Emblem of the Amber Brotherhood.
Known as the Brown Wind of Magic, Ghur has been called the Aethyr’s wild and bestial spirit. Ghur is used by the feral Amber Wizards to shape spells of beastcraft and communion. In strange shamanic rites, these Magisters can call Ghur into their bodies, allowing it to shape them into wolves and ravens, clawed savages and gentle horse whisperers. It is known as a savage Wind, the antithesis of civilisation and domestication, as primal and unreasoning as it is devoid of malice.
Ghur is attracted to animals and wild places in equal measure, retreating from the ordered existence of man and his cities. This is reflected in the misanthropic ways of the Amber Wizards — shunning civilization for the wild mountains and moors, where the Wind of Ghur blows free.
Amber Magic
Ghur’s Magisters have embraced the savage Brown Wind of Magic, allowing them to have control over all manner of wild beasts and even communicate with them. Amber Magisters can also call upon the attributes of various spirits of the wild and are able to summon the strength of the bear, the swiftness of the hare, the eyesight of an eagle, and the heightened senses of smell and hearing of the wolf. Amber Magisters are said to be able to shape-shift, travelling on the paws or wings of wild creatures and birds if they so desire.
The Amber Brotherhood uses the Brown Wind to call upon the power of the wild spirits of nature. Their world vision is an animistic one, where every living thing, every plant, every animal and insect, and even the soil itself, has its own independent living spirit. The world through the eyes of an Amber Magister is a hard one, where the spirits of all living things must compete to live. It is a world of survival only for the fittest; where every creature has its place as predator or prey.
Amber Magisters are said to be able to merge their spirits with those of animals and go on vision-quests to learn more about themselves, the land, the ways of the spirits and how they can be pacified or bound.
List of Known Spells
The Lore of Beasts, also known as Amber Magic, totemcalling and shapeshifting is the set of magic spells that drink from the wild Wind of Ghur.[3a]
A
- The Amber Spear - Sounding a gnarled horn, the wizard summons a glowing amber spear. Seizing hard upon the spear's translucent shaft, he hurls it at the foe with uncanny accuracy.[3a]
B
- The Beast Broken - The wizard breaks the wild spirit of a single nearby animal (that can be domesticated). These animals include horses, dogs, and some birds of prey. It does not include normally wild animals like wolves, bears, snakes, and so on. Failure to resist results in the animal remaining docile towards Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, and Halflings forever, though it is still likely to be afraid—and rightly so—of creatures like Greenskins, Skaven, and those tainted by Chaos.[1c]
- The Beast Made Well - Touching an injured animal, the caster heals its wounds. Only natural animals may be healed by this spell; magical creatures (including familiars, even if animalistic) and monsters are unaffected.[1c]
- The Beast Unleashed - Unleashes the primal savagery of the caster's allies, driving them into a frenzy. This spell does not work on animals; they are already beasts.[1c]
- The Boar's Hide - Skin becomes as tough as a wild boar’s.[1c]
C
- Calm the Wild Beast - With a soothing and hypnotic voice, the caster calms one animal, able to approach the beast and touch it without fear, as it remains placid. If a mount, their skill in riding it is improved. The animal remains friendly towards them for a time unless the shaman attacks it, in which case the enchantment is broken immediately.[1d]
- Claws of Fury - The caster's fingernails turn into razor-sharp claws as they take on a feral aspect. The drawback is being unable to wield any weapons while the spell is in effect.[1d]
- Cowering Beasts - The shaman thunderously rebuke their foes, comparing them to base animals that had best cower before their master. This panics between two or even twenty nearby foes, starting with those closest to the caster, unless focused on a single target.[1d]
- Crow's Feast - Summons a murder of supernatural crows anywhere within forty-eight yards that swoops down upon the caster's enemies. These are Aethyric creatures of vengeance, with iron-shod beaks and bleeding feathers. They may be summoned anywhere, as they are capable of passing through any form of non-sentient material—trees, rocks, metal etc. These crows always appear in huge flocks—which then scatter as quickly as they appeared, but not before assaulting anyone deemed a threat, intent on attacking the heads of their victims (eyes, ears, face, etc.) if given the chance.[1d][1e]
- Cruelty's Desserts - While touching an animal, wild or domestic, the caster makes is so that any intelligent creature who harms or is otherwise cruel to that particular animal before the next full moon to be spurned by others (or otherwise become unlikeable) until the full moon after that one.[1e]
- The Curse of Anraheir - At the wizard's command, nebulous nature spirits assail the foe, clawing at them with hands not nearly as insubstantial as they appear.[3a]
F
- The Flock of Doom - With a mighty bellow, the wizard invokes Corvus the Crow Lord, summoning his servants to peck at the foe's eyes.[3a]
- Form of the Puissent Steed - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a destrier instead.[1e]
- Form of the Raging Bear - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a bear instead.[1e]
- Form of the Ravening Wolf - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a wolf instead.[1e]
- Form of the Soaring Raven - Transforms the caster and all the equipment they were carrying into a raven for up to an hour. The shaman retains their mental faculties, but otherwise as the attributes of a raven. Said-caster cannot talk or use magic while in raven form, but may end it at any time to revert back to normal. The spell ends automatically if they become gravely wounded.[1e]
H
- Hunter's Moons - The wizard howls and the moons glow red as blood, their ruddy rays lending fresh fortitude to those that battle below.[2a]
L
- Leatherbane - The shaman causes a character, creature, or animal and all leather goods they're carrying or wearing—belts, pouches, straps, scabbards, and even armour—to shrivel immediately and turn permanently to dust. This is a touch spell.[1e]
M
- Master's Voice - Commands one animal to do the caster's bidding. On its next turn, the caster decides what actions the animal will take, and it will do as commanded.[1e]
- Merciw's Monstrous Regiment - The wizard calls upon the strength of the wild world and bestows it upon his chosen allies.[2a]
- A Murder of Crows - Calling upon Corvus the Crowlord, the wizard summons a voracious flock of carrion birds to tear flesh from bone. Similar to Crow's Feast, but lasts longer, and harms anyone caught within.[2a]
O
- The Ox Stands - The shaman shouts out to all allies within earshot. Any who are currently fleeing in terror, or who are currently paralyzed by fear, are relieved of those effects.[1e][1f]
P
- Pann's Impenetrable Pelt - Calling upon the beast-spirits of the wild, the wizard sheathes his vulnerable flesh in unyielding fur and hide.[3a]
R
- Repugnant Transformation - Mighty magic transforms the shaman's target into its basest form, revealing its true character. Unless the victim is able to resist, they undergoes a terrible transformation, sprouting hair all over their body, losing the capacity for speech, and behaving in strange and inexplicable ways. This is a permanent condition unless successfully cast on the target again, which reverses it, or cast dispelling magics on the target. This is a touch spell.[1f]
S
- The Savage Beast of Horros - The beast within is a formidable thing if unleashed to its full potential.[3a]
T
- The Talking Beast - If cast immediately before taking on animal form, the caster can speak while so transformed. The spell can also be cast on an animal to gift it with the power of speech for a short period of time.[1f]
- Transformation of Kadon - Kadon was a master of forms, able to shift his shape to that of any monster. One day he found he could not change back.[3a]
W
- Wings of the Falcon - Grow wings from the caster's back, which are strong enough to bear them aloft. The stronger their magic, the faster they fly. Obviously, simple folk, seeing someone transformed by wings of the falcon, will assume they are some form of Chaos Daemon and react appropriately.[1f]
- The Winter's Long Slumber - The caster touches a willing character, creature, or animal, causing it to immediately fall into a deep sleep akin to a bear’s hibernation. This state persists for many months, until the solstice or equinox after the next (that is, the remainder of the current season, plus the full season after that). During this period of slumber, the character need not eat or drink. Due to the magical nature of the hibernation, any diseases, poisons, or other similar afflictions the character endures are interrupted. No further damage or symptoms accrue from them, though any penalties or other maladies already in effect continue while the character hibernates. (A progressive poison would not continue to get worse.) Natural healing, however, does occur. The recipient of this spell cannot be woken by normal means; the caster must will a premature awakening. They may also cast this spell on themselves. In the event that they do, they may—at their option—designate one other individual, who must be present when casting the spell, who may wake them before the spell’s expiration. This is a touch spell.[1f]
- Wyssan's Wildform - The wizard unleashes the beast within, shaping its fury to transform his allies into bestial forms.[3a]
Source
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy RPG -- Realms of Sorcery (pg. 34, 119).