Fight Tooth and Nail

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a character, who must be present throughout.

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

Effects

Twice each day the target can use the unstoppable skill as if they knew it and without spending any hero points.

The target experiences a roleplaying effect: you find it difficult to show mercy to your opponents; you feel an urge to execute fallen enemies on the battlefield, and to pursue fleeing enemies until you can beat them down and execute them. In social situations you are likely to lash out at anyone who you think is threatening you or your friends, and will feel the urge to beat such people down and then execute them.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional characters from the same banner. Each additional character increases the magnitude by 9. Additional characters must be present throughout.

Description

This ritual grants the target the implacable ability to rise from death's door, and to shrug off wounds that might otherwise incapacitate a doughty warrior. It unfortunately brings with it a strong urge to destroy anyone who threatens the safety of the target, their friends or their family. Some have likened the effect to the strange mental aberration that causes otherwise normal-appearing people to go on killing sprees, especially in the depths of winter. Some warriors find that the urge to mercilessly kill their enemies causes them no real problems; the wise pay attention to such individuals, and watch for signs of incipient corruption.

Both Sorin, the tomb-king and Kaela, the lady of sorrows, are associated with this ritual. The former eternal is always fascinated by things that allow mortals to overcome hardship and strengthen themselves by doing so; the latter bestows similar boons herself, both to those who please her with their acceptance of the inevitable and to the warriors of her own grim legion.

The ritual is surprisingly popular in certain quarters among the Highborn magisters, especially those who work closely with the unconquered. The ability to get-back-up during a fight is a potent one. Highborn magicians are also often priests, or have close allies who are priests, whose ceremonies of exorcism and anointing can prove helpful in aiding a warrior under this enchantment to keep her sense of perspective, and her sanity.

Common Elements

This ritual is often performed with throbbing, menacing music that grows in intensity as the performance reaches its conclusion. Invocations include drawing on the grim power of the will to stave off death, and bolstering or deadening the flesh, or slowing and cooling the blood. Fearsome, tenacious totem creatures such as badgers, bears and wolverines may be evoked, and it is common to mortify the flesh of the targets, carving runes such as Verys or even Yoorn into the skin. In The Brass Coast, this ritual is often accompanied by a dance, song or story mocking the foolishness of death.