The Sharkin Wheel
On a remote tropical island lies a sea cave that can only be reached by canoe during low tide. Within is a small mound of sand that sits beneath a ray of light that breaks through the cave ceiling. On this small sandbar is a gnarled post that rises upward like a mangrove tree. It only holds one item, sacred to the people who placed it there. A wheel, made of bone and sharkskin, with spokes of reeds and palm fronds. These reeds are woven in a manner that records the magic of the islanders, both good and bad. It is extremely old, and has been used by countless generation of island guardians known as the Kardiko. The spells range from common white witch craft, to complex blue spell wards, and only one potent necromantic black spell.
Below is a list of several spells recorded on the wheel.
Healing Salve: The Kardiko have access to a pollen with unique properties. This pollen is stored in a liquid emulsion that includes aloe and coconut milk. It remains inert until a series of tribal phrases are whispered across the surface of the fluid. When even a single drop of this fluid is applied to a wound, bleeding is stopped almost immediately. The additional use of tribal markings made with ash ink increases the healing properties on a specific patient, staving off death from mortal wounds such as severed arteries or stab wounds. A single application, with maximum efficacy, can reverse the tissue damage of a point blank 9mm gunshot wound to a major organ excluding the heart or brain.Activating the fluid requires 6 seconds of spoken phrase. The application process requires only 3 seconds worth of concentrated, uninterrupted focus. The healing process will be complete after an additional 15 seconds of time elapse.
Cloud of Smoke: With a snap of a specially prepared burnt stick and a spoken tribal phrase, the Kardiko can can cause the burnt stick to emit a large quantity of smoke within 3 seconds. At the chosing of the Kardiko, the smoke can be as opaque as dark ashes with 95% light diffusion, or as scattered as light fog, with 25% light diffusion. This effects an area 10 meters by 10 meters after 3 seconds, and a 100 meters by 100 meters within 30 seconds. The Kardiko can disperse this cloud with a spoken command or hand gesture. Otherwise the cloud of smoke will persist in winds up to 5 kph for up to 3 minutes.The broken stick can be picked up and moved, causing the concentration of smoke to move along with the stick. Winds exceeding 5kph will disperse the smoke, though the wind strength will effect the time in which this can be accomplished.
The sticks are specifically gathered from the shores of an active volcano and prepared in a process that requires a delicate seaweed known as Ma Ti Ana (The Moon Hair). The sticks need only be 6 cm long, and as small as 2 cm in diamter.
Small Light Source: Using a few grains of sacred sand, the Kardiko can whisper a tribal phrase and cause the sand grains to emit a light blue glow equivilant to a 10 watt bulb. This process requires 6 seconds of uninterrupted focus, and can last for up to eight hours. In dire circumstances, a large quantity of sacred sand can be thrown at a target, bursting in a flash of white light, causing blindness for 12 seconds.The sacred sand is dificult to gather, sifted from sands that wash out from the carcasses of albino tortoisses. These special sands can only be discerned in the moonlight of a full moon, making the process time sensitive.
Once gathered, the sands are left to soak in a lime rich fluid made from crushed coral. They are dried and stored in small carved bones with a cork stopper. The bones are considered sacred to the Kardiko, and none have ever been willing to share the secret phrase that activates the light trapped within the sand.
Increased Strength: At the sacrifice of agility and dexterity, the Kardiko can chant a haka to greatly increase a targets strength by a multiplier of two (x2). Thus, a person capable of lifting 200 kilograms can then lift 400 after being effected by this spell.The haka requires 30 seconds of uninterrupted focus, spoken tribal phrases, as well as a prescribed series of movements. The movements are aggressive, and the phrases imitate war cries, often loud and barking. The duration of the increased strength cannot exceed 10 minutes. When the spell wears off, the subject target is left with a weakness that emulates severe exhaustion for the following 1 hour.
Each addtional Kardiko that partakes in the haka increases the strength modifier by a factor of one half (0.5). Thus, two Kardiko multiply the strength of a target by a factor of two and half (2.5), three Kardiko by three (3) and four by three and half (3.5) The maximum strength modifier that can be applied is a factor of five (5).
Sense Magic: The Kardiko can use hand gestures to demark an imaginary spiral in the air. When the spiral gesture is complete, Kardiko casters will be mentally alerted to any paranormal activity or material within a 100 cubic meter area. Though the spell is concentrated to a specific area, it cannot detail the creature or items that may contain paranormal energy. This spell does not have the ability to penetrate scry-cloaking spells, nor the ability to locate invisible objects. This divination process requires 12 seconds of uninterrupted concentration, and does not have a duration beyond the initial casting. Kardiko typically require 10 minutes of cool down time in between castings, or risk powerful migraine headaches that can leave them partially disabled.
Mystic Cloak: With a good deal of concentration and time at hand (20 minutes), a Kardiko can use a prescribed set of steps and body movements to demark an area as guarded from scrying and divination from other spell casters. This cloak can cover an area 100 meters by 100 meters, though can be as small as the Kardiko chooses. The duration is determined by the Kardiko, and cannot be broken from outside the area cloaked. Only from within the space demarked can the spell be countered, dispelled, or disrupted.
Rain of Death: When in absolute desperation, the Kardiko can summon forth a cloud to rain over an area as small as 100 square meters or up to 10 kilometers. All those who are touched by this rain will be subjected to extreme sickness emulating the effects of the black plague, concentrated into a 24 hour period. There is no antidote for this sickness, and those who are subjected to the effects have a 50 percent chance of dying outright. The Rain of Death requires a potion prepared, in a human skull, over the period of a week. The potion must be kept from all sunlight until the final casting process has begun. The potion can only maintain potency for 24 hours, so Kardiko must carefully plan in advance their window of opportunity. The rain falls for only 1 hour, but saturated ground waters will remain infected for a period of 24 hours.The Rain of Death is often accompanied by thick black clouds, lightning, and thunder. Animals and vegetation are not immune to its effects, and lands infected by the Rain are often left barren and gray.
