Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River
Rules
Night Magnitude 20
Performing the Ritual
Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. During the ritual the casters must be in a strong night regio. In addition, a member of the coven must have prepared and delivered a suitable question to Sung using the operate portal spell and a specially crafted effigy no later than time out the previous night.
Effects
This ritual allows the casters to seek aid from the eternal Sung in solving a mystery that eludes them. At the climax of the ritual, the casters must clearly voice their pre-prepared question aloud.
Sung will only offer guidance relating to a mystery - and her guidance is likely to be cryptic and full of allusion and symbolism. The ritual can only be performed if the casters have already alerted Sung to the mystery they wish to explore, but otherwise there is no restriction on when it may be performed.
Completion of the ritual allows Sung to speak to the ritualists and provide aid in the exploration of a mystery. In theory the eternal can converse with the ritualists for up to five minutes before the power of the ritual ebbs, but in practice Sung will usually deliver her response and then depart. If anyone attempts to use the regio to perform a ritual while the conversation is ongoing, however, the effect of Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River will end prematurely.
Additional Targets
The ritual can be used to ask additional prepared questions. The magnitude increases by 20 for each additional question.
Preparing the Question
The question the coven wishes to ask Sung must be submitted at least the night before the ritual is to be cast to give the eternal time to consider their response. The question must be written on a strip of paper that begins "The named coven asks Sung why..." The paper is then wrapped around a specially prepared effigy which can be sent to Sung by any magician casting operate portal on it. You should then hand the paper and the effigy to a referee or to a member of the GOD team who can make a record of the message and who sent it.
When a coven that submitted a question next performs Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River they may ask the eternal for the answer (or at least for assistance with the mystery they are interested in). The nature of the effigy is such that Sung will know who has sent the question and will likely ignore anything that is not submitted by a member of the named coven.
Any character who has mastered Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River can craft a suitable effigy from 2 measures of ambergelt but only between summits. It takes too long to fashion a suitable effigy at a summit. The button to craft effigy appears on the right hand side of your character screen when you view your character, provided you have the ritual mastered and sufficient ambergelt' in your inventory. A phys-rep for the effigy will be included in your pack at the next event; it does not expire.
Each effigy allows a single question to be submitted. It is possible to use more than one effigy to submit additional questions, but it is unwise to do this unless you intend to perform the ritual sufficient times to ask all the questions you have submitted.
The ritual creates an implicit agreement between the coven and Sung. The eternal agrees to answer every properly-submitted question to the best of their ability, the coven agrees to perform the ritual to converse with Sung for each question they submit. Asking questions that are not then accompanied by a suitable casting of the ritual before the end of the summit will anger the eternal and risks retribution against those involved.
Assurance
This ritual draws on the power of the eternal Sung. For some time there was an impression that the ritual did not have an agreement associated with it. Following the esoteric conjunction of the Lock and the Key in Autumn 384YE, however, it became clear there was a subtle assurance built into the ritual. Should the Empire ever disband the Unfettered Mind Conclave order, Sung is freed from the requirement to provide assistance and may respond to the question posed by the ritualists however she wishes - including simply ignoring it.
Description
Codified by Simargl, the Empty One, in early Spring 379YE, and added to Imperial lore at the equinox, this ritual was created with the assistance of the eternal Sung. The Rainbow Serpent possesses a well known fascination for mysteries of all kinds. It bears some similarities to the commonly known ritual Swim Leviathan's Depth – although as a ritual of the Realm of Night the magic involved in its actual performance differs greatly from that ritual of the Realm of Day.
The Counsel works by first using the operate portal spell to send an ambergelt effigy and a question to Sung, the Night eternal, and solicits her insight into a specific question. It is clear that Sung will never simply provide the answer to a question, even if she knows it – unlike the straightforward nature of Leviathan, it is not in the nature of this winged serpent to deny a petitioner the pleasure of unravelling a mystery themselves.
Rather, she might provide hints or cryptic advice as to how to approach the mystery; she might send one of her heralds to actively assist the ritualists in their explorations; she might point them in the direction of someone or something who can help them make progress; she might deliver an enciphered clue, or a riddle whose solution points to the next step in uncovering the truth. In some cases, she might even provide assistance to help the ritualists uncover the true question – the question she thinks they should be asking.
The ritual is almost useless when it comes to determining simple facts; using it to ask a simple question whose answer is easily uncovered and known to many such as “Who is the Jarmish ambassador?” is likely to result in a sharp and unhelpful response. Ideally, the ritual is used to gain assistance with investigating something genuinely baffling, confusing or puzzling.
The second part of the ritual must be performed at a strong Night regio – the regio at Anvil is quite sufficient – at least one night after the effigy has been sent but no later than the end of the summit. The ritual is employed to create a connection between the mortal realm and the realm of Night, allowing the eternal to speak to the ritualists. Her primary concern will be to deliver her counsel to those who performed the ritual, but she might linger for a few moments to discuss other matters. This is very unlikely to result in a physical manifestation – and even when it does, it will be a projection or shadowy seeming of Sung rather than her actual presence. Occasionally, the result might be a herald of Sung especially if the eternal does not know the answer to the question raised, and is intrigued by the mystery it poses.
If for some reasons the ritualists are unable to contact Sung at a regio, she may choose to respond in a different manner but this is impossible to predict. Such responses are likely to take the form of visitations by heralds; however, it is likely she will want an explanation as to why the ritualists failed to complete their magic and a poor answer may sour relations between the coven and the Rainbow Serpent.
Common Elements
This is a divination in two parts. The first part of the ritual can be performed anywhere and is reasonably straightforward. As a ritual of the Realm of Night that petitions Sung, elements that obscure the identity of the practitioners – or the performance itself – are strongly resonant. Masks, veils, hoods and cloaks are all appropriate to the ritualists (as is the dramaturgical Instrument of the Cloak, obviously) – especially if they are brightly coloured to match the wings of the eternal evoked.
Performing the ritual in darkness – or most especially by the light of the stars, moon or a single candle is also strongly resonant with the magic. The ritual might be performed in whispers, and a suggestion from the Nameless One was that the ideal way to perform this ritual is to do it in front of an audience who, while they know a ritual is being performed, are left baffled as to the precise nature of that ritual.
The props used in divination are also appropriate – gazing into a bowl of water or a piece of smoked glass is an obvious element, as is burning a feather and observing the smoke. Runes or cards might be repeatedly cast or consulted, and patterns identified – indeed, doing so might provide unexpected, intuitive insight into the mystery in question even before Sung becomes involved.
The question itself, ideally, is written down so that it is clear what it is the ritualists wish to ask Sung. The performers might meditate on the question, or burn the parchment as part of the ritual.
The rune Wyr resonates well with this ritual, as does the persona of the Witch or the Mountebank. A Dawnish magician might evoke images of sphinxes or owls (a beast also appropriate to both Varushkan and Wintermark performances, of course). The astronomancer might point to the constellations of the Key, the Spider or the Web.
Questions and Answers
The Empire setting includes countless descriptions of many mysterious locations, lost items, and other legends as part of the setting. In the overwhelming majority of cases there is no current plot based around these elements. Rather they exist as plot hooks for us to use to create plot at some point in the future. If you ask Sung about one of these "mysteries" she will tell you that she does not believe this mystery is ready to give up its secrets yet. The ritual can only provide you with useful information if the mystery you are asking about is linked to a plot that we are running at the time, or have run in the past. We won't write a new plot just to respond to a divination ritual or similar, so Sung will claim there is nothing she can tell you that will be useful and give you a rainbow feather instead.
You are always better to use the ritual to ask about an ongoing plot, in which case Sung will give you all the information she can on the subject, based on what the eternal knows. To help us provide Sung's answer, it's good to make sure that the question you submit is clear on what you are asking about.
You are welcome to ask Sung questions about deep metaphysical questions like "where does the soul go when I die" - but in general these are matters of faith in the game, they are not questions we will ever provide answers to, so Sung will respond positively - she enjoys mysteries - but she can't provide insight that will give you a definitive answer.
There are a handful of mysteries that you can ask Sung about, that she won't provide an answer to. These are foundational myths of the Empire, like where did the Steinr and Vard come from or
Sung never knowingly lies, but she rarely tells the entire truth as she knows it. She enjoys misleading and obfuscating, hiding the "facts" in layers of doubt designed to allow people to come to their own conclusions. Speaking about direct facts or trying to cut through to the heart of a situation is a surefire way to annoy this subtle Eternal.
Those who petition Sung for guidance will usually find their replies are dependent on the nature of the question they ask. If the mystery they are dealing with is something that is pertinent and immediate, if it concerns something that is happening at Anvil or relevant to events there, then the Spiral Dancer will usually offer whatever wisdom or insight they can provide. If they know how the questioner might investigate the mystery themselves then they will say so. For example if Sung knows that a Wintermark mystic is planning to visit Anvil that summit with further information that could provide insight then they will respond by telling the questioner where to go or who to speak to. They will usually follow this with a riddle or puzzle which if solved provides advice that might be useful when pursuing the lead that Sung has provided.
Sung dislikes the eternals of the Day realm, but she is not above directing questioners towards them if she feels the question warrants it. She will usually do this when she is asked a question to which the answer is a matter of contemporary fact or historical record rather than a mystery. For example if an item is lost, she may direct the coven to approach Kimus about it. If the subject concerns Imperial history, she may encourage the coven to consider asking the Senate for help or contacting the The Great Library or Leviathan. It is clear that Sung has little interest in such matters, but since she is duty-bound to help if she can, she will provide the questioners with one way to find the knowledge they seek.
If the question is about a mystery which is not currently topical, which does not pertain to current events at Anvil or beyond, then Sung will let the questioner know that she does not believe that this mystery is ready to give up its answers at this time. If the Lady of Mysteries thinks there is a mystery that the questioner should be considering instead then she may encourage them to consider that matter. If this happens, if Sung is not able to give the ritualists any insight on the matter, then she will often give the casters one of her rainbow feathers in place of an answer.
Sungs Refusal
There are a handful of mysteries that Sung refuses to provide help with, claiming that to do so would make the world less mysterious. The current list of questions the Spiral Dancer won't answer is:
If the eternal is asked about a mythic or foundational mystery then she will refuse to help. She will respond that "It is the mystery which endures. The light of truth kills the mystery, and leaves the seeker desolate." This is a warning from Sung to those magicians seeking her aid that uncovering the mystery will bring them no joy or satisfaction. If the question has an answer then Sung does not know it (some scholars claim Sung deliberately choses not to know), but more importantly finding the answer can only weaken the world by making it less mystical and enigmatic. The first time a coven asks such a question she will usually grant them one of her rainbow feathers in place of an answer.
If the eternal has been asked about one of the "great mysteries", that is a question that pertains to matters of spirituality, morality, or existential philosophy then she will engage with the ritualists, usually responding with questions or an enigma to consider. It is Sung's professed view that there is no single answer to such questions, so the eternal's assumption is that those who are asking don't want an answer, they want help to develop wisdom and understanding. The Whispering Wind is is fascinated by the priests of Way, but apparently loves to tease them by presenting heretical or blasphemous viewpoints.
Like all divinations that solicit the aid of an eternal, Sung is bound to offer assistance but that assistance is limited both by the bounds of her knowledge, and by her essential nature (an aspect of the Law of Essence, of course). As with similar magic, the true power of the ritual is to provide a group of practitioners with the ability to communicate with the eternal in a certain way, with the expectation of a response that – while it might not be immediately helpful – will be at least as useful as an audience with that eternal might have been.
On the Nature of Mysteries and Secrets
Sung is the Lord of Mysteries and the Lady of Illusions; she is only minimally interested in “secrets”- something she leaves to the eternals of the Whisper Gallery. The difference is often difficult to explain.
A secret is something that is known only to a few. For example, the special combination needed to open the vault of a League banker is a secret. The banker knows it; her wife might also know it; the artisan who created the vault might know it. The nature of the combination is a simple fact – a string of numbers – a secret rather than a mystery.
A mystery is something baffling, something to which there is no straightforward answer, or something that nobody knows the answer to. The difference can be surprisingly subjective. Imagine that the League banker's vault were discovered in an empty house. For those who found the vault, stripped of context, it becomes a mystery. “Whose vault is this?” they might ask. “What might it contain? How might we open it? Why is it here in this empty house?” While the answers to those questions might appear straightforward, for the people asking the questions they represent a mystery – one full of potential and delicious intrigue. Sung might enjoy helping those people uncover the answers in a way she might not if they simply asked her if she knew the combination.
From the original text