| Cailleach
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Everyone of Scottish descent would like to think of themselves as descended from Robert the Bruce, from the Chiefs of Mackintosh, the Mac Duff Earls, and the Stewart Kings. And many Scotts claim a family tie to one of these, but the Cailleach claim a tie to them all through bloodline. This is, at least, the claim. It would be hard to know for certain all the way down the lines of the family, not all of the bloodlines have survived the centuries, but they are adamant about where they began.
Scottish lore tells of Beira, Queen of Winter, the most powerful of the Cailleach, the daughter of the Winter Sun, whom, the family claims, founded the family line. Lore puts her, often, at odds with the people of the Highlands in particular, inflicting the winter months upon them and fighting with Spring and controlling the power of the natural world during the winter months until she was forced to turn it over to the summer goddess. Her daughters, seven daughters of terrible temper and beauty, were the personifications of the elemental powers of nature in winter and storms, known as the Storm Hags. In truth, Beira loved the people of Scotland, wanting the best for them and appreciating how hearty and strong they could be, her daughters were married to seven clan chiefs. And from these seven unions the bloodlines of the Cailleach were born.
Initially tied to the Highlands, as a young child is tied to his mother's apron strings, in time the descendants of these bloodlines would travel the world. Cailleach are nothing if not drawn towards wild adventure and challenges. The strength that came with a strong Celtic heritage and fear of the powers of nature have dwindled in the centuries. The common era lends towards meteorologist reports rather than the Queen of Winter and her twin sister being the source of the seasons and the source of life on Earth but those who have stayed true to the Old Gods know this is not the case. One can turn their back on their parents but parents will always welcome their children home. Occasionally there are some who harness the power of their ancestors and show the promise and are blessed for following the old ways. For these, like Scottish explorer David Livingstone, the blood and faith were true and Beira's blessings shown to him as they did to his ancestors before.
Now those who follow in the bloodline of the Cailleach are few and far between though their arrival is always heralded by a great storm as the Queen weeps with joy at the birth of another of her beloved children. Their existence can only be maintained if those who follow hold true to the traditions and take advantage of their fertile times during the winter under the Queen's watchful gaze. During the other seasons, the blessings of the Queen are withheld as she gathers her strength. Still, when one sees an athlete pull off an incredible play amidst the worst of conditions, when an off-road trucker or an arctic fisherman come home after a storm that others would have perished at, or when a lost child finds the only dry spot to hide out while abandoned on the streets it is likely because Beira knows one of her flock and the children of the Cailleach are remembered. They just need to make sure not to go exploring the Sahara in the dead of summer...
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| Family Members
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| Appearance
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Many members of this family show their heritage in their coloring, through their red hair and fair skin. Most are also possessed of robust physical health and it's not unusual to find them working in very physical jobs or participating in overly physical recreational activities.
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| Blessings
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Forces - Nightsight (••), Read Matrices (••), Influence Heat (••), Invisible Object (•••), Unseen Shield (•••), Call Lightning (••••), Personal Invisibility (••••), Change Weather (•••••), Thunderbolt (•••••).
Fate - Wind of Chance (••), Exceptional Luck (•••).
Life - Cleanse the Body (••), Sense Life (••), Body Control (•••), Self Healing (•••).
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| Curse
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Curse: The Curse of the Cailleach is a curse of strength and fertility. Many in the world experience the joys of great success - are able to achieve incredible results due to their strength, training, or power. Unfortunately, the blood of the Cailleach also comes with it the weakness of its founder. During the summer months, the blood of the Cailleach is furthest away from its source of strength and even the most basic powers take more effort and focus as they are not blessed with the Mother's strength. As such, during the summer months (from the summer solstice through fall's eve) the successes of any member of the Cailleach bloodline are limited and their magic hindered, leaving them unable to roll 10's again on blessings due to the strength it takes to even pull off the most basic of blessings so far from the source of their strength. Sterile in all but the winter months, members of this Proximus family are only capable of creating life when the months of winter are in season when they are exceptionally fertile. (From winter solstice to spring equinox.) This has made it difficult for the family lines to flourish the way that other families might. Most of the family line has died out over the centuries as a result of this curse. Few are those to pass on the lessons of the old ways and the curse will continue to whittle out the Children of the Hags if they are not soon taught how to continue their ancient heritage.
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| Oblations
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Altars of offerings to invoke the Great Hag, acts of charity, helping the lowly during times of storms, dedications and prayers, hospitality in the winter months.
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