Fire in the Blood

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 target character, who must have the magician skill.

The ritual requires an opaque container such as a wooden box into which the targets place their hands at the completion of the ritual.

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

Effects

At the climax of the ritual, the target character place one of their hands in an opaque container such as a box or hollow tree.

The target feels an agonising pain, and is immediately subject to the venom condition. They also suffer a roleplaying effect that causes them to feel as if their blood is on fire, which lasts for at least 10 seconds and then fades to a dull, throbbing pain that does not completely fade. For the duration of the enchantment the target will be struck with bouts of fever, nausea and dizziness at dramatically appropriate moments.

The target also gains one additional rank of Spring Lore for purposes of performing rituals. They do not gain any additional mastered rituals.

The venom caused by this ritual cannot be cured by the purify or purge spells, or by similar magical effects, and will not heal naturally. It can only be healed through treatment by a physick using a dram of Imperial Roseweald, or by the use of a ritual such as Ascetic Star of Atun.

The enchantment ends immediately if the venom is removed. Once the duration of the enchantment is up, the venom can be purified normally.

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

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional characters from the same coven. Each additional character increases the magnitude by 14. Additional characters must be present throughout, and must each place their hands into the same opaque container.

Description

This ritual creates a pact between the target and the Eternal Arhallogen. Some ritualists believe it is the Spider King itself who poisons the targets, others believe that it is some subject creature or simply a magical effect similar to an extremely potent venom spell. During the Winter Solstice 378YE, the eternal Arhallogen gained the enmity of the Imperial Conclave. While this is the case, this ritual is under interdiction and it is illegal to perform.

While the agonising venom quickly fades, it does not leave the target's system. Some targets discover a puffy, discoloured mark on the hand they placed in the opaque container that does not recede until the enchantment ends - sometimes this mark may take a vaguely threatening form.

In very rare cases, the ritual can be fatal to those of a weak constitution; the agony of the initial sting does not fade but instead continues to intensify until they are driven mad with pain and either kill themselves or die of heart failure. (OOC Note: This is an entirely voluntary outcome for the spell, and will not be mandated by a referee.)

Interestingly, a version of a very similar ritual called Spores of Madness and Wisdom is said to have been known to several Bregasland Merrow, Kallavesa Naga and Sarvosan Reckoner guilds which draws similar power from the Eternal Llofir, but can be cast only in pitch blackness. The ritual, if it exists, is not a commonly known ritual.

Common Elements

The obvious component of this ritual is the opaque container into which the recipients must place their hands. While the usual container is a box or chest, some traditionally minded ritualists prefer to use the bole of a hollow tree. Some ritualists include the use of analgesic preparations to dull the pain of the initial poisoning, while others consider this to be a sign of weakness.

The rune Rhyv, coupled with Irremais, Aesh or Diras are sometimes evoked with this ritual, carved into the container or painted on the skin of the recipient.