The Lure of Distant Shores

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a fleet. The character who controls the target personal resource must be present throughout.

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

Effects

The target fleet earns additional profit during the next season, but only if it engages in foreign trade. The effect of the ritual increases the level of the target fleet by 5 ranks, which is sufficient to effectively double the production of a starting fleet.

The character who controls the target resource is under a roleplaying effect for at least ten minutes after the ritual is performed: they feel a strong urge to seek out new situations and new people, learn all they can about them, and find ways to influence them for their own advantage.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event. If the owner of the resource does not attend the next event, then the additional production provided by the resource is still added to that character's inventory. If the fleet does not engage in foreign trade during the next downtime, the ritual has no effect.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional fleets belonging to characters in the same band. Each additional fleet increases the magnitude by 8. The character who controls each fleet must be present throughout the ritual.

Description

This ritual is quite similar to the Day ritual Sular's Promise in its effect, but is somewhat more economical to perform in the Autumn realm. It helps navigators chart routes to distant lands, and encourages sailors and ships alike to work in close harmony to reach hitherto unknown shores. Target ships seem to serendipitously adjust their courses by themselves, avoiding hidden dangers and submarine terrors with equal ease. On reaching new ports, the merchants who operate from the fleet are able to make surprisingly good deals.

This enchantment often ensures that the target fleet will encounter luck or fortune that results in some sort of adventure. For example, a League merchant bound for Leerdam in the eastern Commonwealth ended up blown off course and involved in a furious battle between Commonwealth troops and local barbarians. After their valuable assistance, the leaders of the Commonwealth army rewarded the League traders handsomely, helped them repair their ship, and sent them on their way with considerably more tempest jade and green iron than they might have expected to gain in trade had they reached Leerdam. Likewise, a Marcher vessel operating out of Meade offered a Sumaah ship assistance only to become embroiled in a tale of mistaken identity, Sumaah politics and corruption that resulted in great profits for the Marcher fleet-owner - and a new spouse for the captain.

(OOC Note: You are encouraged to make up similar stories to explain the additional profits generated from this ritual, highlighting adventure, coincidence, romance, intrigue and strange encounters. A referee will not provide additional specific information about your trading activities beyond what is presented here, and what can be potentially gleaned from the pages about foreign nations.).

Common Elements

The ritual both influences chance and encourages the crew and officers of a fleet to take risks that later turn out to be lucrative. Ritual performances often include the evocation of the rune of chance or the rune of wealth, as well as things that encourage risk-taking and accentuate the value of seeking out new opportunities for profit and influence . Foreign traders are a component of some rituals; a Sarvosan troupe may invite a Jarmish dignitary to view a performance of a play involving themes of trade and travel, while a Freeborn coven might perform an energetic dance inspired by Faraden rhythms.