Fate and Destiny

Fate and Destiny

Concept of Fate and Destiny is one of the core motives of the witcher's universe. Everybody has some kind of Fate - that can be molded or changed - but only partially. Fate puts the character on a journey towards the Destiny, tha's supposen to happen - or be fond - despite any obstacles tthat might arise.
Clear cases of Destiny are people bound by curses, spells and prophecies, ancient laws (like the Law of Surprise) and - maybe - True Love.
For the others Fate might be either not easily recognizable, or is connected with some event, motive or pattern. A person with a deep inner fear of betrayal likely will be betrayed in a worst moment - or maybe they were the betrayer and the same thing will hit them back? Or maybe they failed someone and now are both honor-bound and destiny-bound to proove themselves, to stay loyal even for the price of their life?
Sometimes we "know". Sometimes it can be discovered. In rare cases -  avoided or changed.

***RULE***
If a character directly faces her Destiny or a situation mirroring past events nearly completely, she can "dare" the Destiny with a great power. Ie if the character is haunted by the vision of failing to help her friend and therefore causing a tragedy OR it already happened in the past and she doesn't want to let it happen once more, she'll do everything to change how the events go. In such a case the character gets 10 additional dice that can be spend one by one to reroll the worst results connected to the task. It does NOT serve the purpose of rescuing character's own life. If the character will die or not is not a thing decided by these dice and the storyteler may refuse a reroll serving only rescuing the character but not direcly their Fate.


"The blade of destiny has two edges - You are one of them." - Sword of Destiny


***RULE***
The Fate decides also how well was the task performed. The first die scoring a success is the Die of Fate. The result on Die of Fate denotes how well was the action performed. A critical sucess means a heroic or extraordinary way of performing the task.


Here are the most recognizable examples of Fate:

1. Loosing the Blessing
It seems the god or gods lost any interest with you - or worse, they never really liked you. You tried believing, you tried offerings and prayers, but you never got any results or the things went only worse. There's something wrong with you, no?
Do you hate the god/gods or ignore them or maybe deny their existence? You've seen and heard enough to know at least some of them most likely exist. But they don't want anything to do with you. What if someone gets to know? Are you cursed?
You know there may be times when you need the divine protection no less than all other people, or when the inquisition might knock on your door. Is it just some minor disturbance or you'll end up possessed or on a stake?

2. Betrayal
I see it in your eyes - you value loyalty and friendship. Yet, you did it. Were you forced by a knife or blackmail? Maybe noone forced you, yet you had an choice too tough for a human being. Betryal of a friend or death of a few strangers? Were you honor-bound?
Whom did you betray? Your friend? Your loved one? Your king or country?
Was it your Fate and now you deal with the consequences? Or maybe you know you will betray someone, it is predicted, and you already detest yourself for it?
Or maybe you didn't betray anyone but you just know you'll be betrayed by someone close to you? This feeling is always in the back of your head, casting a shadow on your relationships.

3. Pride
A pride man can do lots of evil, even unwillingly. Did you take a mission that had no chances of success? Are you measuring your talents properly? Did you convince someone to trust your abilities, while it was too much of a challenge for you?
You have a hidden feeling that you're too trusting in your ablities - swordsmanship, knowledge or political skills - even though your talents are unmistakably great. Someone can always outsmart you, no? Are you blinded by your self-confidence?
Did something already happen - did someone die because of your pride? Are you unable to stop as it would mean admitting your mistakes and shortcomings?
Will you die because you're too proud? Will you bring death upon someone? Does your greatness come for a price?

4. Crime
By accident or aftr years of planning? Impulsively or with premeditation? You killed someone whose only fault was meeting you - or you stole something you should've never touched? Whatever it was, you know the justice will reach you. They now. Theyll get to know. Even if no guards can touch you, there's always the revenge of gods and spirits, and the natural cycle. Will you bring the payback on yourself, or maybe on your spouse, friend or children?
Or maybe nothing has happened yet, but you feel the urge to stop yourself from your darkest impulses? And you now one day you won't manage, and end up a criminal - sentenced, hanged maybe banished? Or maybe just haunted by the invisible curse of gods.

5. Loyalty
You served under a bnner that brought you only shame. The soldier's oath sometimes bounds honest people to evil cases. Did you kill innocents? Burnt villages? Did you betray your country or on purpose tortured civilians? Now you regret the past, you're ot this kind of  person. you had orders but you should have find a way out of it... or you really had no choice? It happens to courtiers, diplomates, politicians, emissaries.
Are you in service to someone in power and you'll likely need to do hideous things? Do you know you'll likely become a heartless monster like the men you detest, because of your case? Can it be avoided? Is your case or oath more worth than it?

6. Rebellion
you rebelled against someone and then you regretted but it was already too late? Maybe you still regret? You become an outcast, and likely you'll remain one? Or you know you'll end up as one, by your choice or tricked into this Fate?
Are you banished or disinherited? Were you thrown out from your Temple or military unit?
Did you quarell with someone and in return they destroyed your life?
At least, were you right?
Or you just know you'll end up this way, as and outcast, a rebel, a noone?
You'll say "no" in a wrong moment, and it all will hit you - people will co life will come back to their lives but your life will never be the same.

7. Curiosity
You discovered a secret you shouldn't ever discover. Was it connected to your state, your family, your friend? Did you pursue the secret or it was an accident? How did you react?
Did someone try to silence you? Were there any talks or the hunt on you just started? Did someone attempt to murder you? Do they still attempt it? Did you hide? Do you have any evidence or only your knowledge and your words?
Or you didn't find any secret yet, but there's definitely something fishy... You feel yo're one step from discovering or figuring out soemthing you definitely shouldn't know. Or you feel the urge to share the secret with someone? You know you sholdn't but you just can't keep the trap shut forever...

8. Forefathers' sins
It's not your fault, but actually it doesn't matter at all. Your family is cursed. Or maybe it's only you who's touched by the spell? Or maybe it's nothing to do with magic and your family is "just" cursed by religious edict? Maybe your ancestors betrayed the king? Did they betrayed the country to the enemy? Did they collaborated with the foreign powers against your state? How long ago was it? Was it your father or grandfather or...?
Or maybe nothing like that happened and it's just  false accusation? Do you know the truth? Can you rehabilitate your family or your own name? Maybe your task is to bring back the splendor? What is the price you can pay for it?

9. Stigma of spirits
It seems some spirits love you so much they ned to destroy your life.
Maybe you can speak with the voice of the dead? Animals hate you for no reason, while the demons don't show any hostility? Are shadows protecting you? Maybe some animal - a huge black dog or a grim raven - follows you, or precedes you like a morbid herald? Maybe living beings seem to die around you? Maybe in the night signs of claws and fangs show on your body, or maybe you wake up from nightmares covered in strange scripts and sigils?
Someone or something plays with you - or - maybe you're not like everyone else? Maybe you're some kind of a creature who just believes to be human? Maybe you're possessed?
You don't know. Do you actively try to find out what's wrong with you? Maybe you want to cure it or get rid of it? Or you have no idea what it all means but you have a feeling something pushes you towards a meeting with something or someone more powerful than you that you wouldn't really like to meet? Are you undergoing some ritual or were you sacrificed for something? Maybe one day you'll wake up as a fox or wolf, or maybe something hideous will sprout from your body and you won't wake up at all?
Don't you prefer to sort it out before...? Will you end up as a curiosity in some mage's collection, an eternal slave of a demon or will you burn at a stake?
Do you need to keep your predicament secret, and tremble on a thought someone might find out?

10. Pact
You were young and foolish. Or it was a tradition or necessity. You thought you knew what you're doing. Maybe it was just one easy task you needed to complete. Maybe only one year of service in return for ten years of immortality? What to answer if an ancient book states that you just need to read some words and you get a mighty helper? Did the forest spirit give you an ultimtum and demanded an answer or sacrifice?
Many people refuse. Some don't have this power. Did you know wht you're siging to or you were too stupid too comprehend the situation? Did someone advise you or was it your decision?
Or maybe nothing happened yet, but there's something too tempting to just let it go?
Would you like to wield some magic powers? Do you need a proector for your family?
Do you know you don't want to age, and your beauty or fitness should be preserved forever?
Are you somehow drawn to dangerous lectures and you know one day you'll just need to try it on? Is there some demon following you, offering to help? Or you have your goal set, but you still need to find that particulr grimoire, that particular spell or spirit?
Do you want to get out of the grasp of the Darkness?

11. Illness
Maybe it's a result of a wound or poison, or maybe the gods' punishment for your deeds. You got ill and it seems it will stay like that - till you die. Do you have strong, repetitive headaches? Are you coughing blood? Pains in your arms and legs that will hinder your moves only more?
Or maybe nothing yet happened but it's there in your family and it will soon creep on you too? Are you in contact with someone ill - maybe your spouse or child - and you know it's contagious?
Did you try to fight your ilness? Did you try read diaries of your ancestors for ways of relieving the pain? Did you see your friends or parents dying on the same thing?
You had plans, but Destiny had different plans apparently. Is it all futile?
Do you try to find a miracle-maker to heal you? Do you try to reconciliate with gods or you grew to hate them? Do you still believe you can change your Fate or you're just destined to die young, too young? Are you resigned? How does it feel to know that you have just a few years left, maybe less?

12. Revenge
You're revenge-bound, vrozdha-bound. You gave up on everything to avenge you father, brother, sister, or another family member. Or maybe your friend, or maybe your liege.
Did you finish your task, yet it ruined your life? Whom did you kill? A child? A priest? Your own uncle or prince? The word isn't black and white. Did you killed more people in blind fury - or maybe there was love or money involved?
Or maybe you're still on the chase? Maybe you'll die during this task, but you'll avenge your chosen one. There's no price too big, no distance too far. You can sacrifice everything for your revenge. Blood for blood. Life for life.

13. Weakness
You failed your greatest task. Whatever you did, whomever you served - you needed to admit your defeat. You could only voice your resignation and go away in shame. Maybe you hesitated too long? Mybe you couldn't kill or stop your enemy when they were so close?
Maybe you couldn't figure out any solution? It's always like that. It always will be like that. Something will go wrong and you'll fail.
Or maybe nothing too awful happened yet, but you already see small signs. You have the inner feeling that you'll fail something big. Maybe once, maybe more times. They'll trust you, and you'll fail.

14. Fear
You panicked in a sitution when you should've kept cold blood. Did you run from combat on the battlefield? Did you keep quiet on the court instead of voicing something tough. Maybe you didn't help your friend in danger because you were too scared too move?
Did someone see it? You have so many fears. Many of them might be actual predictions, the rest is just some anxieties messing up your mind. But there's no way to tell what is what.
You're unable to enter scary places, you get frozen in combat or when seeing something unusual. All the worst scenarios are always in your mind, and surely some of them will happen.

15. Doubt
You sarted to doubt your case and you lost the sense of your life. You're left with emptiness and a feeling that the world tricked you. It wasn't your destiny. It wasn't right for you.
You lost will for fighting for your country, especially against people looking and living just like you do? You were a diplomat and noticed that all you're doing in life is lies and deception? Maybe you were an inquisitor and discovered that you're not interrogating any demons but frightened people, ready to admit whatever, to just shorten their sufferings?
Maybe you were a priest, and lost all your faith and devotion?
You went away and you stayed alone. without friends - as they stayed where you escaped from. Without family - as they didn't understand your decision at all. Without savings, without a different profession. So now here you are, abandoned and useless. What is your real destiny? Whom you were supposed to be? Is there something you still can do to find your real path?

16. Conviction
You got to jail or just got removed from service? Were your resources confiscated?
Or maybe you weren't in jail but one day you will? You can't casually steal like this, you can't spy on people forever. You falsified your documents or you use some stronger drugs you're not supposed to have?
Was your life broken by the conviction? Did you meet real criminals and had to deal with them on daily basis? Did you live like a robber, ambushing people on trails? Did you managed to keep some of dignity and pride or you turned into a common criminal?
Or maybe you're still able to avoid a conviction but you know you won't stop what you're doing? Your mind is already twisted - you know there might be no consquences. Do you slowly loos your dignity, but also your boundaries and limits? Are you destined to become a criminal? Would you like to forget about it but something pushes you on a wrong path? What if someone got know?

17. War
Your fate is war-bound. Did the war destroyed your family home and life? The ashes of houses and fields, the marching armies replaced your happy memories?
Or maybe the war destroyed your plans as you were forced to join the army? You wnted to marry your love, you wanted to support your parents, protect your siblings, keep your friends but you got sent far away to kill people? Did you want to become an artist or a scholar? Did you fight with the changes happening in your mentality? Did you watch your friends dying? Is there something left in you?
Or maybe the war didn't touch you yet, but you know how much of a disaster it is? You see the front lines shifting, the kingdoms falling. You know history and you know that this disaster will devour something dear to you - your home, maybe your family. Maybe you will die, maybe your sons and daughters. something always warned you, but it seems there's nothing you can do.

18. Plot
Was it a plot against you, or you were just manipulated by one influential person? Did you understand what's going on, that it is not just a series of accidents? Who did betray you? Family? Friends?
Did you expect it? Was it a revenge?
Or maybe nothing happened yet but you feel the grip, the events are falling right on their places...

19. Escape
One day you just needed to disappear. Did you have time to do it or you escaped in hurry? Did you just take a horse and ride away without any plans or money?
Did you tell someone where are you? Did you send a letter to your other and father? Did you leave your country? Did anyone search for you? Maybe your family? Or maybe someone much worse? Do you want to come back?
Or maybe you didn't escape yet, but you know one day you will. There will be a day, or a night, when you'll just need to leave everything and everyone. Probably forever.

20. Love
Did you fall in love with a wrong person? Was she too mighty and wealthy for your simple kin, or was she just a simple servant, that would get never accepted by your father?
Maybe you disclosed your feelings and felt only the biterness when your friends and faily laughed you off? Maybe your loved one has rejected you in a brutal way?
Or maybe she loved someone else, or was she married and loyal? Were you ready to duel and just kill the other man?
Or maybe the story was totally different - you both were in love, your parents were glad and... something terrible happened? Fatal illness or just some robbers? Did she die?
Or she's just parted from you? If she stil wants you, is there a way to be together?
And if not, is there a way to win her affection? Is it just how the life is and you're destined to be together? Or does it all mean that she's not your destiny - and either you need to find your real destined one or your destiny is to be defeated, broken and alone?