The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

Dice rolling. In the previous game "Ghosts of the Past" we mainly used the dicebot in the Deryni chatroom. Since now we have Discord in addition to the chatroom. Dice will be handled differently.

We will be using the hamete virtual dice server. I have created a link for it at the top of the forum. Called "Dice". That way you can get some practice in rolling if you like. Once we know who the players are then we will setup a private dicelog for the game. This will use your email to log into the dice server to access.

Here is the direct link: https://dicelog.com/dice

Second Sight: You have a knack for certain things. This is a Human Only Trait. It allows a Human to do some Deryni-like abilities. You can tell if someone is lying. You can sense things that others cannot. In many ways it is a lesser form of the Power Trait. However, a Human with this Trait is not affected by Merasha.

This Trait is due to trace Deryni blood in one's ancestry. If the Human who has Second Sight is ever Awakened and given Power, they lose this Trait as it is replaced with the Power Trait.


Please note that this is a work in progress and is subject to change and revision.

Quote from: Jerusha on April 22, 2024, 06:32:14 PMDo bonus traits for humans come from the character traits?  (Non-Deryni)

Yes, Humans can use or have any of the General Traits. A Deryni character can have any of the General or Deryni Traits.

There is one exception, a Human can take the Deryni Trait of Spell-Trained. This gives a Human an understanding of Deryni powers, the ability to recognize there use, and knows what kind of limitations exist for the Deryni.

Do bonus traits for humans come from the character traits?  (Non-Deryni)

Second Sight does not have its own topic in the Codex. In fact, I can not find any mention of Second Sight in the Codex at all.

Reviewing Deryni Magic appendix. It confirms Ciard and Caulay have Second Sight. We know it is a border gift. At first, Morgan and Duncan think that Dhugal's shields are because of this Second Sight gift. We also know that Ciard knows how to Dowse for water using this gift. and that both Caulay and Ciard know when someone is telling the truth or telling falsehoods.

Interesting Quote from Deryni Magic page 46. "Finally, only Deryni and those with assumed Deryni-like powers have shields. Humans do not. Upon closer examination, supposed humans discovered to have shields usually can be found to be descendants of  Deryni, even if at some great remove."

This is implying that Second Sight originally came from Deryni heritage and this is  some of the basic vestigial raiments of that heritage from centuries before.

The Deryni Adventure Game page 153 states "Borderers in Cassan, Kierney and Meara speak of "the Second Sight," a knack for sensing things beyond the ordinary: and indeed, many Borderers (human and Deryni Alike) seem to be gifted with uncanny insight. Although it is akin to Deryni magic, Borderers accept the Second Sight with nary a raised eyebrow, and tend to overlook such "talents" in terms of official Church doctrine that has declared magic anathema.  Those with Second Sight may be humans with the Magical Sensitivity gift(g 79), Deryni who have concealed (and perhaps forgotten) their heritage, Humans-with-Power (p78) or some combination of all three."

From these sources, I think that someone with second sight can:
1) Learn or instinctively gain shields from being around Deryni.
2) Can learn to percieve when Deryni Magic is being used near or around them. Ie: they can see Deryni Aureus. and might be aware of magic. but I think it would take training to learn what they are actually seeing or feeling about that magic.
3) They instinctive can tell when someone is telling the truth or a lie. However, it might not be quiet as obvious as when a Deryni detects these things. If they can sense this about another person, I also wonder if they can sense emotions from the other person.
4)  They can attune to elements in the world around them. Like finding water, and perhaps other things about elements like sensing if there is a fire out-break or a rock slide.(there is no evidence of this, but it would seem to me that in the "sensing things beyond the ordinary" could fall in the range of elemental sensitivities.

Second Sight comes up from time to time within KK's works. And in chat this has been discussed a few times. It is an aspect of Deryniness but more like trace Deryni blood rather than full on Deryni or "half-Deryni".

So what can someone with Second Sight do?
What are the limitations?

I'm listening to the podcast, and KK mentions having stuff saved that she thinks is good but might be used in the future. (I can't back up so I can't recheck my memory.) I recently heard that Raymond Chandler (noir detective writer) had pages of quips and metaphors that he typed up, and when he got a chance to use one, he'd cross it off his list and write down where it was. The one I remember is one he never got to use,

"She had a nice cool goddamnyou smile."

Photos on Bluesky

From the days when ethnic "jokes" were still a thing: "Too weak to lift a Scotchman's tip."

"I left her with her virtue intact, but it was a struggle. She almost won." Et cetera.

But I digress off the topic.

Katherine is a judge this week at Writers of Future, so I was looking at their lists of podcasts and I re-found this interview with Katherine and I very much enjoyed listening to it for the second time. I do recommend it if you have not heard it yet.  It is podcast number 136.  I hope she has a good week at the event.

Quote from: Jerusha on April 19, 2024, 06:42:09 PMStefan Coram from a different point of view.  Interesting.

What people see of themselves in the mirror isn't always what they look like. And I do agree with Brechlin's view of things, I think.

Stefan Coram from a different point of view.  Interesting.