Dreams in the Witch House

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 the military campaign in a territory. It provides impressions and intuitions as to the situation in the territory, and the current objectives of enemy armies.

Each contributor receives a similar vision. These visions are usually couched in symbolic terms, and may give an impression as to the current objectives of forces in the territory. The information is not completely reliable; the actions of player characters during an event may cause this information to become obsolete. This may cause the information provided by the ritual to change. The spell is generally at it's most reliable where there are only two sides in a conflict; if it targets a territory where there are forces from more than two sides, the information may become confusing. A "side" in this case does not always mean campaign armies - it may include information about the attitudes of the local population or significant outside influence on the territory for example.

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

It is very important to understand that the information derived from this ritual may be subject to change based on what player characters do during an event.

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

The ritual was developed under the guidance of the Dean of the Lyceum, Simargl the Empty One of the Circle of Zulgan-Tash. It continues the Dean's fascination with dreams, impressions and invading the thoughts of other living beings.

This ritual may be useful in helping Imperial generals to determine their strategy for the coming season. The information is subject to change, as the situation in the territory changes. It is designed to focus on strategic goals and objectives with a wide scope, rather than narrow or immediate agendas.

Some scholars at the Lyceum questioned the usefulness of this ritual when compared to Eyes of the Sun and Moon. They were largely ignored as the applications are obvious – while the information is transient and hard to interpret it may provide valuable insights into the aims of forces in a territory, perhaps even giving an impression of the longer-term goals of enemy nations.

Ophelia von Tassato Regario, who helped adapt the methods of targeting the ritual's magic using a map of the territory, expressed some interest in seeing what would happen if the ritual were performed on Brocéliande or one of the other Navarr territories.

Common Elements

This is a divination ritual, and often involves runestones or cards as well as the map which serves to target the magic. Mirrors, crystals and other reflective surfaces are often involved, set up around the map and used to focus the attention of the contributors.

As a night ritual, it is also appropriate to include the consumption of specially prepared food, drink or mild narcotics allowing the contributors to more easily achieve a trance-like state.

Symbols connected to the enemy armies, or to the territory, are also helpful as would be tokens that represent various emotional states or military goals. The ritual is often performed in doors.

The rune Diras is a classic complement to this ritual, being connected as it is with secrets. It is also appropriate to evoke Gralm or Ull to represent the influence of chance and destiny. In dramaturgy, the character of the Witch is very appropriate (in an early casting, Ophelia Von Tassato Regario portrayed the witch as courtesan who seduced secrets from an enemy general). The evocation of the virtues of Wisdom or Vigilance is sometimes used (especially, given the Varushkan inspiration for the ritual, in the shape of virtuous animals).