Eye of the High Places

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Day regio. The ritual must be performed with a map of the target territory.

Effects

At the completion of the ritual the contributors receive images that reveal information about all significant effects on the territory, or on regions or resources within that territory. The ritual detects all enchantments but is not limited to magical effects; significant events such as plagues or forest fires may also be analysed by the magic. It may also occasionally pinpoint powerful regio in the target territory, especially if they are currently under use or have been recently used to perform powerful effects.

The ritual does not always reveal the precise targets of these effects. For example, when performed on Bregasland it might indicate that there are fifteen farm resources there under the effect of a magnitude 2 Spring Realm enchantment that increases the fertility of the farm, but not the identity or location of the specific farms.

Each contributor receives the same vision. These visions are not symbolic, but can often contain so many details that some vital information might be missed, so the more contributors help perform the ritual the more correct information can be uncovered by comparing notes.

If the target territory or something in it 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

The result of this spell is liable to be delivered in the form of a written vision, acquired from GOD. The contributors can study their vision as long as they like, but cannot discuss it or make notes until they have handed the slip back to a referee; at that point they are free to roleplay however they like - they may play through the process of receiving the vision, or act as if they have been in waking trance and the vision has already passed.

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

This ritual is useful for dealing with threats to the Empire, but it can also be used to keep track of important events or uncover powerful enchantments. This divination is sometimes frustrating for the magicians who master it; it discerns events that are recent and powerful before it analyses lingering effects or those that have been in place for long periods. For example, several attempts have been made to try and uncover the natue of the Black Plateau in Spiral, or to track the Feni settlements in the Marches but the limitations of the magic mean it provides little information about the enduring or low-powered enchantments around these areas.

Where it is at it's most useful is in analysing known magical effects on territories (for example, determining the strength of an effect such as Drawing the Penumbral Veil; for gathering information about natural disasters; and for tracking enchantments on armies that might otherwise slip through the net of scouts and agents.

The visions granted by this ritual always begin by staring down on the target territory from an unimaginable height. Unlike Eyes of the Sun and the Moon, where the viewpoint shifts, the vision simply expands to greater and greater magnification, filling the perceptions of the ritualists with more and more and more information. There is always the vague hint that the vision could continue to expand indefinitely, drowning and ultimately annihilating the consciousness of the ritualist if they do not focus on specific pieces of relevant information.

A version of this ritual called The Prismatic Gaze of Aesh tends to present it's essential information through the use of colours; deep green and blood red for Spring auras, bright gold and cerulean blue for Summer, polished bronze and steel for Autumn, various shades of gray for Winter, shifting violets and deep blues for Night and steady, clear radiant whites, blues and golds for Day. The intensity of the colour indicates the magnitude of the effect, and closer study causes the aura to expand to provide additional information about it's purpose.

Common Elements

This is a divination ritual, and often involves runestones or cards as well as the map which serves as the focus. Mirrors, crystals and other reflective surfaces are often involved, set up around the map to grant new perspectives on the information it contains. Some ritualists carefully pore over the map as the visions unfold, while others focus on expanding their consciousness to gain a 'bird's-eye view' of the area under consideration. The ritual is often performed out-of-doors under the open sky. At night, bright lanterns or lightstones are used to illuminate the map, the ritualists and their environs

The rune Sular is often used with this ritual, as are scenes in which history or current affairs are discussed with characters such as The Witch or The Doctor; the evocation of the virtues of Wisdom or Vigilance; or of keen-sighted animals such as eagles or hawks; or creatures such as sphinxes.