Missive for Sadogua

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. While performing this ritual the ritualist must write a message on a square piece of paper. The message can be up to twenty-five words long. The message must be written in the form of a "magic square" - that is, a five by five grid with one word in each square. The paper must then be folded at least four times.

Effects

When the ritual is complete, the specially prepare paper disappears and is received by the Night Eternal Sadogua; the paper should be given to the referee.

This ritual does not transfer pictures or items.

The Eternal is peripherally aware of who sent the message.

Description

The Night Eternal Sadogua is sometimes known as The Brother of Wizards and is closely associated with the rune Diras. A subtle and secretive Eternal, Sadogua has a great fondness for mortal magicians, and is known to give them gifts in return for favours. This ritual is widely believed to have been given to a cabal of Navarr magicians in pre-Imperial days with a request that they distribute it far and wide - today nobody is sure if there is any truth in this or not, and Sadogua rarely gives the same answer twice.

The ritual is very simple; all it does is transfer a message to the Realm of Night. There is no requirement that Sadogua answer it, and if he chooses to do so it is likely that such answers will come in the form of visits from heralds. Many wizards who use it do so either in the hope of arranging a meeting with Sadogua or one of his allies, or as part of an agreement with that Eternal to deliver certain facts or secrets to him through this medium.

A number of priests are extremely suspicious of this ritual, claiming that it is tantamount to praying, or to making Imperial citizens minions of a foreign Eternal. To date they have had no success in persuading the Imperial Conclave or Imperial Senate to take the matter seriously, but the 'problem' of this ritual (and others like it) occasionally resurfaces among sects who favour greater control of magicians or magic.

Common Elements

The most important element of Missive for Sadogua is the parchment on which the message is written. It must be square, and divided into a five by five grid. If it is not it will still disappear, but it will not reach Sadogua. Ritualists include other elements appropriate both to the Eternal and the Realm of Night. Masks, veils and cowls are often used, especially if the ritualist wishes to obscure or conceal their identity from the Eternal. The ritual is often performed in darkness, as close to absolute as the ritualist can get and still see to write. In some cases, ritualists use a mirror and a candle, and write their message while looking only in the mirror - the mental agility this takes is said to make the ritual more effective, and Sadogua is believed by some to receive messages composed in this fashion more quickly.

Many ritualists finish the ritual by inscribing the rune Diras on the back of the parchment, sometimes in blood but more often in lemon-juice (or some other form of 'invisible ink' as appropraite).