Forge the Wooden Fastness

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. If the ritual is cast using the Imperial Regio it requires at least 5 minutes of roleplaying instead.

During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Spring regio.

This ritual targets a specific region. During the performance of the ritual the casters must name a region within the target territory which has the forest quality and does not contain a fortification.

The ritual may target a region in a territory which is under Imperial control (that is, which is eligible to appoint a Senator) when cast from the Imperial regio. To affect a region in a territory that is not under Imperial control, the ritual must be performed at a regio within the target territory.

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

Effects

The ritual targets a single region with the forest quality within a territory. Over the course of the next few days, a powerful enchantment settles over the region, weaving powerful defensive wards into the woodland. These wards support whoever controls the region, defending it from attacking forces. The power that infuses the trees and creatures of the region is drawn from the realm of the Prince with a Thousand Foes, and it is common for heralds and guardians to slip into the mortal realm to further enhance the protection the ritual grants.

The wards provide 4,000 strength towards determining victory and inflicting casualties, but only if the enchanted region is directly attacked. The wards do not suffer casualties, and it is not possible to enchant them, nor support them with military units.

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

Assurance

This ritual calls forth the defensive powers of Irra Harah. The assurance connected with the ritual was lost for several centuries but unearthed by members of the Unfettered Mind shortly before the Winter Solstice 386YE. This ritual loses all power and becomes useless if the Landskeepers of the Marches ever do not attend an audience with Irra Harah at the Hare Stone.

Darragh Fivesteps, one of the researchers of the order, highlights that this assurance would also be broken if others were to prevent the landskeepers from attending. The location and form of the Hare Stone is currently unknown .

Description

The effect of the Wooden Fastness is twofold. The enchantment infuses existing vegetation with the power of Shacklebreaker, often causing it to weave itself together into defensive structures. Thickets of thorns and briars form, and in some places masses of branches and roots mesh together to create veritable walls of living vegetation. In addition, the forest itself becomes sensitive to the presence of living creatures, acting to hinder 'enemies' while parting to allow the swift passage of 'allies'. While vegetation does not move when anyone is looking, trails and clearings often seem to vanish overnight leading to armies and scouts becoming lost. The woodlands also become more dangerous. Fungal blooms sprout in damp wood that release hallucinogenic or poisonous spores when enemies come too close. Open wounds caused by briars or thorns quickly become infected, potentially leading to fever and even death. Beasts of all kind become more hostile to intruders and their natural qualities are enhanced; a wasp or bee-sting is likely to result in painful swelling rather than a mere nuisance, a viper's bite more likely to prove fatal, a bear more likely to shrug off multiple blows and strike with claws that can slice through steel.

At the same time, servants of Irra Harah slip into the region along with the magic of the wards. Their nature varies from casting to casting though they usually work to protect the civilians in an area from invaders. Adept at moving quickly and stealthily, they are not afraid to engage the enemy when the opportunity presents itself, and have an instinctual understanding of the terrain where the wards of the Golden Hare have been evoked.

The enchantment seems to determine who is friend and who is foe based on who has the greater claim to the area, although the will of Irra Harrah underlies the wards.

Once manifested, the wards increase the difficulty for any hostile force to claim a region, even if there is no army to oppose them directly. While the enchantment is unlikely to hold a dedicated force back for long, it will make them pay for their temerity in trying to claim the woodlands for themselves. Often it falls to local defenders to take advantage of the defensive enchantment (once they recognise it for what it is) to engage in effective guerrilla tactics, harrying and confusing a much larger force, at least for a time.

The ritual is an enchantment, and can in theory be made permanent with ilium. This has not been done in the history of the Empire, however, and it is unclear what the result would be. Nor how Irra Harah would react to his power being stolen in this fashion.

Common Elements

During the performance of the ritual it is common to weave strands of thread, wool, rope or vine together either to form makeshift walls or to create complex, shifting patterns. Often natural plants are woven together as part of the performance, symbolising the formation of larger structures in the target forest. Poisonous creatures may be involved as part of the ritual, and noxious herbs may be burnt.

A map is often used as the focus for this ritual and obscured during the casting, buried in fertile earth or soaked with water and left for spores or even plant cuttings to overwhelm. Sometimes the map is created from sand or painstakingly drawn with salt or coloured powders, so it can be easily washed away at the culmination of the ritual.

The runes Bravash and Hirmok are commonly used during this ritual, and the constellation of The Oak is often invoked. It is not uncommon for Navarr vates and Suaq icewalkers in particular to reference cunning folk heroes. A dramaturgical performance often includes the Captain, often lost in the Garden or led astray by the Mountebank. The eternal Irra Harah is often evoked, but Llofir might also be mentioned when the ritual is performed in a suitable location (such as the marshy forests of Therunin).