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(Posting my dnd campaign lore, part four: cunning folk [read description for walls of text]); Cunning Folk/Witch Doctors
A compiled collection of everything to do with the cunning folk, or witch doctors. This includes physical description, lore, and more.
Cunning folk were a group of the first lifeforms to exist in Voknia, springing from the ground and trees in the lands of Jukhreed. Think of it as a council of sorts, back before the apocalypse. They were an organization that swore to heal, and uphold the natural balance of the world, i.e. making sure that neither the forces of chaos nor order outdid the other. Should the alignment of the world shift toward the former, as it currently is in fact, Cunning Folk will try to snuff out the chaos to the best of their abilities, and heal any unfortunate souls afflicted by. But, should the world become too orderly, too predictable, you can also count on these Witch Doctors to spice things up a bit.
Through the many centuries of Voknian history, Cunning Folk operated in the background, primarily healing the wounded, as well curing hexes and mystical afflictions. Occasionally stepping in to bring about the natural balance.
When word got out that the Witches were attempting a potentially world-altering ritual, Cunning Folk gathered around the world in an attempt to combat this madness. After years of battle, Cunning Folk were slowly massacred, despite their often superior combative skill, mainly due to the sheer number of Witches. At the completion of the ritual, most of them were killed off by the Rot, or at least various magics surrounding it. When Voknia was plunged into darkness and decay, the number of Witch Doctors still existing dwindled further. Even in the newfound dark times of the world, Cunning Folk were absolutely dedicated to the restoration of the natural balance, as well as dedicated to healing people afflicted by the Rot. They attempted to use whatever White Magic they could muster from its dwindling pool, all to regress stages of Rot and save lives. This proved completely and utterly futile.
Crushed by their inability to save the wounded, as well as their partially severed connection to White Magic, Cunning Folk gatherings became mad meetings of hermits, crazed whispers often filled the air in such moments, as they simultaneously pondered a solution to the current plight. Eventually, they discovered a Witch’s stash, a grimoire mistakenly left untended. They promptly stole this book, which happened to house information on the makings of the original ritual which brought about the end of the world. Cunning Folk began obsessively compiling masses of this type of information, combing the lands of books and sacred texts, hoping to find any manner of direction to their struggles. When they had gathered a secret library of hundreds, if not thousands of works of literature, the pieces of the puzzle began to assemble themselves.
The Cunning Folk soon learned the inner workings of the Rot, the existence of the creature which the Rot represents, as well as the nature of said creature. They learned that each witch practicing Rot magic provided a fragment of the very essence of the creature. And they knew what they had to do.
They began using Black Magic, which is in essence magic that is used for harm rather than healing. They were already intimately familiar with its inner workings, but they simply hadn’t needed to use it until now. White Magic was incapable of cleansing the Rot in its current state, while Black Magic was at its greatest strength. Cunning Folk more or less threw down their odd poultices and healing. No longer would they even try to heal those afflicted by the Rot, considering the waste of time that proved to be. They maximized their abilities to hurt, to hunt, and to kill. They became glorified bounty hunters, seeking Witches to destroy the essence of, armed with curses and hexes of their own. White Magic was solely used as a sort of protection from the Rot, only strong enough to make it dissipate for moments before it regrew. It served to allow them access through decayed areas, so that they could more efficiently hunt down Witches.
Now, Cunning Folk are considered an urban legend by the remaining citizens of Endimaw, hulking nomads that trudge into town with their clanking equipment. Harbingers of death people say, and they are not entirely wrong.
As for the physical appearance of Cunning Folk, the individual under the layers of seemingly useless equipment comes in all shapes and sizes. “Cunning Folk” is not a race, but an occupation, as established. A dwarf and an elf can both serve the same role, should they be equal in skill. What truly makes the Witch Doctors distinct from the rest of the inhabitants of Voknia is their attire.
Cunning Folk are adorned with leather, as well as several belts and pouches filled to the brim with tools and odd ingredients. They wear organic adventurer’s cloaks wrapped fully around them, a quite bulky material made of dirt held together via mystical means. On this cloak, Cunning Folk tend to grow what herbs and materials they need at the same time as their travels. Often this cloak is adorned with brambles, thorns, herbs, and even flowers, making for considerable camouflage as well in areas that aren't entirely Rotten. They wear a set of wooden wind chimes at their hip, imbued with what White Magic they could muster at the time of blessing. These chimes are meant to “ward off evil”, and in fact serve as their keys of considerably safe passage through the Rot (the aforementioned sole remaining purpose of White Magic beyond basic wound healing), making it dissipate for just long enough for them to remain uninfected. Tragically, this isn't permanent, but it functions.
Most iconic in Cunning Folk culture are their masks, which are items that Witch-Doctors-in-training are to steal, typically from those that upset the natural balance of the universe, i.e. witches. The procedure functions like so: apprentice cunning folk are sent to the abode of one who upsets the balance of the world, (murder is only optional, but does grant bonus points). This apprentice is then to steal any of the victims items, as it is believed that their wickedness seeps into everything around them. They are then to return this item to a base camp, and make it their own, by carving it up and adorning it. This is thought to cleanse the wickedness from the item, symbolize the preservation of the natural balance, and also symbolize the conquering of those who seek to uproot it. They are then to wear this mask in their endeavors as a full-fledged Witch Doctor, their mentor abandoning them and leaving them to their own devices, as there are better things for them to do. Often times very odd results are the conclusion of this, for example some Cunning Folk may wear wooden bowls on their faces, with carved eye holes so that they can see.
One of the current main weapons in a Witch Doctor’s arsenal is the Voodoo Doll. A cursed item that allows pain and sickness to be inflicted on another without physical contact. All you need is line of sight at least once with a victim, or a general understanding of who is being attacked, and the user can picture whoever they are to harm. Only one person can be affected at once. Beyond this, it’s pretty obvious how it works, especially due to the iconic nature of its existence, so it seems useless to explain it in more detail. The pouches and belts Witch Doctors wear are filled mostly with random objects like scraps of metal, and harvested herbs to use in spellcasting, giving them a distinct sound to their movement along with the chimes at their hips. However, many Cunning Folk have the innate ability to silence this jingling noise at will, most likely through some Black Magic. (Perhaps a form of amnesia upon all of those in earshot, making it impossible for people to make new memories of these specific sounds, and in effect not recalling hearing them)
During times as desperate as those in the current Voknia, Cunning Folk are incredibly short on numbers. Due to this, they have taken to stealing children away from their beds at night, in order to induct them to their ways. Should the supply of children to mentor dwindle, increasingly older individuals are chosen, though this is rather risky, since it is far more difficult to change their entire way of thinking at these ages.
Should Cunning Folk be approached in combat at a closer distance, areas where it is far less convenient to cast spells, they are more than competent in melee as well, armed with harsh, curved blades coated in various herbs and poisons. These weapons are also often blessed with White Magic, to prevent deterioration when battling the horrors of the Rot, a very necessary skill when traveling the lands.
Cunning Folk almost always operate in secrecy. While once they attempted to convince the populace that “Witches are among ye”, this proved far too risky a maneuver, especially considering the copious amounts of propaganda being spread by Witches themselves. Thus, this rarely proved effective, mainly due to the superstitions people held about Cunning Folk, which can be fair considering their unsettling appearances. They are often run from due to this, causing negotiation and declaration of the truth to be near impossible. Even worse, they are sometimes attacked.
And, as previously mentioned, Cunning Folk are no longer among the sanest of people, so their kookiness does not help with this either. In personality, they are always quite eccentric, should they consider a person necessary to even speak to at all. <More therapy. Apparently a therapist would be one of the most valuable professions in all of fantasy.> <indeed>
Another aspect that provides Cunning Folk with their menacing looking nature is their eyes. Cunning Folk often use magic to enhance aspects of themselves, and this includes their vision. Glowing white pinpricks of light are often visible in the eyeholes of the mask, making them seem even more inhuman.
Anyways, to summarize the goal of Cunning Folk in this post-apocalypse, they wish to heal just one last time. Not individuals, no, they wish to heal the scarred world of the Rot, and reorder the upset balance. And if they have to get a little morally-gray to do so, then so be it.
![my favorite. as usual, heed not anything within <this>, it is communication between me and friend | (Posting my dnd campaign lore, part four: cunning folk [read description for walls of text]); Cunning Folk/Witch Doctors
A compiled collection of everything to do with the cunning folk, or witch doctors. This includes physical description, lore, and more.
Cunning folk were a group of the first lifeforms to exist in Voknia, springing from the ground and trees in the lands of Jukhreed. Think of it as a council of sorts, back before the apocalypse. They were an organization that swore to heal, and uphold the natural balance of the world, i.e. making sure that neither the forces of chaos nor order outdid the other. Should the alignment of the world shift toward the former, as it currently is in fact, Cunning Folk will try to snuff out the chaos to the best of their abilities, and heal any unfortunate souls afflicted by. But, should the world become too orderly, too predictable, you can also count on these Witch Doctors to spice things up a bit.
Through the many centuries of Voknian history, Cunning Folk operated in the background, primarily healing the wounded, as well curing hexes and mystical afflictions. Occasionally stepping in to bring about the natural balance.
When word got out that the Witches were attempting a potentially world-altering ritual, Cunning Folk gathered around the world in an attempt to combat this madness. After years of battle, Cunning Folk were slowly massacred, despite their often superior combative skill, mainly due to the sheer number of Witches. At the completion of the ritual, most of them were killed off by the Rot, or at least various magics surrounding it. When Voknia was plunged into darkness and decay, the number of Witch Doctors still existing dwindled further. Even in the newfound dark times of the world, Cunning Folk were absolutely dedicated to the restoration of the natural balance, as well as dedicated to healing people afflicted by the Rot. They attempted to use whatever White Magic they could muster from its dwindling pool, all to regress stages of Rot and save lives. This proved completely and utterly futile.
Crushed by their inability to save the wounded, as well as their partially severed connection to White Magic, Cunning Folk gatherings became mad meetings of hermits, crazed whispers often filled the air in such moments, as they simultaneously pondered a solution to the current plight. Eventually, they discovered a Witch’s stash, a grimoire mistakenly left untended. They promptly stole this book, which happened to house information on the makings of the original ritual which brought about the end of the world. Cunning Folk began obsessively compiling masses of this type of information, combing the lands of books and sacred texts, hoping to find any manner of direction to their struggles. When they had gathered a secret library of hundreds, if not thousands of works of literature, the pieces of the puzzle began to assemble themselves.
The Cunning Folk soon learned the inner workings of the Rot, the existence of the creature which the Rot represents, as well as the nature of said creature. They learned that each witch practicing Rot magic provided a fragment of the very essence of the creature. And they knew what they had to do.
They began using Black Magic, which is in essence magic that is used for harm rather than healing. They were already intimately familiar with its inner workings, but they simply hadn’t needed to use it until now. White Magic was incapable of cleansing the Rot in its current state, while Black Magic was at its greatest strength. Cunning Folk more or less threw down their odd poultices and healing. No longer would they even try to heal those afflicted by the Rot, considering the waste of time that proved to be. They maximized their abilities to hurt, to hunt, and to kill. They became glorified bounty hunters, seeking Witches to destroy the essence of, armed with curses and hexes of their own. White Magic was solely used as a sort of protection from the Rot, only strong enough to make it dissipate for moments before it regrew. It served to allow them access through decayed areas, so that they could more efficiently hunt down Witches.
Now, Cunning Folk are considered an urban legend by the remaining citizens of Endimaw, hulking nomads that trudge into town with their clanking equipment. Harbingers of death people say, and they are not entirely wrong.
As for the physical appearance of Cunning Folk, the individual under the layers of seemingly useless equipment comes in all shapes and sizes. “Cunning Folk” is not a race, but an occupation, as established. A dwarf and an elf can both serve the same role, should they be equal in skill. What truly makes the Witch Doctors distinct from the rest of the inhabitants of Voknia is their attire.
Cunning Folk are adorned with leather, as well as several belts and pouches filled to the brim with tools and odd ingredients. They wear organic adventurer’s cloaks wrapped fully around them, a quite bulky material made of dirt held together via mystical means. On this cloak, Cunning Folk tend to grow what herbs and materials they need at the same time as their travels. Often this cloak is adorned with brambles, thorns, herbs, and even flowers, making for considerable camouflage as well in areas that aren't entirely Rotten. They wear a set of wooden wind chimes at their hip, imbued with what White Magic they could muster at the time of blessing. These chimes are meant to “ward off evil”, and in fact serve as their keys of considerably safe passage through the Rot (the aforementioned sole remaining purpose of White Magic beyond basic wound healing), making it dissipate for just long enough for them to remain uninfected. Tragically, this isn't permanent, but it functions.
Most iconic in Cunning Folk culture are their masks, which are items that Witch-Doctors-in-training are to steal, typically from those that upset the natural balance of the universe, i.e. witches. The procedure functions like so: apprentice cunning folk are sent to the abode of one who upsets the balance of the world, (murder is only optional, but does grant bonus points). This apprentice is then to steal any of the victims items, as it is believed that their wickedness seeps into everything around them. They are then to return this item to a base camp, and make it their own, by carving it up and adorning it. This is thought to cleanse the wickedness from the item, symbolize the preservation of the natural balance, and also symbolize the conquering of those who seek to uproot it. They are then to wear this mask in their endeavors as a full-fledged Witch Doctor, their mentor abandoning them and leaving them to their own devices, as there are better things for them to do. Often times very odd results are the conclusion of this, for example some Cunning Folk may wear wooden bowls on their faces, with carved eye holes so that they can see.
One of the current main weapons in a Witch Doctor’s arsenal is the Voodoo Doll. A cursed item that allows pain and sickness to be inflicted on another without physical contact. All you need is line of sight at least once with a victim, or a general understanding of who is being attacked, and the user can picture whoever they are to harm. Only one person can be affected at once. Beyond this, it’s pretty obvious how it works, especially due to the iconic nature of its existence, so it seems useless to explain it in more detail. The pouches and belts Witch Doctors wear are filled mostly with random objects like scraps of metal, and harvested herbs to use in spellcasting, giving them a distinct sound to their movement along with the chimes at their hips. However, many Cunning Folk have the innate ability to silence this jingling noise at will, most likely through some Black Magic. (Perhaps a form of amnesia upon all of those in earshot, making it impossible for people to make new memories of these specific sounds, and in effect not recalling hearing them)
During times as desperate as those in the current Voknia, Cunning Folk are incredibly short on numbers. Due to this, they have taken to stealing children away from their beds at night, in order to induct them to their ways. Should the supply of children to mentor dwindle, increasingly older individuals are chosen, though this is rather risky, since it is far more difficult to change their entire way of thinking at these ages.
Should Cunning Folk be approached in combat at a closer distance, areas where it is far less convenient to cast spells, they are more than competent in melee as well, armed with harsh, curved blades coated in various herbs and poisons. These weapons are also often blessed with White Magic, to prevent deterioration when battling the horrors of the Rot, a very necessary skill when traveling the lands.
Cunning Folk almost always operate in secrecy. While once they attempted to convince the populace that “Witches are among ye”, this proved far too risky a maneuver, especially considering the copious amounts of propaganda being spread by Witches themselves. Thus, this rarely proved effective, mainly due to the superstitions people held about Cunning Folk, which can be fair considering their unsettling appearances. They are often run from due to this, causing negotiation and declaration of the truth to be near impossible. Even worse, they are sometimes attacked.
And, as previously mentioned, Cunning Folk are no longer among the sanest of people, so their kookiness does not help with this either. In personality, they are always quite eccentric, should they consider a person necessary to even speak to at all. <More therapy. Apparently a therapist would be one of the most valuable professions in all of fantasy.> <indeed>
Another aspect that provides Cunning Folk with their menacing looking nature is their eyes. Cunning Folk often use magic to enhance aspects of themselves, and this includes their vision. Glowing white pinpricks of light are often visible in the eyeholes of the mask, making them seem even more inhuman.
Anyways, to summarize the goal of Cunning Folk in this post-apocalypse, they wish to heal just one last time. Not individuals, no, they wish to heal the scarred world of the Rot, and reorder the upset balance. And if they have to get a little morally-gray to do so, then so be it. | image tagged in h | made w/ Imgflip meme maker](http://i.imgflip.com/8ps3av.jpg)