Rites

Acquiring and Using Rites

Rites are those powers granted to mortals by spirits, gods, and otherworldly beings. These can take the form of miraculous abilities from prayers and oaths, or boons bestowed upon chosen champions. They can be acquired any number of ways; following a proscribed way of life, showing reverence, worship and prayer, sacrifice and offerings, oaths to higher beings, or even simply being favored by a spirit. Rites generally require some sort of ritual to take place in order for them to empower the character, but once the ritual is complete, the Rite remains with the character until it removed. No Rite can be bestowed twice; they cannot be stacked to add their effects, and must be released before they are bestowed again.
Some Rites can be striped from the character if they fall out of the granting spirit's favor, while others can only be released by the character themselves. Releasing one's self from a Rite generally also requires some sort of ritual to be performed.
Characters can only have a number of Rites bestowed upon them equivalent to their rank in Mysticism. In order to take up a new Rite once this maximum is reached, the character would first have to release themselves from one. This can be quick in some cases, while in others might require a great deal of time and effort. This all depends on what rituals are required to bestow and release the Rites being exchanged.
Mechanically, Rites are learned as Discipline modules.

Rites of the Golden Dragon

Teshir's Guiding Light

• Prerequisite: Mystic
• Bestow: The character must make a simple prayer for guidance to the Golden Dragon while touching his symbol.
• When the character is lost, this Rite will lead them to safety. If it is dark, the path will be illuminated by golden sprites. Use of this Rite does not necessarily take the character to where they would like to go however; just to a safe place. More often than not, it will guide the character to people who need assistance, particularly those in need of some form of justice.
• Release: The Rite will continue leading the character to others in need until they refuse to help or turn away from those the light leads them to. They must help a person in need of justice before they can activate the Rite again.

The Dragon's Justicar

• Prerequisite: Mystic, a Weapon Specialty, and 3 Spirit
• Bestow: The character makes a blood oath to the Golden Dragon, promising to eliminate a criminal or a nefarious group. They make a ritual mutilation, resulting in a minor wound, and spend a night in solitary preparation for their task.
• The character gains a minor wound that remains until the justice which they've promised is carried out. They gain their (Spirit rating) in Physical Resilience against attacks from their enemy, and gain (Spirit rating) damage to that enemy, as the Golden Dragon protects and guides them to victory.
• Release: The Rite is released when the oath is fulfilled, or the character publicly begs Teshir's forgiveness for a full night.

Rites of Boradan

The Might of Boradan

• Prerequisites: Athletic Specialty or Natural Athlete
• Bestow: The character must be a faithful follower of Boradan. They must pray for Boradan's great strength at a temple honoring him, and offer the Green Serpent a freshly killed animal sacrifice.
• The character may increase their Body by 1, and increase 1 vigor skill and 1 combat skill by 1 each. The boon lasts for one day, and results in a stack of Exhaustion for the following day.
• Release: The character will retain the boon until it expires the following daybreak.

Rites of the Grey Lady

The Grey Veil

• Prerequisites: Seeming and Into Thin Air
• Bestow: The Grey Lady grants this miracle only to those who leave her 4 Wealth beneath a willow tree in the night, at the height of Sunspell. If the character returns the next night, they will find a finely made cowl of Bori fur.
• Whenever the character is in mist, fog, or clouds, they become invisible. They may interact with others, but speaking to or attacking an individual breaks the Veil. To enter the Veil, a character must don their cowl made of Bori fur and observe a vow of silence whenever it is raining, snowing, or foggy.
• Release: The Rite is released if the character's vow of silence is broken, or if they burn their cowl.

General Rites

Healer's Hands

• Prerequisite: Mystic
• Bestow: A prayer of mending, invoking any god that holds benevolence in high regard. Often this prayer is made to spirits or gods which are patrons of the area, or the person whom the healer is attempting to heal. A libation of pure water must then be poured over the Healer's hands.
• The next being whom the healer touches reduces a major wound to a minor wound, and regains Health points equal to the Healers Spirit rating.
• Release: The Rite is released when the Healer touches another living being with their bare hands. The character may also release the Rite with an offering of thanks to the spirits they called upon.

Seance

• Prerequisite: Attuned Spirit and Mental Fortitude
• Bestow: The character must prepare a ritual circle with inscribed incantations of binding and command, and light candles made of rat or dog tallow. They then chant the incantations in a cycle, calling out the name of the spirit they are trying to contact.
• This Rite allows the character to act as a medium for communication between the spirits and mortals, literally offering their body for the spirit to possess and interact through. The incantations limit the spirit's time in the medium to one scene, and the inscriptions prevent it from leaving the circle.
If a channel was used as part of the ritual circle, the character can remain a medium after the seance for as long as they keep the channel, and can commune with spirits at will by reciting the incantations again. To be protected from prolonged possession however, the medium would need to make another circle before reaching out to the spirits. Mediums are at constant risk of possession, especially if a spirit knows the medium's true name. In cases where a spirit tries to possess an unwilling medium, each roll a contested (Spirit + Mysticism) check. A spirit which knows the medium's name adds +5 to their roll.
• Release: The rite normally ends once the scene is over. If a channel was incorporated into the ritual circle, the rite can continue until the medium disposes of the channel, or if the submerge it in clear, running water.

Spiritwalk

• Prerequisites: Seance, Researcher, and Herbalist
• Bestow: The character must prepare a ritual circle and inscribe it with incantations describing the path they want their spirit to take. They lay inside the circle, along with anyone else they wish to take with them on their spiritual journey. All participants link arms and intertwine themselves with a silver chain, then drink a psychedelic elixir.
• All participants of the ritual may send their spirits through the Aether down the paths they chanted, observing other worlds. They may walk their for as long as they wish, but must return to their bodies before they expire, generally within about three days.
While spiritwalking, characters can be attacked by spirits. All conflicts are resolved without considering Health or Body. These things are replaced with Vigor and Spirit. If the characters lose their silver chain at any point while walking, they cannot find their way back to their bodies. Spiritwalkers may also be called into a seance circle by others, and the medium can help them back into their bodies if able. If a Spiritwalker has a Spirit Guardian, it will accompany them on their journey, and will also guide them back to their body if able.
• Release: The spiritwalker(s) chant their path in reverse, pulling on the silver chain. This sends them back to their bodies immediately, and ends the spirit walk. They need at least 1 round in combat to perform this ritual.

Spirit Guardian

• Prerequisite: 2 Spirit
• Bestow: Attuning to their ancestral line, the character offers thanks and reverence to the spirits. They reduce their Spirit by 1, then meditate fore the next week, isolating themselves in an environment of their choosing. At the end of that week, an ancestor or nature spirit appear to the character. They can be summoned from the Aether whenever the character wishes. If the guardian dies, it reforms after a week.
Spirit Guardians can be selected from a list, or created through collaboration with player and storyteller.
• Release: The Guardian can be dismissed at any time by their summoner. It may also leave if the character becomes irreverent to it or the ideals that forged their bonds to begin with.