Mantle of the Kriegszauberer

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 must possess the battle mage skill.

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

Effects

The target character gains three additional ranks of endurance, and four points of personal mana, but only while wearing mage armour.

They also experience a roleplaying effect; you are certain that your magic, and that the strength and courage of your comrades, is a match for any challenge they may encounter on the battlefield. .

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 17. Additional characters must be present throughout.

Description

This ritual formed part of a gift given to the Imperial Conclave by the zauberer - magicians - of the Commonwealth in recognition of the decision to share Imperial lore with that nation. Four scrolls were provided to different Grandmasters chosen by the Conclave and delivered at the Spring Equinox 384YE. The scroll containing Mantle of the Kriegszauberer was provided to the Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield, Sakari Nightscale, who almost immediately arranged to have it added to Imperial lore.

The ritual scroll itself was created at Volkavaar University, specifically for "the Order of the rod and the shield, who wisely encourage magicians to use their powers in defence of the Empire, even if they are not a warrior by calling." According to the scroll, the magic of the kriegszauberer is "a powerful and versatile weapon, one that can help determine the outcome of a clash of arms if it is employed cleverly and as part of a wider strategy. Some kriegszauberer are adept healers, restoring their injured comrades so they can continue fighting. Others are warriors themselves, able to shatter the weapons and shields of their enemies, or send weak soldiers flying to disrupt the enemy formation. Unfortunately, the fact that the kriegszauberer cannot employ their skills while wearing real armour limits their ability to operate on the front lines of an engagement. This ritual enchantment does its best to improve both their ability to resist the blows of their enemies, and their ability to use their magic in a decisive manner before they are ultimately overrun."

The ritual builds on the less powerful Crimson Ward of Summer Stars, providing significantly more protection and also infusing the magician with a reservoir of power that will let them perform several more incantations - power that can be replenished by the usual means. It can lead to a little overconfidence, but also encourages the magician to rely on their comrades as well as themselves.

Common Elements

Imperial magicians are still experimenting with the resonances of this Summer ritual. Given it innately involves a battle-magician and their mage amour, that connection is often the focus of the ritual performance. The mage armour may be ceremonially donned as part of the performance, each piece accompanied by an invocation or marked with a rune or symbol. Dawnish warwitches have been quick to point out the value of girding when creating this enchantment. Key points on the body that correspond roughly to the locations where mage armour is worn (the brow, the shoulders, the forearms, the shins, the belly, the chest and the neck) might also take place. A practitioner of blood magic might prick the skin at each of these locations, spilling a few drops of blood, before donning the corresponding piece of mage armour.

The rune Feresh seems to resonate well with this ritual, along with evocations of The Stallion, of horses or bears, and especially of unicorns and gryphons. A dramaturge may find that the Captain has strong associations with this ritual, but a scene involving the Witch, who provides a gift of a ring, also serves to strengthen the ritual, especially if the scene takes place in the Counting House.