A Tepestian's Take on Divine Magics?

[Muse]

From what I understand, Tepestian's viewpoints on most things are relatively similar to Barvonia's. But, considering Clerics of Belenus are important figures in its society, does it also view divine magics other than healing to be equal to witchcraft?

[arrmuth]

Tepestani believe that all magic comes from the Weave.(Which it does of course)
Only when it is tempered by the gods is it safe for mortals to use.
Other kinds of magic are sources of tempation as far as they are concerned.
They have several magic items that help them in the Inquistion among these are the Witch Compass and the Witchpin.
They llimit their defintion of witchcraft to natural spellcasters and innate spell like abilites of certain races.(Of course true Witchcraft is something wholly different).
They share alot of their beliefs with Halans but we dont get along at all.
So divine magic is fine with them..though thats not to say divine magic from other gods is okay. They tend to have problematic relations with other faiths.

I find this post most interesting. I just ran into 3 Inquisitors in the Lady's Rest and it was fun interacting with them. Though im giving them a wide berth now that I know what they are..

Read Ravenloft Gazetteer No# 5 for more information on them.
No matter how bad you think Barovians are Tepestani are 3 times worse.

[EO]

Also, not all Inquisitors are that extremist..and it goes in waves..tho there has been a recent return of the extremism..some are more moderate and realize that the Inquisition is going too far.

[Ravenous]

They limit their defintion of witchcraft to natural spellcasters and innate spell like abilites of certain races.(Of course true Witchcraft is something wholly different).

Does that mean that they are "tolerant" of wizards? Since those are not natural spellcasters..

[Corvus]

Sometimes I just wish Barovia was like that... would mean hours of fun rp! 

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"     

[arrmuth]

They limit their defintion of witchcraft to natural spellcasters and innate spell like abilites of certain races.(Of course true Witchcraft is something wholly different).

Does that mean that they are "tolerant" of wizards? Since those are not natural spellcasters..

No. Those that use books and scrolls to cast magic are viewed as fools tampering with dangerous stuff.They would most likely be put on trial as consorts of Fey.

The average Tepastani mindset.
Belenus magic good.
Other magic bad.bad...

[Doom]

Give me power and I can make that happen Corvus, i've already got a public notice section for Known Witches.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Also interesting is that the Tepestani view the fey as the source of all evil in the world...and they pay little attention to the undead. To the Tepestani, the dead only rise if you bother them, so they believe if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone (this is totally false, but that's what they believe.

[arrmuth]

WARNING SERVER SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CAMPAIGN SETTING!!!!

Give me power and I can make that happen Corvus, i've already got a public notice section for Known Witches.

See thats the thing Arcane and Nature magic are not illegal in Barovia just feared. Any one openlly casting runs the risk of a lynch mob from the peasants not being arrested by the guards.
"Villages are rife with tales of suspected spellcasters lynched in full view of idle Barovian soldiers." Gazetteer Volume I.
Lets think on this for a moment. Strahd wants his subjects to fear the legions of the night not to have an organized inquisiton rising up fighting back and giving the people hope.We all now that Strahd by game statics is a Necromancer(though I think he should personally be untouchable) so at some point in time someone might start putting 2 and 2 together and start looking his way.That is something Strahd in my opinion would ot want.
He stays in his castle.
All his descendants look the same.
The villagers even call him the Devil Strahd.
Hmmm Bob i think we should start checking out Strahd.
So the question is WWSD(What Would Strahd Do).

Now please understand im not telling anyone how to run the server..Im just offering my two cents.
*Runs and hides under a table at the mention of inquistions.*

[Corvus]

seeing as the barovians are a bounch of atheists (not really) an inquisition wouldnt gain any support. Long live lynchmobs!

[Bluebomber4evr]

WARNING SERVER SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CAMPAIGN SETTING!!!!

Give me power and I can make that happen Corvus, i've already got a public notice section for Known Witches.

See thats the thing Arcane and Nature magic are not illegal in Barovia just feared. Any one openlly casting runs the risk of a lynch mob from the peasants not being arrested by the guards.
"Villages are rife with tales of suspected spellcasters lynched in full view of idle Barovian soldiers." Gazetteer Volume I.
Lets think on this for a moment. Strahd wants his subjects to fear the legions of the night not to have an organized inquisiton rising up fighting back and giving the people hope.We all now that Strahd by game statics is a Necromancer(though I think he should personally be untouchable) so at some point in time someone might start putting 2 and 2 together and start looking his way.That is something Strahd in my opinion would ot want.
He stays in his castle.
All his descendants look the same.
The villagers even call him the Devil Strahd.
Hmmm Bob i think we should start checking out Strahd.
So the question is WWSD(What Would Strahd Do).

Now please understand im not telling anyone how to run the server..Im just offering my two cents.
*Runs and hides under a table at the mention of inquistions.*

I've been trying to hammer that into peoples' minds every single day, but for whatever reason people don't listen to me (by that I mean the whole "magic is not illegal" thing and the peasants forming mobs and not burning witches at the stake)

[Negnar]

Well certain issue must be seen.

  For a peasant mob you need a DM to be there

  One fireball and said lynch mob is dead

  One invisible/haste spells and the mage is gone

The only way to keep this true to setting is to adapt to certain issues... AKA the guards turn a blind eye if a known witch is killed (by outlander or another), if it come to a trial they are let of on a technicallity or somthing. Idea is the Law doesn't work agaisnt them, but they don't have to work with them in anyway, guards can just shurg if the witch is being beaten up and stuff.

These are the ways I see to keep true to how it should be. But thats just me

[Heretic]

We all now that Strahd by game statics is a Necromancer(though I think he should personally be untouchable) so at some point in time someone might start putting 2 and 2 together and start looking his way.That is something Strahd in my opinion would ot want.

Now now now! Not untouchable, lets give hope to the Keepers!  

[EO]

Well certain issue must be seen.

  For a peasant mob you need a DM to be there

  One fireball and said lynch mob is dead

  One invisible/haste spells and the mage is gone

The only way to keep this true to setting is to adapt to certain issues... AKA the guards turn a blind eye if a known witch is killed (by outlander or another), if it come to a trial they are let of on a technicallity or somthing. Idea is the Law doesn't work agaisnt them, but they don't have to work with them in anyway, guards can just shurg if the witch is being beaten up and stuff.

These are the ways I see to keep true to how it should be. But thats just me

Well, if the witch kills a mob of Strahd's peasants..then he becomes a criminal and quite a dangerous one at that. It would be interesting for guards to turn a blind eye though more, but that's hard to roleplay.

[Muse]

Awesome, thanks for all the info! This is exactly what I was looking for.

[arrmuth]

I think Dragomir the guard put it best when he said "Practicing witchcraft isn't illegal in Barovia but killing a witch isn't illegal either."

[Bluebomber4evr]

I can't recommend Gazetteer V enough if you're going to play a Tepestani! 

It's got all sorts of great info: customs, common phrases, beliefs about the world, naming conventions, etc.

One of the most interesting beliefs is how they categorize the beings of the world, according to the seasons.

  Spring's Children are the fey, the oldest living creatures, also immortal. As they cannot die, they have no respect or understanding of death. Spring's Children were created by the gods Daghda (goddess of fertility and the forest), Diancecht (god of healing), and Lugh (god of magic and secrets). The Tepestani also lump in any demihuman with a longer lifespan than humans (elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes) as the fey.

  Summer's Children are humans and natural animals. The gods felt that giving the fey immortality was a mistake, and therefore created Summer's Children with a limited lifespan--since they experience all facets of life and death and thus respect life wheras Spring's Children do not. Belenus (god of the sun) is credited with creating humans while his wife Brigantia (goddess of nature, industry, and agriculture) and her brother Mannanan mac Lir (god of of water and aquatic creatures) created the animals.

  Autumn's Children are monsters: goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, kobolds, ogres, hags, lycanthropes, dragons, and most monstrous humanoids, magical beasts and aberrations. Arawn (god of the dead) and Morrigan (goddess of discord and war) created Autumn's children out of jealousy. They felt they could improve upon Summer's Chilldren but failed miserably, creating misshapen mockeries of humans and animals.

  Winter's Children are wholly unnatural: elementals and the undead. They are the creation of Math Mathonwy (god of dark magic and secrets), who is believed to have created them to spite the other gods since they ignored him when creating the other children. Supposedly Math Mathonwy based Winter's Children on the fey, but his cold and evil nature tainted his creations so that they were eternal but utterly devoid of life.

[Doom]

The Dragomir put it was...

"Magic ain't illegal in Barovia...

But then, neither is burning witches"

Dragomir is afraid and wary of magic, but the only time he's activly gone after a witch for being a witch was actually Brandon, who cast an unwanted spell on him and then slapped him in the church.

[arrmuth]

Of course he did but Miranda is a noble and she would never say "ain't".
But yes that sums it up in one sentence.
And the Gazetteer covering Tepest is also great for learning about the faith of Hala and will help you to understand the persuctions they face.