Wishbone of Gallus Mag

Description

Arcane Item; Restrictions: None.
This good-luck charm is a turkey wishbone bleached to a gleaming white, its surface worn smooth by the worrying fingers of its previous owners. A crack on one of its legs has been repaired by a tightly coiled twist of thin copper wire, and a four-leaf clover has been shellacked onto the tab.

History

Known as a “merrythought,” this charm was owned by Gallus Mag, one of the infamous harridans of the Five Points. A six-foot tall woman of ferocious mien, she acquired her nickname because she used galluses—buttoned suspenders—to keep up her skirt. Liverpudlian Irish by descent, Mag arrived in New York amidst rumors of blackmail, piracy, and murder. She became the bouncer of a waterfront dive known as the Hole-in-the-Wall, a miserable den of iniquity owned by Charles “One-Armed Charlie” Monnell. Gallus Mag kept the peace through generous application of a shillelagh, which hung from her belt along with a rusty Colt Navy revolver. Truly obstreperous patrons were clubbed into submission and dragged out by their ear, which was firmly clamped in Mag’s ungentle teeth. She kept a jar of pickled human ears on the bar as a testament to the ferocity of her bite, one of which she reportedly returned to a rival after they became friends.

Gallus Mag won the wishbone at the conclusion of an all-night gambling session, after a desperate Irishman wagered his “lucky charm” to win back his lost purse. Feeling charitable, Gallus Mag accepted the wager and again beat her opponent. A few hours later, the man was killed in a brawl outside the Old Brewery. Deciding that the charm might actually have some potency, Mag wore it stitched into her garter.

Powers

This wishbone must be carried on one’s person to be effective. Once per session, the user may swap any “heart” Action Card dealt to her with any “spade” Action Card dealt to another player character or NPC. This exchange must be made immediately after initiative is dealt, and requires a Spirit roll vs. TN-4 to be successful. A Critical Failure breaks the wishbone and drains its power, rendering it useless. The wishbone has an additional, one-time-only power. If the owner voluntarily snaps the wishbone, all her spent Fate Chips are returned for that session and may be used again. This act permanently destroys the wishbone.

Sources & Notes

Gallus Mag is a delightful New York legend, charmingly described by Herbert Asbury in his Borges-approved masterpiece, The Gangs of New York. I am also indebted to Rick Spilman’s Old Salt Blog for his research into the “historical” Gallus Mag. In Martin Scorsese’s film Gangs of New York, Gallus Mag is named “Hellcat Maggie,” a composite character that combines the battle fury of the historical Hellcat Maggie with the penchant for ear-biting of Gallus Mag. Played by Cara Seymour, another inspiration for the character is the semi-mythical pirate Sadie the Goat—the enemy-turned-friend mentioned in Gallus Mag’s description above. According to folklore, after Mag returned her ear, Sadie wore it as a necklace.

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 17 March 2019
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
PDF Version: [Coming Soon]