Inescapable Chains of Bitter Glass

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. The ritual targets a single mage implement which must be present during the ritual.

Effects

The power of the ritual is stored in the implement targeted by the ritual. Any one of the contributors can unleash the power of the ritual while holding the implement to allow them to call MASS ENTANGLE.

The power of the ritual can be invoked only once.

The power granted by this ritual lasts until it is used or for ten minutes, whichever comes first.

Additional Uses

The ritual can be used to place more than one use into the target implement. Each additional use increases the magnitude of the spell by 25. Any uses left over are lost at the end of the ten minutes. You cannot charge up more than one implement with this ritual.

Option

Any caster who has mastered the ritual may choose to substitute ambergelt for crystal mana when contributing to it. Every 2 measures of ambergelt spent counts as 1 crystal mana when contributing to the ritual.

Description

This battlefield ritual allows a powerful magical attack to be unleashed against a group of enemies. It binds them in place for a short time, allowing the magician's allies to overwhelm them if they act quickly. It is especially useful when used to support soldiers with pole-arms against enemies with short weapons, or to pin down skirmishers so that archers can devastate them with arrows or crossbow bolts.

Like similar rituals, the attack is temporarily stored in a rod, staff or wand, and then unleashed at the most tactical moment. I fall the similar battlefield rituals, this is the easiest to perform..

Common Elements

When performing this ritual, a coven often invokes symbols of binding, stagnation and hesitation. Some magicians weave invocations of doubt and uncertainty, while others evoke subtle forces intended to subvert the battle-plans oftheir enemies. Skirling pipe-music may often be involved, as might interweaving flutes. Sinuous dances are common, but so are things that bind - chains, threads, ropes, nets and even ribbons.

The focus of this ritual is an implement, and the role it plays in the ritual can be quite important. Some ritualists take it in turn to spin and twirl the implement, passing it back and forth as the strength of the ritual grows. Others place the implement in the middle of the ritual and move around it, touching it with their hands and magic as they increase the power of the ritual, or binding it in some way as their magic builds. Many covens create a specific implement for use in this ritual, usually a staff, and mark that staff permanently with runes of domination and mastery.

Other common elements in this ritual might include runes, especially Hirmok. Beasts such as spiders and great serpents that crush their prey may be mentioned, and some Freeborn use images of octopi, squid or even kraken in their magic. The constellation of The Chain are sometimes invoked, as are the names of the Autumn Eternals know as the Lictors.