Wisdom of the Balanced Blade

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. The ritual targets a single character or item which must be present throughout and, in the case of an item, close enough to touch. It can also be performed to target the area where the ritual is performed.

Effects

The ritual reveals information about any and all curses on the target. It is most often used on a character or item that is present, but can also be used on a curse that is effecting area such as that created by Naeve's Twisting Blight. When it is used to analyse a curse effecting a region or territory, it must be performed in a powerful Winter regio.

When completed the ritual provides the following information about each curse that is present:

• It determines the realm and magnitude of the effect
• It determines what the effect does, and provides details of how it works.
• It reveals any remaining duration.
• It reveals any conditional effects, or any special methods that exist for removing the effect; it may suggest specific rituals that can remove the curse, or a general class of effects that might be appropriate.
• It may provide information about where the curse has come from (a ritual or the supernatural abilities of an Eternal, for example).

Some of these effects are similar to those provided by detect magic but unlike that spell, Wisdom of the Balanced Blade can penetrate effects designed to stymie or confuse divinations such as Incantation's Mystic Mask.

The ritual must match or exceed three-quarters of the magnitude of any concealing effect on the item to penetrate it; otherwise the only information the ritual will reveal is the presence of the obscuring effect; and the magnitude and Realm of that effect. For example, if a curse has been placed with a concealing enchantment of magnitude 12, a magnitude 8 Wisdom of the Balanced Blade can penetrate that shroud.

Additional Magnitude

You may increase the magnitude of the ritual to penetrate more powerful shrouds or masks.

Description

While detect magic is fairly effective at determining the effects curses that are part of the wider body of Imperial lore, this ritual helps analyse a curse whose details and potential counters are not commonly known. It is most often used to divine the details of a curse that has come from an Eternal or a barbarian magician. It can also be used to help identify a curse whose precise effects are obscured through the use of other magic. The ritual is even more effective than Bright Lantern of Ophis when it comes to discovering the details of a magical curse.

The ritual is sometimes called (Grandmother's/Grandfather's) Appraising Eye.

Common Elements

This ritual usually involves carefully examining the target. Active divination may take place, often with runestones or cards. Other, more exotic, methods of diagnosis might be used as well such as observing if the presence of the target has any effect on a lodestone, or on fresh milk; letting droplets of their blood, phlegm or sweat fall into fresh water or cream; or getting the target to throw a handful of runestones or sticks, or spatter blood onto a hide covered in runes, and observing the results. Lenses might be used to examine the target; lights used to make their shadow move; and mirrors used to catch their reflection. The rune Irremais is commonly invoked, as are the names of wise Paragons and Exemplars, folk heroes or the Eternal Wise Rangara.