Devastating Scythe of Anguish and Loss

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 SHATTER.

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 100. 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 tempest jade for crystal mana when contributing to it. Every 2 ingots of tempest jade 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 destroys all their shields, weapons and implements, regardless of whether they are currently wielded or not. The shattered items can be repaired as normal, but until they are the targets are effectively disarmed.

Like similar rituals, the attack is temporarily stored in a rod, staff or wand, and then unleashed at the most tactical moment. Unsurprisingly, this effect is very demoralizing and usually results in surrender or rout by the effected enemies.

Common Elements

When performing this ritual, a coven often invokes symbols of destruction, loss and despair. Some magicians spit spiteful invocations of hate and malice, while others engage in pounding war chants or evoke powers of rot, rust, age and ruin. This is a ritual that creates a violent force, and as such the ritual itself is often violent with sudden movement and discordant or clashing music. Drums and cymbals are quite appropriate, but the sound of horns being blown can be a particularly powerful element.

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 beat the implement against a solid surface, 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. Many covens create a specific implement for use in this ritual, usually a staff, and mark that staff permanently with runes of destruction and ending.

Other common elements in this ritual might include runes, especially Yoorn or Mawrig. The rune of hunger or the rune of weakness might also be evoked, as might mighty beasts known for their devastating strength and ferocity such as the chimera or dragon.