{"id":1166,"date":"2025-05-11T15:55:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T15:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=1166"},"modified":"2025-05-11T15:55:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T15:55:51","slug":"brands-of-the-vartach","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/explore-the-world\/the-species\/vartach\/brands-of-the-vartach\/","title":{"rendered":"Brands of the Vartach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vartach society is fundamentally based on the five marks that define them as a species, called brands. Starting as an indistinct tangle of black and gold magical veins, these coalesce as they start to come of age, and the shape it takes defines the rest of their life. There are five brands observed in the Vartach, and below is further detail on how the brands influence the lives of those who bear them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Sunspear<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n

The most auspicious mark, those chosen by the Sunspear have a bright future. It is a mark associated with power, wisdom, and good fortune. Many Sunspears become great mages or military commanders, and they make up the vast majority of the Council of Saoi. Regardless of what their specific destiny is, those marked by the Sunspear are seen as having tremendous potential and being meant for something great.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon developing the Sunspear, the Vartach usually receives a significant scholarship stipend to either attend one of Dra\u00edod\u2019s most prestigious colleges of magic or receive other intense training suited to their skills.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Notable Sunspear Vartach<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n\n

Fergal of the Unseen shield<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

Despite living centuries ago, Fergal\u2019s name is still praised by scholars and mages. He is credited as the first Vartach to discover how to magically ward oneself from spells and teaching others how to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Orlaith of the Golden Caves<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

A legendary Saoi, Orlaith was the founder of dozens of schools throughout Dra\u00edod. She is credited with revolutionising the way magic was taught as well as setting the standard for modern education, and sending Dra\u00edod into a golden age of knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Radha Stoneshaper<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

The story of Radha has been repeated so many times that there are hundreds of versions, making the truth difficult to discern. While they were not the first to create a Fathach, they are said to have perfected the process which is still used today, allowing them to live long and healthy lives.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Clashing Swords<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n

Those marked with the Clashing Swords are well regarded, and seen as stalwart defenders of Vartach kind. While this is often interpreted in a martial fashion there have been many Swords who became renowned healers to defend their people from disease, or teachers to protect the Vartach from stupidity. The mark of Clashing Swords is associated with courage, loyalty, and strength.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon developing the Clashing Swords, the Vartach often enter a period of intense martial training, and many will end up serving with the gall\u00f3glaigh for a time with almost any Vartach (or indeed Fathach) gall\u00f3glach being happy to sponsor a Clashing Sword.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Notable Clashing Swords<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n\n

Eimear the Hale<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

A Clashing Sword who lived several centuries ago, Eimear is still remembered for being the first to discover how to cure diseases with magic. She is said to have seen her duty as being to guard the Vartach from any threat, no matter the nature of it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Cathal Redmane<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

A famous retired gall\u00f3glach who was the Thane of the Stalwart Courage Band, his exploits are legendary particularly in Baol. He is said to have held a narrow pass against a horde of Sluagh alone with nothing but a spear for over four hours. Bards sing of the time he wrestled an Ollocras bare handed, or carried away a boulder that was blocking a vital trade route, but these feats are surely exaggerated.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Clove Blueblade<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

Clove was fostered as a hostage to a Krieger family when they were young. Whether growing up with these boisterous warriors affected what mark they developed is uncertain, but it definitely affected their temperament and martial skills. Clove spent a decade of their life with the gall\u00f3glaigh and lost an eye defending the village of Clochadearg from an onslaught of the undead, a deed for which they are now the Rider of Clochadearg.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

The Hook<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n

The most common brand, the hook is seen as the mark of the honest, decent, hardworking Vartach. While not destined for individual greatness, the industriousness of the Hooks is seen as vital to the success of the Vartach, and Dra\u00edod as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mark of the Hook is associated with duty, intelligence, and honesty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those marked with the Hook normally enter a year long period of apprenticeship shortly after developing it, moving between multiple professionals to find the craft that their talents are best suited for.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

The Broken Chain<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Broken Chain is seen as an ill omen, a warning sign of an untrustworthy individual. A Broken Chain is normally the first individual to be investigated when a crime is discovered. While they are not necessarily excluded from Vartach society like the Line Breakers are, they are generally viewed as troublemakers and often have difficulty obtaining and keeping positions of influence.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Broken Chain is associated with untrustworthiness, anger, and criminality.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After developing the Broken Chain, a Vartach is often assigned a mentor to oversee them and attempt to keep them on the straight and narrow, frequently a Hook or a Clashing Sword.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Notable Broken Chains<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n\n

\u00d3g\u00e1n of the Strong Pass<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

In his youth a tunnel system collapsed, killing \u00d3g\u00e1n\u2019s family and much of his village. Unable to contain his grief he bitterly missed his family and friends, and broken-heartedly wished that they would come back to him. Unfortunately they felt his grief, and the resulting undead killed over a dozen more people before a band could put them down.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, \u00d3g\u00e1n was taken under the wing of several older Vartach and studied architecture, developing safer ways to build tunnels to prevent future cave ins.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Sorcha Seabane<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

The child of two prominent merchants, Sorcha\u2019s parents did their best to keep her on the right path but failed miserably. Stealing the most valuable things she could carry Sorcha ran away from home to Zahnhafen, and joined a Krieger pirate crew. She used her knowledge of her parent\u2019s contacts to lead her new comrades to several lucrative but underprotected ships and used her magics to give them an edge in combat. She has bankrupted her once prosperous family out of spite, and has been leading the raiding party for the last three years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Rionnach Redhand<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

Rionnach\u2019s first act upon gaining their mark was to steal their families most priceless magical relics and tomes and sell them off to unscrupulous buyers. They are now the most notorious seller of illegal and stolen magical items in Dra\u00edod, moving from village to village, always a step ahead of those who chase them. It is rumoured that they count more than one Saoi amongst their clients.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

The Line Breaker<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n

Those marked as Line Breakers are viewed as the biggest threats to Vartach society. The least common of the five signs, these individuals are destined to destroy Vartach society if they are not opposed and thwarted. They are generally feared and despised by Vartach society as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mark of the Line Breaker is associated with doom, destruction, and chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many Vartach who develop the mark of the Line Breaker are summarily exiled from their community and must find a place in the world among the other species, generally outside of Dra\u00edod. Some families continue to shelter and care for their Line Breaker kin but the many famous examples of those who attempted to live up to their mark means that they are kept under close observation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Notable Line Breakers<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n\n

Clodagh Wavebringer<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

Despite being dead for over a century, Clodagh Wavebringer is still held up as an example of why it is so important to exile Line Breakers. Born to two high ranking Sunspears, Clodagh\u2019s parents argued that their child was exceptional and deserved an opportunity to prove herself, and used every ounce of their substantial influence to secure it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was (grudgingly) welcomed into Dra\u00edod\u2019s most prestigious arcane college where she studied both magic and architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these opportunities, Clodagh proved her mark true when she tried to use the subterranean rivers that flow through the mountains to flood Dra\u00edod. While the cave systems were sealed off in time, she still managed to drown the entire population of D\u00f3chasach as well as herself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Cillian Rocksbane<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

A Line Breaker whose name is especially cursed by the Fathach, Cillian attempted to destroy Vartach society by removing the Fathach, which he saw as \u201cthe bedrock that all of Drai\u00f3d\u2019s oppressive culture is built on\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using rituals to create weapons that could badly harm the sturdiest Fathach and magical diseases to ravage them, Cillian attempted to create a group to eradicate the Fathach and then lead a full scale rebellion against the Saoi.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately he was stopped and killed, but not before the deaths of many innocent Fathach.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Branna Traitortongue<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n\n\n

Branna was exiled from Fiontir some fifty years ago, and sent to live in Bruid when they developed their mark. It was hoped that the dangers of Bruid would either temper their nature, or kill them before they lived up to their mark.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately the result was quite the reverse: Branna made a bargain with the Gwyllt and lead a force of them through the tunnels to strike at the Vartach. They were stopped after the first village they razed but the ensuing battle killed most of two bands of gall\u00f3glaigh.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

The Marred<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n

Some Vartach either feel their destiny is a burden they wish to reject, or do not wish for others to know what destiny is in store for them and burn off their brand. This is a painful process not lightly undergone, and leaves a permanent and very obvious scar where the mark was, which never fades away.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who chose to hide their mark are generally treated with suspicion by the rest of  Vartach society and are frequently assumed to be Line Breakers. Because they don\u2019t have a mark they are considered to be outsiders to Vartach society who have chosen to reject their place in it along with their destiny.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vartach society is fundamentally based on the five marks that define them as a species, called brands. Starting as an indistinct tangle of black and gold magical veins, these coalesce as they start to come of age, and the shape it takes defines the rest of their life. There are five brands observed in the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":272,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1166"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1166"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1167,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1166\/revisions\/1167"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}