Secrets of the Empty Heart
Rules
Night Magnitude 4
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
The target experiences a powerful roleplaying effect; they do not want to share their secrets with others, and are suspicious of those who try to encourage them to do so.
At any time, after 5 seconds of appropriate roleplaying, they can choose to die.
The effect of the ritual lasts for a year (until the start of the Profound Decisions Empire event four events from now).
Additional Targets
This ritual can affect additional characters from the same band. Each additional character increases the magnitude by 3. Additional characters must be present throughout.
Description
This ritual allows a person to die rather than reveal their secrets. It is sometimes used to give agents or scouts who run the risk of being captured and tortured a 'way out' if they are captured with no chance of escape. It has been used occasionally by unscrupulous foreign powers, who convince their agents that the ritual will cause them to die in extreme pain if they do not voluntarily use it when they are being interrogated. Its long duration means that it is also occasionally used as a standard part of the membership of certain societies - members meet on an appointed night each year to renew their vows of secrecy and join in a communal performance of the ritual.
If Secrets of the Empty Heart has a weakness, it is that it is an enchantment and thus can be removed relatively easily. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to remove the ritual from an unwilling target without giving them time to trigger the death clause.
The eternals known as the Whisper Gallery are known to favour this ritual, and are said to be able to provide a very similar effect that functions as a curse, forcing the target to die if they ever speak of a specific subject. There is some debate as to whether this is even possible - it is possible that the Whisper Gallery merely uses a variant of this enchantment and convinces their target that they will die if they speak out of turn. Not many people are prepared to risk that they may be telling the truth, so their curse remains effective.
Common Elements
This ritual may involve an oath or promise not to share a specific piece of information. The target may shed a small amount of blood when the ritual is performed, connecting the small pain of a cut or pinprick with the cessation of life the ritual allows.
The rune of secrets is often used in this ritual, as is Queros the rune of plots.