Eyes of the Sun and Moon

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual requires a map of the target territory.

Effects

At the completion of the ritual the contributors receive images that reveal information about campaign armies in that territory, including the allegiance of the army (orc tribe or Imperial nation for example), and an estimation of its strength. It may also include other information such as the presence and strength of enchantments on the campaign armies, details of local fortifications, and the presence of significant or noteworthy military units.

Each contributor receives the same vision. These visions are not symbolic, but can often contain so many details that some vital information might be missed, so the more contributors help perform the ritual the more correct information can be uncovered by comparing notes.

If a campaign army or a region within the target territory is under an effect that obscures information such as Drawing the Penumbral Veil, this spell can only penetrate it if it has been performed with a magnitude at least equal to that of the enchantment. Otherwise only the presence, Realm and magnitude of the effect are revealed.

Additional Magnitude

You may increase the magnitude of the ritual in order to pierce more powerful rituals of concealment.

OOC Elements

The result of this spell is liable to be delivered in the form of a written vision, acquired from GOD. The contributors can study their vision as long as they like, but cannot discuss it or make notes until they have handed the slip back to a referee; at that point they are free to roleplay however they like - they may play through the process of receiving the vision, or act as if they have been in waking trance and the vision has already passed.

Letting a referee know at least an hour in advance that you plan to perform this ritual and what the target territory will be will make it easier to ensure that the information is ready and will prevent delays.

Description

This ritual is valuable for helping generals make decisions about the threats that face the Empire and how best to respond to them. It allows for a reasonably thorough evaluation of opponents and allied armies alike, and is adept at spotting special enemy forces that might otherwise escape detection - especially those under magical shrouds.

It takes it's name from the way that the visions usually begin at a great height above the target territory and then quickly focus inwards. The casters have a sensation of incredibly fast movement, as if their viewpoint were roaming back and forth over the territory at blurring speeds, then suddenly halting to observe a specific force before moving on, again at a break-neck pace.

Many Suaq icewalkers call this ritual The Flight of Birds and claim that the mystic viewpoint it provides is much closer to that of a fast-flying bird than of any celestial body. In the Marches it is often called Beating the Bounds, and the landskeepers who perform it use imagery that includes both the idea of protecting their land from interlopers and intruders, and symbols that include knowing the nature and extent of one's territory. It is very common for them to include the senator for a particular territory as an additional focus, or to gather people with connections to the regions of the territory under observation.

Common Elements

This is a divination ritual, and often involves runestones or cards as well as the map which serves as the focus. Mirrors, crystals and other reflective surfaces are often involved, set up around the map to grant new perspectives on the information it contains. Symbols connected to the sun, moon or stars are common, as are bones or feathers of birds (especially for Winterfolk or Varushkan ritualists). Tokens representing known or recent information about the forces in a territory can also help when performing this ritual. Some ritualists carefully pore over the map as the visions unfold, while others focus on expanding their consciousness to gain a 'bird's-eye view' of the area under consideration. The ritual is often performed out-of-doors under the open sky, especially when the sun or moon are visible.

The rune Sukar is often used with this ritual, as are scenes in which military strategy are discussed with characters such as The Captain or The Doctor; the evocation of the virtues of Wisdom or Vigilance; or of keen-sighted animals such as eagles or hawks; or creatures such as sphinxes.