following advanced Wild Wood Powers during Downtime:

This power costs 2 experience points to learn. You must already know “Misfire Tech” to learn this power.

You must tear one “Power of the Forest” card to use this skill.

• For 10 seconds you are immune to Tech effects.
• You must call Resist to every Tech effect that you are resisting.
• The Resist call may only be made in response to an initial Tech effect.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Resist Tech” in order to access it at the following event.

This power costs 2 experience points to learn. You must already know “Misfire Tech” to learn this power.

You must tear two “Power of the Forest” cards to use this skill.

• You may call Break Tech to any single tech item within 5 metres.
• You must clearly target one item when making this call.
• The targeted item ceases to function and is Broken.
• The player should report to a Ref to get a Broken Item black ribbon tied on it. It cannot be used again until it has been Repaired by a character who can Fash'n that form of Tech.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Break Tech” in order to access it at the following event.

This power costs 2 Experience Points to learn. You must already know “Break Tech” to learn this power.

You must tear three “Power of the Forest” cards to use this skill.

• You may call Destroy Tech to any single tech item within 5 metres.
• You must clearly target one item when making this call.
• The targeted item ceases to function and is Broken.
• The player should report to a Ref to receive a Broken Item black ribbon and a Destroyed Item card, which is tied to the item in addition to its normal item card.
• It cannot be used until it has been Repaired by a character who can Fash'n that form of Tech, with the addition of extra machine parts.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Destroy Tech” in order to access it at the following event.

This power costs 2 Experience Points to learn. You must already know “Break Tech” to learn this power.

You must tear three “Power of the Forest” cards to use this skill.

• You may call Mass Break Tech – all Tech items within a 5 metre radius of you are broken.
• Targeted items cease to function and are Broken.
• The affected players should report to a Ref to get a Broken Item black ribbon tied around their tech – these items cannot be used again until they have been Repaired by a character who can Fash'n that form of Tech.

• You will need to spend a downtime week on the action “Meditate – Break Tech” in order to access it at the following event.

You have FIVE points to spend on characteristics. You may pick ANY characteristic from the following list:

*Cultural Bonus: Elder Badgers are particularly tough – you have 8 Body points rather than 7 if you take this Elder Lore.