From: msrfx@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Charlie Ball)
Newsgroups: alt.games.whitewolf
Subject: Re: Odd places in the UK - WOD-style.
Date: 6 Feb 1996 14:01:14 -0000
Organization: University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

And next up, something more specific.......

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	Part 2 : Callanish, Isle of Lewis.

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The Isle of Lewis is the largest of the Western Isles, the Outer Hebrides
off the west coast of Scotland. It has quite a large, if isolated, main
town, Stornoway, and it also has the largest and most imposing stone
circle in the UK : Callanish. 

Situated on the northern part of the island, on a cliff-top overlooking the
Atlantic, almost always shrouded in mist, Callanish dwarfs Stonehenge.
In the form of a huge circle with a walk-way leading off to the south, 
there is a clear sense of purpose about the place. Extraordinary effort had to
have been taken to transport the stones this far to this isolated spot,
and it doesn't take much figuring for even the casual visitor (if anyone 
taking the trouble to get here can be called casual) that this is not
an ordinary place.

Indeed, the circle is built on a tremendously powerful node, not far short
of the power in Stonehenge.
But Mages don't use it.

It'd make a wonderful caern, but the Garou don't use it.

Not unlike Stonehenge, travel to Arcadia is almost trivial here, and
the Fae do use it frequently. But they tend not to stay very long.

It is believed that Ennoia stayed here for quite some time, meditating in
the quiet, lonely spaces, and coming to terms with the knowledge that, despite
her powers over the kingdom of animals, she was, nevertheless, one of the
Undead. Callanish is a gateway to the Umbra and places beyond, but most
especially, it is a road into the Tempest. To use it, the traveller need
only walk up the ancient road to the centre, turn to face the way they came,
pick up a pebble and announce their need to travel. A destination is
essential, however, since without one, the traveller may well find themselves
somewhere they did not expect. The journey will drain two points of the
appropriate power source (blood points, magic points etc etc), and they will
be there, always distant from any other life (or unlife), often somewhere
far, far from habitation. Certain places, of course, are unreachable -
woe betide the unwary one who asks to go to the Shard Realm of Entropy
and the like. Only the Near Umbra, Arcadia and the Shadowrealms may be
entered freely, and the Shadowrealms are, as always, not wholly safe to
ask for passage to. The brave can go also to the Deep Umbra, but are almost
certain to never return. The pebble will not travel with the traveller.

The way back is harder. The traveller must have brought something from 
Callanish with them, and must use the appropriate rituals to return, but
return they will, facing back down the long road.

Unfortunately, there are drawbacks. It has been known that the unwary, the
unwise and the unlucky be cast into the Tempest. Only those of Faerie
blood are immune. The place is also the scene of spiritual warfare of
increasing violence and ferocity - it appears that, for some reason, certain
denizens of the Umbra covet the place and Garou and spirit-Mages may well
find themselves co-opted or caught in the crossfire. Kindred rarely come
here as the journey is hazardous, and, for them, not worth the risk. The
Garou have a sept nearby, but it has its own problems and do not use
Callanish as attempts to use the powers there can sometimes prove......
upsetting.

Only the Fae may use it with impunity, and they usually choose not to.
More and more, Callanish is becoming tainted with dark energies, and only the
brave are advised to use it. But Fortune favours the brave. Doesn't it?

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Cheers,

Charlie