Magic and War

MAGIC

The campfire glows on a myraid of faces and colors. The gypsy wagons, called vardos circled protectively around the campfire, forming a comforting nook. Food cooks on the fire tended by several women. An older gypsy woman smoking a pipe notices you.

"Ah little one you come again? Well sit, sit and I will answer questions, at least those I am able to. You wish to know about us, about how we are and what we do? The gaje they think that we are all thieves and vagabonds and yes we are vagabonds but thieves, fah! Gypsies, we Rom, live life to the fullest. We are passionate we Rom, in everything we do. We are what the gaje call free thinkers, and while we are that we are so much more. Gypsies believe in the concepts of free will, nature, and in life. Not those avatars or entities that embody these aspects. We believe that we should live our lives to the fullest protecting the land while we go from place to place. We revere life in all its many forms. Long ago we were given this trust by the land, by Tyrra, and we keep it to this day.

Ah, now you ask about magic. You are full of questions today little one. Hmmm, let me see, how to explain. We are capable of using any magic, for our blood is magic. We can use any type earth based, celestial based, even those called runes. Most of us though become healers, some druids. We use our magics to help those we call friends, and to help family. Gypsies never use magics though in the creating of undead for they are abominations in our eyes, unclean. We DO NOT walk with or make friends with those that create these undead either for to do so is to become unclean as well. Those that do travel and make friends with these types of people we banish from our families never to speak of them again, unless they break off those relationships, and even then we are wary of them. We Rom are given to a belief in balance and life and the belief that no matter who you are or who you serve healing whether life or chaos should be given to all. We Rom while able and willing to cast chaos for healing matters, we would never consider using our gifts, our magic to create undead. We have those that hunt undead and their creators in our clans as well. We Rom are adept in all things arcane, we know how to use potions, scrolls, magical amulets, as well as alchemical mixtures of all sorts. And yes my little one, unhappily for many gaje who would prey on us, we also are unique, for it is only the Gypsie, we ROM who are able to cast the gypsy curse.

THE GYPSY CURSE

Ah little one you want to know the curses and how they work. No I think that now is not the time for there are ears everywhere, and the curses our one of our secrets. If the gaje wish to learn of the curses they can ask one of us in person. We might tell them about them, then again we might not, and then we might make up something for isn't that what the gaje say of us? Let them find out the truth by experience. You ask can they remove it? If they talk to the gypsy king/queen or possibly the bandolier. However those are the only ways to remove the curse once it is upon them. Either that or to kill themselves and ressurect, a life for a life.

WARFARE

I hear your mother calling little one but yes I will answer this last question. Do we gypsies, we Rom ever go to war? Oh yes, for while we revere life it does not mean we will not fight or defend ourselves. We do not believe in taking life but we will if we must. We are impressive fighters and are able to use any weapon if taught that weapons skill. We prefer not to fight but know well enough how to. We will fight and join others to defend against ancient and enduring evil, that which would destroy the world or our kind, and we will fight any form of evil, if convinced the evil is a personal threat to the Rom, or we may just simply move away. To top it all off and what upsets the gaje most is that in a war between themselves whether it be rival factions or political powers, we gypsy can often be found healing both sides. This is one reason why we gypsie will not wear the colors of a particular group or faction, no baronial colors, no group symbols, and no house colors for example. We might help these groups as a means of profiting and making useful ties that will again profit us but these groups are all gaje and the ONLY loyalty we truly feel lies with our family the Gypsy. You see little one we are not as concerned with the gaje's reason for the conflict as in the chance to preserve life and possibly make money on the side.