Two Million Swallow Gale

Art by Michael Hague

Two Million Swallow Gale (Nature/Summoning, Cost, Per Scenario, Persistent, Requires "Summon Nature's Ally" and a Pact with one of the Beast Lords): This spell is used to increase the speed of a sailing ship, enabling EITHER its swift pursuit of a target, OR its escape from any pursuing vessel(s).

The caster must have a preexisting Pact with an appropriate Beast Lord, such as the Lady of Winged Things. The Beast Lord will honor the pact by sending two million swallows to pull a ship forward with the power of their wings. The ship will have a thousand tether strings attached to its forward areas, with two thousand swallows pulling on each string. The caster rolls their Charisma +2 in an Overcome an Obstacle action vs. the Dexterity of the opposing vessel. If the casting succeeds, the caster's vessel overcomes its target OR it escapes its pursuer.

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A Note on Inspirations: This spell is inspired by a scene in The Story of Doctor Dolittle. We've added a little bit of Moorcockian flavor with the Pact and the Beast Lords. Finally, the title feels a tad Exalted to us!