Gypsy Legends

What little is known about the Gypsies might be best illustrated by the following, famously overheard at a tavern at the capital of Dacian:

"Sho! Lizzzen, I gots a few... hic, things ta say. Now, I ain't much 'a one, 'n iffn you call me 'at I'll stab you frew the eyeball, but I know a couple'a Gypsy things. Te first thin 'z... they're old. Really old. Like, 'ey remembr back 'en us hum'ns were still hairy and dinn't walk much. 'N point a fact, they gots a First as their first. Stupid fuggin blightr was the first bastard what dessides to be a Good Pers'n. Now! Mosht imporanant thing issat you jus don' DO shit like that easy. So affer the war, 'cuz there's always a War, guy takes a look erroun an says:

"Damn! Gotta take in all these orphans!"

''Now, yanno orphans a war aren always with no parents, but jus that they gots widows fer mums. An yanno, orphans, widows, an hey, them ol folks dun have nobody, and these guys got nobody, an... Outcasts! That's what he says he'll take, jus teh outcasts! Can ya believe this guy? 'Course, when yer a First, 'n pretty much fight like a hammer does nails, ya can do whaever y want. Sho! As peple are walkin 'bout their business, fightin bigass ice bastards and followin' the beaches, the gaggle kinda figures out:''

"Hey! We gots more people comin' in, than goin' out!"

''Cuz, yanno, people are right bastards, and there'r a bunch a outcasts. So, 'n I dunno how, they takes this whole damn group, the whole fechin' Idea, and they Name it. So every stinkin' onea them's got the Idea in their blood. Doesn stop 'em from bein' thieves, 'r killin', 'r even doin' in the whole group! But outcasts stick together, and fuck up one and the lot'll fuck you up. 'An we list'n to the ghosts. They're the worst of us all. They ain't got no body, no friends, an' they're probably on the run from some angry god! Most impor'antly, we remember shit. The Old shit, and all that makes us scum, and what makes us all scum. I 'don remember 't'all, only the oldest ones do, but my Sis heard some of it, 'n so've I, so that's 's much as I cn say."''

Early History
While it has not been verified who said this or even how much of what said was said then, or added on after, much of it is held to be true. The Gypsies have indeed, since the earliest human tribes, been united as one, if only by virtue of their accepting and caring for the unwanted.

Stereotypes
Probably the most common negative stereotype is of the Gypsy Witch.

Marriage Customs
The Gypsies, as a whole, have a very liberal view of premarital relations, and, in general, it is considered by the older and middle-aged women of a Gypsy clan to pair up those of marrigable age with extreme gusto until a proposal has been made by one party to another.

Wedding Clothes
It is considered to be an insult to the bride and groom if at least one female relative did not literally go blind hand stitching the rich clothing to be worn during the wedding. These clothes, which are heavily embroidered with intricate scenes that would be deemed the most suitable to the person that will wear them, are meant to hold up over the entire duration of the wedding party, which, as can be seen below, is an incredible feat. Moreover, the bride's dress is meant to have enough fabric to provide blankets to all future children, and so mothers, grandmothers, and aunts will frequently buy out an entire fabric shop to provide for what they hope is a sizeable brood.

Gypsy Weddings
Known to last at least a full week, gypsy weddings will cause literally hundereds of family members to cross upwards of a thousand miles to converge on one location, to the delight of merchants and the consternation of law enforecement.

Gay Weddings
As one of the groups most likely to embrace homosexual relations, Gypsy weddings frequently celebrate a same-sex couple. This does not, in any way, diminish the event. In fact, it has often been said among heterosexual Gypsy men that they prefer women out of sheer terror. The rationality behind this is simple when one understads this: since there will be no Child Heralding parties for this couple (see below), all efforts that would have been put into such events are instead channeled into the wedding itself.

Weddings for Homosexual couples rarely last less than a month, and are, therefore, where most first-hand anthropological information on Gypsy weddings come from.

Honeymoons
The honeymoon starts, as is custom, with the final shredding of the wedding clothes, which are hung over the windows of the newlywed's home. The rich cloth will, later, be used to create blankets for the children but, for now, are a signal to relatives and friends to not approach the home unless it is to leave food and drink on the doorstep.

Children and Nommancy
Gypsy children are typically taught Name Magic along with whatever languages they may hope to encounter in the area they are in. However, there is a caveat: children are both amazing and horible at Nommancy. Nommancy is extremely binding, and anyone who knows anything about it is careful with their words, picking and choosing what to say, and being careful not to unintentionally bind themselves in an oath.

Children do not have this trait. If they use Nommancy it is the same way they do most anything - intensely. Breaking a child's oath thankfully isn't impossible, but it is nevertheless very difficult, usually requiring an elder's intervention.

As a consequence, many different rituals involving runes, blessings, curses, and so on have sprung up amongst the clans to limit children's ability to actively cast Nommancy as a spell, rather than simply have it be a very understandable language. There is no specific coming of age, the child is typically considered a probationary adult when they are able to unbind themselves or figure out a way around it.

Cursing is an interesting topic among the clans. While Gypsy lifestyle is far from uptight, because of the extreme power of language in their society, there are levels of cursing simply not touched upon. Swearing in the language of the place they are in is normal, and most Gypsy children have a pretty foul (if creative) mouth. Cursing in Nommancy, however, is not done. While all clan members learn Blood Escalation, it is usually very theoretical, taught after probationary adulthood, and the actual method of using it (using the Name with the intention of the spell, or condensing the full script into the Name) is not taught.

Almost all of the prohibitory spells on child nommancy include some very nasty warnings against cursing. Generally not physically painful, most of these warnings are a vile combination of intense shame, deep knowledge of consequences, and a very strong sensation of being somehow unclean. Most Gypsy adults refuse to curse in Nommancy unless in combat, and are generally recorded as still feeling something of those sensations. Even non-Gypsy Nommancy users report similar sensations.

The major problem with children using curses is well illustrated by Blood Escalation. The curse enhances physical and magical abilities at a cost. Nobody has managed to study the physiological effects, but considering the typical flush, increased muscle mass, and the fact that the body will pursue for a week after death indicate that something major is going on. Whenever a child has actually managed to use this curse there have been reprecussions. While usually resilient enough to heal, there are always physical or mental scars that persist.

The Legend of the Stitched One
In the earliest days of Gypsie bands there was, apparently, a place where they gathered on the spring solstice to socialize, marry bands together, and share stories. The feast usually lasts several days, and it was not unheard of for gods to appear, such as Oberon or the Krampuk, and bless them and join in the festivities. However, there is one instance, when humans and gypsies were still considered to be on friendly terms, that a visitor came who none knew as a diety or any other sort of creature. He looked, they say, much like a doll, stitched together and yet moving and speaking as any other creature would.

In keeping with their customs, they welcomed him to the feast and treated him with the honors of a guest, and in the evening he held up his hands, asking that the mothers stay their babes a while before bed, for he had a gift for each gypsy there.

The stranger spoke first on the kindness and selflessness of the gypsies, and how he was touched deeply by their comraderie, even in this time of small tribes who hid mistrustfully in their caves. The stranger, in fact, was moved to tears, and those tears created strange stones when they hit the ground, and they later decorated the crown of King Ishara (which disappeared with him).

Gypsy Curses
Gypsies have an unusual culture, due to their tendency to take in all the outcasts and "refuse" of society. For example, if one were to approach a camp of Gypsies and shout out angrily: "Bastard!" the majority of the camp would turn to look and ask for more specifics. As a consequence, Gypsy oaths, curses, and the like tend to be amusing, based on some story, or in the language of True names.

By the Old Wound!
The Old Wound is a Gypsy term for the indescribable "something" within gods and mortals that creates many Gypsies. It can be used jokingly as a vulgar term for the female sexual organ, whores, and so on, a moderately angry curse referring to some action taken in the style of the Old Wound (disowning family, attacking civilians, strife between friends and family, etc.), or a deep lamentation that at once curses the existence of Gypsies and the inherent nature of the world that continuously produces them.

Oh roll into water already!
This is based on a story of a powerful Gypsy Lord who was able to cut rivers with a sword, he was slain through treachery and his head kept rolling and talking after being beheaded. The meaning typically refers to garrulous folk who wouldn't shut up even decapitated. It has also been picked up by non-Gypsy locals to tell someone to drunkenly drown, either in a river or in their own vomit, depending on the anger of the speaker. When one of the 9 Headless LordsHeadless Lords continued to communicate after his decapitation, all Gypsies in the area wisely kept their mouths shut.

Your god shits!
Having been around for far too long, there are several Gypsies aware of the origins of certain gods. As a consequence, gods are typically regarded as beings that are more accurately described as mortals with far more power than fairness would allow. While Gypsies know to be respectful and deferential when facing powerful individuals, very few see gods or kings as anything other than themselves but for an accident of creation. Consequently, a common insult from a Gypsy to a follower of any nation or god is to remind them that their leader also engaged in base, animal activities, same as everyone else.

The Evil Eye
One of the most well-known of the Gypsy active curses is the Evil Eye. A Gypsy is able to quite simply cause Fortune itself to become disgusted with the Eyed being. This is removable, and can to some extent be used in redemption rituals, but few people have managed to convince a Gypsy of the sincerity of their desire to repent without having already repented to do so. In fact, it is speculated that this is completely intentional, some holding that Gypsies see with the Evil Eye the path to redemption of all beings. When some Gypsies were asked about this, the younger ones looked to be holding back rage while the oldest present smiled sadly and shook her head. The asker suffered from two years of bad crops, during which he learned the true value of his friends and was forced to improve his plant magic to the point where he was able to fight off an attempt to draft his town, losing much of his mobility in the process.

Un-personhood
Gypsy culture is composed of thieves, turncoats, murderers, and their ilk. While Gypsies are meant to take in outcasts, and will always provide a supportive listener, becoming a full Gypsy involves several ritual trials, much effort, and often significant discipline and changes to the seeker. Gypsy law, as a consequence, can be strict and swift, as controlling a bunch of sociopaths is a task and a half. There are certain crimes, however, that are considered beyond the ability of the law. It is actually a significantly rare occasion that this happens, as most capital crimes committed on outsiders is met with a hearty "You were stupid enough to do it and get caught, the consequences are your own," and murderers and theives are put to use in efficient enough ways that killing or stealing of vital provisions from within the clan is basically unheard of. However, certain rituals, types of murder, and generally rape (though there are instances where miscommunication is at fault and law is able to intervene instead) will result in the curse of Un-Personhood being applied to the offender. Used by a powerful Gypsy, this curse, when spoken in the language of True Names, has the power to tear the soul to shreds. It is Name magic that removes personhood from the indicated being's Name. This can remove sentience entirely, or simply Mark the person as unfit for any kind of society. Given that this ability places one entirely above all laws, it is not easy to use, nor is it something taught.

Blood Escalation
Another Name Magic technique, nearly all Gypsies are taught either the short version or the long version. The technique in long form translates as: "[True Name of caster] speaking, I hereby claim vengeance for deeds done to me or those I protect. I will pay with blood, sweat, and pain for the strength to tear blood from my enemies until they should be dead or yield. May my flesh continue this oath until completion or ceasing be requested by one of Those-Who-Take-In-Outcasts."

This causes the caster to become significantly stronger at the price of being injured by their attacks moreo than they otherwise would be. (Str+20, gain str roll even in non-str attacks. Spells cost 5x more hp, physical attacks cost the same in hp, minus normal cost for a spell). The secondary clause insures that even killing the caster will not actually stop his or her body from continuing to attack until asked to stop by another Gypsy or having killed/defeated all their enemies. Battles fought in the past have indicated that a body will continue to pursue a fleeing opponent for a full week without stopping for any reason beyond killing another opponent.

There have been a few historical battles attempting to kill Gypsy clans.

They typically follow one pattern: initial, often pyrrhic victory over a camp of some sort, generally remarked upon as being far fewer than expected. A series of murders and supply line losses for about a week, until whatever group engaged in the attack returns to their base, probably with their commander a drooling husk or in a coffin. Then, a massive group of Gypsies attacks at night, all of them using Blood Escalation along with a wide variety of magics and long-range attacks, and several elders marching behind, using Un-personhood to destroy the identities of anyone trying to control the chaos. This typically results in a rout, and those who fled early on are not pursued. The group of Gypsies buries the dead by morning, then disappears into the morning mist, which appears independent of season.

There have been a few historical battles attempting to kill Gypsy clans.