Stag Knight's Glory

Rules

Performing the Ritual

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

The ritual fails if you or the target are hit, or attack another character.

Effects

Within 10 seconds of the ritual being complete, the target can make a single heroic call based on the weapon that they are using.

They may call STRIKEDOWN if they are wielding a polearm, IMPALE if they are wielding a great weapon or CLEAVE if they are wielding a one handed weapon, or a one handed spear. The target cannot use an implement to deliver an empowered blow.

Any character who contributes to the casting of the ritual experiences a roleplaying effect: you feel invincible, as if you can accomplish anything and overcome any obstacle. The effect is short-lived, fading after ten minutes or so.

The call must be used within 10 seconds of the performance being completed.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional characters. The magnitude increases by one for every two additional targets. All targets must be present throughout, and the ritual fails if any of the targets are hit, or attack another character.

Description

This ritual was codified for the Spring Equinox 385YE at the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun, under the guidance of Ceinwen of the Eternal Family, the Master of Ice and Darkness. Based on work originally performed by the witch Alexander of Dawn, it was the final ritual entered into Imperial lore by Simargl the Empty One before they stepped down as the Dean of the Lyceum during the Summer Solstice 385YE.

Inspired by the work of Dawnish war weavers using spring rituals such as Hands of Sacred Life and Blood of the Hydra to heal groups of combatants on the field of battle, this ritual calls upon the Summer realm and the resonance of prowess to give subjects of this ritual a brief burst of martial skill. The recipients can use this power to face what’s in front of them with a single great swing of their weapon. It can be cast on a single warrior but is intended to be cast on a small group of coordinated knights in a glorious charge.

While rituals like Blood of the Hydra channel the energy slowly into the targets body to promote and speed healing, this ritual is more volatile. The power burns out quickly, unless channelled into a single mighty strike. In essence, this is a ritual version of the Empower spell familiar to battle-magicians across the Empire. It is likely that such a ritual may even have existed once, but has been lost to the mists of time. Magical scholars broadly agree that the incantations and spells magicians use today may have begun as rituals and were slowly refined and mastered to allow them to be performed with a mortal beings' natural magical reserves rather than crystal mana. Blood of the Hydra is one example, but rituals such as Hands of Sacred Life, Hakima's Glass, Ascetic Star of Atun, are all obvious predecessors of heal, detect magic, and the purify spell respectively.

Empower, however, is significantly more difficult to use as a ritual because the duration of the effect is so short. The single magically-empowered strike must take place within ten seconds of the ritual's climax. This means that it must almost certainly be performed on the front lines of a fight, ensuring the recipients have enough time to reach their foe, and putting the ritual casters themselves in danger. Another option, of course, is for the ritualists to perform the ritual on themselves, allowing them to make a powerful strike with any weapon they are proficient with. Again, though, it will need to be cast near a fight if it is to be effective.

Common Elements

The ritual is specifically intended to be cast quickly and in dangerous environments. As a ritual inspired by Dawnish practices, when performing the ritual, casters often invoke proud and ferocious beasts such as lions, bears, gryphons, unicorns, and chimera. It also works well when accompanied by loud, inspirational music, signing, or the sound of horns – none of which are particularly subtle but resonate strongly with the magic.

Depending on circumstances, the targets of the ritual may be girded, but it is much easier for the casters to grant then favours, perhaps marked with one of the Summer Runes, or with depictions of the Phoenix or the Chain constellations. A coven of dramaturges might likewise improvise a shot scene involving some or all of the Captain. especially in her aspect as Vassa, the Bishop as Couros, the Ring or the Blade, and (unsurprisingly) the Battlefield.