Feast of Heroes

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a military unit. The character who controls the target personal resource must be present throughout.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

The military unit gains a significant boost to its effective rank, provided it takes a questing action. This temporary bonus increases the effective fighting force of the unit by 100, the equivalent of 5 normal upgrades.

When the ritual is complete, the character who controls the target resource experiences a roleplaying effect that persists for at least ten minutes: You feel to seek out and face challenges, overcome obstacles, and look for ways to demonstrate your remarkable prowess to everyone around you.

Furthermore while the enchantment lasts, the character who controls the military unit experiences a more persistent roleplaying effect: You feel a gentle urge to display those traits you or your nation would consider heroic or laudable.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event. If the owner of the resource does not attend the next event, then the additional production provided by the resource is still added to that character's inventory.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional military units belonging to characters in the same banner. Each additional military unit increases the magnitude by 8. The character who controls each military unit must be present throughout the ritual.

Description

This enchantment provides each soldier in a military unit with supernatural strength and prowess. The precise nature of that strength varies based on the individual, their talents, and their drives. A knight with a sword and shield might find themselves able to endure many wounds, and gain the strength to deliver powerful blows of their own. A Marcher yeoman might find she is even more adept at knocking her opponents over and her will to succeed greatly bolstered. These practical effects are accompanied by inspirations to seek out challenges, a drive to proudly demonstrate one's skills and bravery, and an uncanny sense for situations where both urges can be exercised.

The magic draws on the Summer resonance for prowess, strengthening the warriors in a warband but also filling them with the urge to go to new places and engage in risky behaviour once there. In this it partakes somewhat of the resonances of Triumph and even Majesty, encouraging those under its effect to demonstrate the traits and characteristics their culture considered heroic, glorious, or exemplary. A warband enchanted with Feast of Heroes can certainly use its enchantment to take part in a military campaign or participate in a raid but the urge to seek out challenges and go ones' own way, to be a larger-than-life adventurer and hero, makes it counterproductive. Soldiers are rarely at their best when they have nipped off to explore a nearby ruin instead of guarding the gates.

The common version of this ritual hails from Wintermark, but examples of this magic are known in many nations. In the Marches it is known as Call of the Winding Road and viewed while popular with youths it is viewed with some suspicion by older folk who view its magic as a dangerous incitement to abandon one's responsibilities. Among some Varushkans it is known as The Path Less Travelled and employed cautiously - there's an old tradition that its magic be used only for warriors who are leaving Varushka to seek their fortune and never for those who intend to remain within the borders of the nation. It is much more popular in places like the Brass Coast where it is known as Erigo's Flame, and embraced by explorers and those keen to seek excitement and experience, or in Dawn where it is sometimes called Horns of Glory, and performances climax in resounding trumpet notes and cheering.

Some old notes refer to a version of this enchantment that calls on the power of Rhianos, the Regent of the Eternal Sea. Called variously Sea Blessing or Foamfollower's Revielle this enchantment works in a similar way to the more familiar Golden Voyage in that it subtly nudges chance and fate to ensure that those under its effects will encounter the strangest and most challenging places and situations when they venture into the unknown. The exact effects are unclear but it seems that they focus more on placing the warband in positions where it might uncover unexpected rewards rather than simply enhancing the warriors' prowess.

History

This ritual originally became part of Imperial Lore during the reign of Emperor Barabbas, codified under the enthusiastic patronage of the Steinr runesmith Thera Thoresdottir during her time as Dean of the Lyceum. The ritual saw extensive use during this period, as the Throne's vision of expanding Imperial borders inspired many to seek out danger and wonder in unknown lands. Unfortunately, in 257YE the ritual faltered and fell apart after a peculiar conjunction involving the Great Wyrm and the Stork in which the Oak ascended while the Mountain fell into decline. It became increasingly erratic, and then stopped working shortly before the Winter Solstice. The ritual was shelved, but remained part of lore.

Shortly before the Winter Solstice 386YE, a member of the Unfettered Mind involved in ongoing efforts to examine rituals in Imperial lore to determine forgotten assurances glanced over the ritual and on a whim decided to enact it purely to examine how it worked and to see if they could determine what elements caused it to fail in the first place. To their surprise, the ritual worked perfectly. They reported their findings, and several other magicians repeated their experiment with the same result. The Civil Service have ensured that places of magical learning across the Empire are aware the ritual now works again, and will ensure that more recently established centres of magical learning that lack copies are provided with them.

Common Elements

The ritual takes its name from the festivities that often surround Dawnish questing knights when they set out on their journeys to seek adventure and glory, and the celebrations that take often place when Wintermark heroes return to their halls. It's common for the ritual to involve this kind of revelry, reinforcing the targets' position as champions and heroes. Toasts, cheers, boastful declarations, consumption of find food, and heroic songs all resonate with this magic. A target might be crowned in some fashion as a symbol of the plaudits that await them when they return victorious, or their accouterments of war might be marked with runes or symbols in recognition of the role a heroes' tools play in their unfolding story. Some ritualists prefer to focus on the need to be prepared to face danger, the challenges and obstacles that a quester must overcome, and the need to remain vigilant and wise in the face of the unknown.

Ritual performances often include the Summer runes, especially Verys and Tykonus. Some practitioners invoke the Rune of Wealth or the Rune of Discovery, depending on the ultimate goals of the would-be adventurers. The Mountain is used by astronomancers, resonant with the idea that things that are difficult are often rewarding, but the Phoenix or the Stork might also be evoked in rituals that focus on the ultimate goal of a quest or adventure. A Theurgist might evoke the spirit of an exemplar or paragon known for their adventurous exploits, especially Inga Tarn, while a Goetic magician is likely to call on Rhianos, Barien, or perhaps even Roshanwe for their aid in performing the magic.