Forge the Wooden Fastness

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Spring regio. The ritual must include a map of the target territory.

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

Effects

The ritual targets a single region of forest within a territory.

Over the course of the next few days a powerful enchantment settles over the region which offers protection to armies belonging to the force that controls it. A defensive force in the region gains a bonus roughly equivalent to that provided by ten additional military units; there does not need to be an army present for the region to benefit from this defensive boost.

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

Description

This enchantment causes existing vegetation to weave itself together into defensive structures. Thickets of thorns and briars form, and in some places masses of branches and roots mesh together to create veritable walls of living vegetation. In addition, the forest itself becomes sensitive to the presence of living creatures, acting to hinder 'enemies' and parting to allow the swift passage of 'allies'. The enchantment seems to choose who is friend and who is foe based on who has the greater claim to the area.

In addition existing vegetation becomes more dangerous. Fungal blooms sprout in damp wood that release hallucinogenic or poisonous spores when enemies come too close. Open wounds caused by briars or thorns quickly become infected, potentially leading to fever and even death. Insects become larger and more hostile, and any wasp or bee-sting is likely to result in painful swelling rather than a mere nuisance. While vegetation does not move when anyone is looking, trails and clearings often seem to vanish overnight leading to armies and scouts becoming lost.

This ritual increases the difficulty a hostile force will have in claiming a region, even if there is no army to oppose them directly, Local militia and the like are able to take advantage of the defensive enchantment (once they recognise it for what it is) to engage in effective guerilla tactics, harrying and confusing a much larger force, at least for a time.

The ritual can occasionally backfire; the ritual always aids the force that claims the region. Occasionally Imperial ritualsts have inadvertently aided the enemies of the Empire when a dramatic shift has allowed a barbarian force to claim an area of land while the Forge the Wooden Fastness was in effect.

Common Elements

The map that forms the focus for this ritual is an important element. It is often obscured during the casting, buried in fertile earth or soaked with water and left for spores or even plant cuttings to overwhelm. Sometimes the map is created from sand or painstakingly drawn with salt or coloured powders, so it can be easily washed away at the culmination of the ritual. Poisonous creatures may be involved as part of the ritual, and noxious herbs may be burnt. Often.natural plants are woven together aspart of the performance, symbolising the formation of larger structures in the target forest.

The runes Bravash and Hirmok are commonly used during this ritual, and the constellation of The Oak is often invoked.