Corax Rites
| Type | Roll | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Kuasha | Cha + Rituals | 6 |
| Moon | Manipulation + Rituals | 9-moon phase |
| Need | Wits + Rituals | 7 |
| Taghairm | Charisma+Rituals | 7 |
| Minor | None | None |
Contents
Corax Rites
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3 |
Level 4
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Level 5 |
Rank 1
Rite of Talisman Dedication - As the Garou Mystic Rite: Rite of Talisman Dedication. - Spend one Gnosis per object or outfit to be dedicated, and the character may never have more objects bound to himself than his Gnosis score. The player must decide what happens to the object(s) when the character assumes certain forms. For example, when the character assumes Crinos form, her backpacks straps may simply grow to fit around her shoulders (although the pack still cannot hold more items than normal). When the character is in Corvid form, her knife may meld with her body. In such cases, the object will appear as a tattoo. Others must spend a Willpower point to remove the object from the character.
(Werewolf: Revised, p 160)
Level 2
Rite of Becoming - As the Garou Mystic Rite: Rite of Becoming. - This rite can only be cast from an Anchorhead domain, and requires the casting Corax to make a braid frin three hairs (or feathers) off her head, three pieces of copper wire, and three pieces of ivory. The Corax ties the braid around a wrist or ankle, then invokes three words of power. Henceforth, the Corax can fly into the Deep Umbra.
If the braid is destroyed, the Corax takes a health level of Damage and must make a Wits roll, (difficulty 6) to return to the Near Umbra. The Sun-Lost ceremonially destroy their braids as soon as they reach the Deep Umbra, symbolizing their acceptance of their new state. Corax who intend to head home tend to be a bit more careful of theirs, but getting lost in the Deep Umbra isn't quite as unpleasant for Corax as it is for Garou.
The Background: Umbral Maps eliminates the need for any sort of roll to find one's way home, even if the braid is destroyed.
(Werewolf: Revised p161, PGttCB p82, Corax BB p83)
Rite of the Fetish Egg - The Rite of the Fetish Egg is about the birds and the bees - well, no bees - and where new Corax come from. You see, when two Corax love each other very much, you know what happens?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We cant breed with one another. That's why there are no Corax metis. Hell, a new Corax doesn't even have to be the kid of an old Corax. This is a matter of spirit, not genetics, boyo. Spirit's a lot more important. What it can mean, though, is that you can have real parents, and spiritual ones. Your flesh-and-blood folks as well as the Corax who gave you your spirit egg.
Making a spirit egg requires some hefty investment. There's got to be one spiritual parent from each breed, plus someone's got to plunk some serious spiritual gas in order to create the egg and bind it to its other half. The binding is done with a feather or human hair from the "parent" and ensures that the egg and the kid/chick stay linked until such time as the kid can handle getting a double dose of soul. If the binding breaks, it devastates the poor kid - autism is the usual response. The parent usually just goes into depression: many lose the Sun right after that sort of thing.
System: The Rite of the Fetish Egg is never taken lightly. For one thing, it costs 3 permanent Gnosis from the parent Corax, and that price is paid regardless of whether the rite succeeds or fails.
The Rite of the Fetish Egg can only be preformed in the Umbra, and requires one witness of the breed opposite that of the Corax performing the rite. Creating a fetish egg takes three hours; binding it to the soul for which it is intended takes another one. If the rite is interrrupted at any point during this time, the Gnosis is lost and the rite fails.
The rite requires a roll against the parent Corax's permanent Gnosis (before the donation) at difficulty 6.
(PGttCB p82, Corax BB, p82)
Rite of the Sun's Bright Ray - This one's proof positive Helios is our buddy. When you do this rite, you get a heaping dose of sunshine that brightens up wherever you are. Doesn't matter if you're underground, in a bank vault, in the middle of Club Whiny Vampire - do this rite ant it's "Here Comes the Sun". And you know what the best thing about the sunlight that you can conjur up with this one? Well, yes, you can tan to it, but that's not the issue. What matter is that this sunlight hits vampires like the real thing baby. You've just gotta see the look on the face of Vlad Pretentious, Dark Prince of Mount Laurel, New Jersey when you drop a "73 degrees and sunny" grenade in his lap. It's priceless.
System: This rite has no cost, as it is a symbol of Helios' special favor toward his adopted children. All that is required is the proper steps and chants, and then a Gnosis roll (difficulty 7). The borrowed sunlight fills a volume 20 feet on a side, give or take a few, and lasts one hour for each success on the Gnosis roll. The glow remains beind even after the Corax leaves the area, which can lead to all sorts of awkward situations.
(PGttCB p82, Corax BB p82)
Level 4
Eater of the Dead - The Bubasti alone command this rite, a vile punishment reserved for oathbreakers among their tribe and thieves from outside it. By calling to Sobk, the Egyptian crocodile lord, an elder Bubasti sends the soul of the offender into a labyrinthine spirit realm deep within the ground. Here (they say), the victim is stalked by Sobk, who pursues him, corners him, judges him and may consume his soul.
Once a transgressor is caught, the shadowcats bind him for the rite. During the ritual, the offender's tongue is ripped out, his eyes are seared and his ears are plugged up. Special wrappings, prepared in sandalwood oil and honey, are wound around the cat from toes to forehead. Then his head is struck off, followed by his limbs, and the whole mess is burned in an ofen prepared for the rite. This ceremony, horrifying in itself, sends the cat's soul to the tunnels of Sobk to be judged.
The chase begins as the cat, now whole again, rips out of his bandages and flees into the tunnels. The Eater of the Dead pursues the soul for what seems like weeks, untill he finally corners the cat. Biting off each limb in turn, he judges the soul on a golden scale. If the punishment so far is ruled enough, the soul is freed to its final journey. If Sobk doesn't like what he sees, he devours the offender forever.
System: Standard roll, plus a Gnosis point and the preparations mentioned above. Rather than joining his Ancestor spirits, a truly unworthy victim's essence is gone for good. Tales of this gruesome rite keep other cats very far away from Bubasti affairs.
(Bastet BB, p121)
Level 5
Call the Four Winds - Cats are renowned masters of the weather. While many Gifts reflect this talent to a small degree, call the Four Winds affects weather patterns across whole sections of a country.
Unlike many rites, the Call demands the presence of five Bastet. One leader, the ritespeaker, decides what changes to request and begins the ritual. The others take the roles of the four corners of the earth and invoke the powers of each of them in turn. The ritespeaker acts as a center, and stands amid the others in a prepared circle, channeling their power. As the rite progresses, the power builds until the circle is swept through with elemental force. Spirits swirl, screaming past the ritespeaker, who sends them up into the sky to bind the clouds and invoke the werecats' will. In time, storms gather or disperse, rain comes, winds rise, blizzards begin, tempests rage or calm... A whole range of weather effects, from dust storms to squalls, can be evoked with a pride of cats, this rite, and a knowledgeable leader.
System: The exact effects of the Call are left to the Storyteller. These should depend on the wishes of the ritespeaker, the successes she rolls, the local climate, and the dictates of the story. A severe weather front will be harder to raise or disperse than a subtle shift, and a long lasting change will be harder to affect than a brief storm. Unseasonal patterns, like blizzards in summer, should be considered difficulty 9 or 10, but may be possible if the story allows.
(Bastet BB, p121)
Rite of the Nine Lives - The secret knowledge granted by Seline to the wisest of her children allows them to literally return from the dead. This rite, which may only be performed once in a werecat's life, allows her to return from the dead as many as eight times before her spirit departs for good.
To begin, the werecat sets aside a ritual space outside and calls upon Seline's favor. After mixing a bit of blood, water, spit, and fur in a bowl, she holds the bowl up to the moon and chants the rite. Once finished, she drinks the broth and hopes for the best. Seline will be the final judge as to whether the cat survives her death or not
System: Standard roll, plus two Gnosis points. This rite can be performed only once, and the success of it remains uncertain until something kills the werecat. If successful, the Bastet recovers from her death; her spirit remains in the body and wills it to return to health. Depending on how she perishes, this may take some time. A Bastet who's "merely" mauled will return in a day or two. If she falls off a 40-story building, it may take a week to recover. A really nasty demise, like immolation or entombment, may take her weeks to confound. The recovery process is slow and painful - a Bastet who had been skinned to death may wish she had stayed dead before she heals completely. As you can imagine, a werecat who returns from death has some serious scores to settle upon her return...
Once the cat lives again in all senses of the word, she may still face difficulties. If she was buried, she'll have to dig herself out. This may kill her a second time before she can escape. Dismemberments do not prevent resurrection - some gruesome tales speak of werecats who were hanged, drawn and quartered, only to drag their limbs from their crossroads graves to rejoin somewhere in the middle. Once recovered, the werecat loses one permanent point each from her Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower. These points may never be regained; hence a Simba who has died eight times finishes his life with a maximum of two dots in each of these traits. Any part of the cat that is destroyed (see below) is lost forever; resurrected cats often lose limbs or retain other disfigurements. Aside from that, the werecat is her old self (though some deaths leave permanent emotional and psychological scars).
Naturally, some deaths cancel out even this arcane secret. If a Bastet dies in one of these ways, she wont come back, and must face her fate like the rest of Gaia's children.
- Total destruction of the body (cremation, dissolution in acid or toxic waste, wood-chipper shredding, etc.)
- Natural death by old age
- Death in some outer Realm (the Deep Umbra, a Horizon Realm, an Umbra world, etc)
- Imprisonment of the soul (through some forms of magic, or through soul-pacts or annihilation)
- The vampiric Embrace
(Bastet BB, p121)
Wishing Waves - By yowling, spitting and dancing around a lake or sea, a werecat can stir the surface into waves. Ceilican who drowned their enemies this way gave rise to tales of witches who danced with cats to create storms at sea. Although this tribe claims to have originated the Rite, the Bubasti say otherwise. In their stories, Bast herself taught her children to wreck invaders on the Nile, and supposedly used it to punish Pharaoh Snefru II, who persecuted her kind.
System: This rite must be performed on a cliff or beach overlooking the sea. To begin the tempest, each player makes the standard roll and spends two Gnosis points. If more than one cat performs the rite, all their successes are added together. Each blood-Kinfolk present adds an additional success to the total. One roll is made for each hour spent dancing, at successively higher difficulties; each new roll costs an additional two Gnosis points and a point of Willpower. The turbulence extends out for one mile for every Bastet participating in the rite, and dies down an hour or so after the dance ends.
The severity of the storm depends on the successes gathered; obviously most Bastet perform this rite as an extended roll, accumulating successes until they reach the desired effect. Each success level makes the waves a bit more powerful: 1 or 2 to create choppy little waves, 3 to 5 turn the water rough, 6 to 8 create trouble for small craft, 9 to 10 make sailing difficult for large boats, almost impossible for small ones. 10 to 15 can capsize anything smaller than an old sailing ship, although large vessels remain unmoved. 15 to 20 can create problems for freighters and small navy ships, while 21 or more can swamp large warships and tankers. The waves often spill across the shore, and might threaten the dancing cats before the rite is finished.
(Bastet BB, p122)
Taghairm Rites
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5 |
Level 1
Caliah - Like the Garou Moot rite, this ritual opens all Taghairms, charging the participants with mystic energy. Unlike the Garou, werecats rarely keep sacred sites. Instead, the Caliah refreshes the Gnosis of all participants, and generates a sense of wonder and togetherness. As the ritespeaker chants the histories, rivalries are put aside and quarrels silenced. For a few minutes at least, everyone present is hamaal, one family.
System: Standard roll. For each two successes (rounded up), each Bastet present receives a temporary point of Gnosis. If these points exceed a cat's usual rating, they fade in the morning. This rite can only be done once per month for the same group or by the same ritespeaker.
(Bastet BB, p123)
Festival of Flowers - As the Garou Death Rite: Gathering for the Departed. - The ritemaster leads the release of the Garou's combined emotions into the spirit world. The Uktena say that such emotions have a realm impact upon the Umbra and that they help ensure that the departed Garou retains ties to her mortal relatives. At the Storyteller's discretion, this rite makes the deceased's spirit easier to contact through the Ancestor's Background.
(Werewolf: Revised, p159)
Level 2
Grooming the Newcomer - When a new Bastet enters an existing group, she must be welcomed with this ritual; until then, she's considered naa, an untrustworthy stranger. First, the ritespeaker questions the newcomer. Some Taghairm groups test new visitors with questions, quests or ordeals to see how worthy they might be. If the examination satisfies the ritespeaker and the host of the gathering, they both welcome to the newcomer into the group. All attendees rise and greet their new cousin with gestures of affection and offer her gifts of food and drink. From then on, that Bastet is always welcome.
System: Standard roll, often performed after a variety of Gifts.
Bastet BB, p123)
Hanshii - Some grudges can only be settled by force. To keep the peace a host might demand that quarreling Bastet enter a ritual combat to decide the issue. All attendees and their allies agree to abide by the decision.
The formalities depend on the host's tribe, the grudge and location of the gathering. The combatants are obliged to follow the host's rules regardless of their tribe. The Balam, Khan and Simba favor death-matches more than the other tribes do; Ceilican and Qualmi prefer tests of wit, while Bagheera and Bubasti respect tests of judgement. The Swara often send both parties questing in the Penumbra, opening a "window" to watch their progress. Pumonca let the elements decide, and sponsor tests by fire or exposure. No use of Gifts or outside assistance is allowed. the rite ensures that both sides play fair; those who cheat are magically marked.
As the duel begins. the ritespeaker chants a litany extolling challenge, fairness, and honor. From there, she watches what transpires, watching especially for fair play. If someone does cheat, the ritespeaker feels a sharp tingling and calls the contest to a halt. The cheater's skin or fur blazes with a sickly yellow or green light. His punishment depends on the host. If a winner is declared, the dispute is considered over. While this often ends the problem a few Bastet take their grudge home with them and handle it without witnesses next time...
System: Standard roll, plus a Gnosis point, from the ritespeaker. The cheater's glow lasts for one day and costs him 5 to 10 points of Honor until he redeems himself.
(Bastet BB, p124)
Level 3
Exile - Taghairms are gatherings of trust; If someone breaks that trust, the others throw him out. The rite marks suck betrayals, and carries the stigma of shame to other gatherings. A werecat's future companions may judge him by this sign.
When the host has declared an Exile, the other cats must vote. If the majority agrees, the ritespeaker begins the ritual. In some cases, the gathering might decide unanimously; in others, the host may simply demand a majority vote. The rite itself involves a revocation of the Grooming ritual, a recitation of the excile's crimes and usually a few choice words. As the ritespeaker spins a cloak of words, the exile's forehead begins to glow; by the end of the rite, the sigil of an oath-breaker appears. As the glow fades, the sigil remains and the other cats chase the offender from their gathering. If they catch him, they'll beat him to a pulp, but leave him alive to remember his shame. The mark fades from view by morning, but remains a part of the exile's soul. Any subsequent Grooming rite reveals the mark; only the forgiveness of the host (a separate rite of the same Rank) or some powerful quest will wash away the mark.
System: The ritespeaker makes her standard roll and spends a point of Rage to apply the brand. Some Gifts, like Sense the Truth and Righteous Gaze, expose the mark to the viewer. An Exile loses all Honor and Wisdom renown. Sometimes, falsely convicted (or powerful) Bastet can get help from supporters or sympathetic parties; more often, the effects of this rite linger for a lifetime.
(Bastet BB, p124)
Level 4
Festival of Dreams - By inhaling smoke from burning wood and herbs, steam, psychoactive drugs, or all three, the collected group enters a vision trance. Depending on the circumstances, they may experience memories of the past, future sight, soul-seeing or simple hallucinations. These complex insights are often consulted for future plans, battles, or other tasks which involve the whole Taighairm.
As the other cats gather in an enclosed circle, the ritespeaker and her assistants begin the fires. Tossing in herbs, wood and stone, they chant, sing, and play music as the vision smoke rises. The other Bastet breathe deeply,, sharing their essence with each exhalation. As the visions begin, a feeling of peace descends to keep the Taghairm from scattering. One by one, the Bastet hit their personal limits and stagger out into fresh air. The last werecat to remain receives a special vision that only she remembers. As the ritual ends and the smoke clears, the remaining Bastet receives gifts of water and affection from her companions, and is celebrated for the rest of the night.
System: The exact effects of the Festival depend on the Storyteller and the issues confronting the Taghairm (see the Balam Gift: Vision Cloud). If the cats are looking for a vampire lord's haven, the dream might offer clues. If they want to uncover the solution to a problem, an answer may present itself. Visions of past glory or defeat might spur the group out of a rut, while warnings of upcoming disaster might galvanize them into action. Whatever occurs, the visions should be highly symbolic rather than literal.
The Festival lasts several hours and takes a toll on its participants. Each half hour or so, everyone in the room must make a Stamina roll against difficulty 5 or flee, coughing. After the second roll, the difficulty rises to 6, after the third roll to 7, and so forth. By the end of the third hour, the difficulty will be 9. The last character in the room receives a special vision, which the Storyteller creates based on the needs of his chronicle. Because of her resolve and fortune, the other werecats award her an extra 3 points of Cunning Renown.
(Bastet BB, p125)
