Umthakathi

Greatly feared is the umthakathi among the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of Africa. They work abathakathi, the magic of animals. Though they are feared for their tempers and willingness to unleash terrible diseases and curses on those who anger them, the magic of the animals can also be used for blessings and healing on those who are polite to them and treat them with respect.

Tradition Skills

• Animal Ken: The core of the umthakathi's work is understanding animals, and many of their spells require this knowledge.
• Crafts: The umthakathi frequently creates fetish bundles, jewelry of animal parts and unguents, potions and other substances that include many animal, mineral and herbal components to them.
• Expression: On a drum of animal skin, the umthakathi beats out the rhythms of the animals, calling them in songs that they recognize as the call of one of their own.
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Praxis

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Correspondences

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Higher Mysteries

• Thaka Muthi (•••): From the Zulu words meaning "making medicine," the tagati may craft Gross Materials using the Matter Arcanum at one dot lower than the normal requirements for such materials, both in the Matter Arcanum and in conjunctional Arcana. Additionally, tagati may spend Arcane Experience to purchase the Laboratory Merit (though no more than half the cost of the Merit may come from Arcane Experience). Only those with this Merit may craft Gross Materia from such a Laboratory, however.
• Evil-Eater (••••): If a tagati has a Familiar, that spirit-creature can assist him in working dangerous magics. While his familiar is in physical contact, the mage with this Mystery may have the spirit spend a point of its Essence to reduce his Paradox dice pools. Additionally, when the tagati chooses to absorb Paradox successes as damage rather than allowing a manifestation, he may split the damage between himself and his familiar (with his familiar receiving the first point of damage).
• Familiar Harbinger (•••••): The animal-spirits of the tagati arrive in a place to see his magics done from afar. The serpent brings death, the hare fertility, the heron good fortune, the rat disease. If an animal of the appropriate theme is in the sensory area of a target of sympathetic magic, the tagati is considered to have an Intimate sympathetic link with that target. Additionally, this alleviates the Mana cost of casting sympathetic magic. The tagati can, of course, arrange to put the animal there himself.

Typical Umthakathi Rotes

The following are some of the most commonly taught Umthakathi rotes.

Space

• • Vision Salve: "Spatial Awareness", Space •, Wits + Crafts + Space; Applying vision ointment to target +[rating of Laboratory Merit, max. 3] (Ointment is crafted at a Lab purchased with this Merit; Resources 1 expenditure, creating one dose per success on a Wits + Crafts + Lab roll); Tradition Rote: Ointment must be used to be considered a Tradition Rote.
  • The World Provides: "Apportation", Space ••, Wits + Survival + Space; In the wilderness +1, Item to be apported is made of some material found in environment +1; Tradition Rote: Must be performed while in wilderness to be considered Tradition Rote
  • Heartbeat of the World: "Multispatial Perception", Space •••, Resolve + Expression + Space; While drumming +1, while drumming for at least one minute +2; Tradition Rote: Must be performed while drumming to be considered a Tradition Rote.