Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea

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 territory, and must be performed at a regio in that territory. If the ritual is used to target an Imperial territory, it may instead be performed at the Imperial regio at Anvil. During the performance of the ritual the casters must name at least one region within the target territory which has the coastal quality.

This effect is a curse. A target may be under more than one curse at a time.

Effects

The ritual effects a single territory that contains at least one region with the coastal quality. Over the course of the next few days a powerful curse settles over the area. Terrible weather appropriate to the time of year pounds the coast with treacherous waves, gale-force winds and torrential rain. At the same time destructive energies drawn from the Spring realm itself are unleashed to attack ships moving through the area battering the coast and ships at sea. Sometimes they are reports of spirits or creatures from the Spring realm associated with storms and gales issuing forth from regio in the territory to indiscriminately attack ships or boats, or even coastal, river-, or lake-side settlements.

Any fleet based in the target territory has its production reduced by two ranks for the coming season (which also reduces their military strength by 40).

In addition, a total of 500 casualties are spread out over all navies in the territory. If this damage would be sufficient to cause a navy to sink, then the navy will automatically withdraw from the territory rather than taking damage. A navy will not benefit from natural resupply if they end their movement in this territory, even if they have taken the put to port order. Navies that move through the territory are not effected; only those who undertake an order in the target territory.

The effects of the ritual are obvious to anyone living in or passing through the territory. As with any effect that targets an entire territory, there may be unanticipated consequences to this ritual. The nature of the area and the current situation there may prompt additional unpredictable effects, often resulting in an entry into the following seasons Winds of Fortune. The curse is likely to impact anyone in the territory whose livelihood depends on the sea; coastal settlements are at risk of flooding; and foreign vessels seeking to trade in the territory might founder, or seek more welcoming harbours elsewhere. It may also prove difficult for pirates or ship-based raiders to effectively attack the territory.

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

Description

This ritual was used historically for discouraging Grendel war-fleets, and the occasional harassment by organised pirates or Iron Confederacy raiders. Prior to the reign of Empress Britta, the ritual fell out of common use, due to the fact that there had been no serious aggression from the Broken Shore in decades. This situation came to an end during the reign of Empress Lisabetta, with the threat of renewed aggression from the navies of the Broken Shore.

With sufficient mana, the curse can be used to protect large swathes of coastline - provided the Empire is prepared to accept the consequences for its own fleets. Since the time of Emperor Barabbas, until the founding of the Freeborn Storm, the Empire had no navies of its own to be impeded by the curse. Still, it's use has never been popular among those who owe their livelihood to the sea, those who love on the coast, and those who live near rivers, marshes, or lakes in coastal territories.

The forces unleashed bear some resemblance to the forces employed by the powerful Thunderous Tread of the Trees curse. Sailors in the area have often described brief encounters with barely-corporeal shapes composed of mist, fog, and animated water that attack the ships themselves, or somehow direct lightning bolts to strike vessels caught in the area. There have also been occasional reports of odd creatures of the Spring realm, emerging from regio to assault ships and coastal communities. Some magicians speculate that it is only the enduring state of enmity that prevents the eternal Siakha enthusiastically sending her servants to the mortal realm whenever this curse is brought to bear, and some speculation that the magicians who originally formulated the ritual did so with her assistance.

There is no assurance associated with the ritual however, and no evidence that it draws specifically on the power of any Spring eternal. Regardless, Siakha is known to provide boons that empower it and encourage its performance. Among other things, she is known to occasionally provide a favoured minion with a Stormglass Mask, a magical focus of tempest jade that make both this curse and Thunderous Deluge easier to perform. Such masks are said to bear a curse of their own, one that drives anyone who uses it to seek out more and more destructive uses for their magic.

Of possible interest to magical scholars, the members of the Unfettered Mind charged with uncovering the eternal patrons of certain rituals recently uncovered references in some early Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea texts to a ritual called the Dolor of Gulls. This curse - it's not clear from the context whether it is a ritual of Autumn magic or Winter magic - brings shadows of misfortune that haunt all fleets that call a given territory their home anchorage. It greatly impacts their effectiveness, no matter how far they move from their port of origin, including their ability to support naval forces. A historical note mentions that it was cast on Sarvos in pre-Imperial times following a dispute with the merchants of neighbouring Tassato, and that an attempt to introduce it into Imperial lore in the early years of the Conclave failed due to extensive opposition from Freeborn and League magicians. If there are any texts remaining, it's not clear where they are now. In any event, a curse that leaves navies untouched and focuses entirely on independent ships will likely prove little more than a curiosity for modern magicians with access to the dramatic power represented by Foam and Spittle.

Common Elements

A map of the target territory is often a focus for performing this ritual. It is often drenched during the casting in fresh water or wine, sometimes mixed with blood. Sometimes the map is created by pouring liquid onto dry sand, quickly tracing the rough contours of the coastline of the target territory, then washing it away.

The rune Mawrig is commonly used during this ritual, as are dangerous marine beasts such as kraken, or legendary personalities such as the Old Man of the Sea. Some texts refer to a Spring Eternal called Siakha, lady of storms and blood - but there are few remaining Imperial records describing this entity.