Crumbling Flesh and Withering Limbs
Rules
Winter Magnitude 9
Performing the Ritual
Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. The target character must have the magician skill.and be present throughout.
This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.
Effects
Once each day during the duration of the enchantment the target can call CLEAVE with a rod when they hit a target, following the rules for a heroic call.
The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.
Additional Targets
This ritual can affect additional characters from the same coven. Each additional character increases the magnitude by 8. Additional characters must be present throughout.
Description
This ritual allows a magician to channel destructive, painful magic through their rod. The spell blasts flesh and twists bone, leaving a limb useless and crippled or immediately incapacitating a target with an agonizing burst of pain if it strikes the chest or belly. The rod needs to strike reasonably exposed flesh, but the magic penetrates heavy clothing and light armour with ease. The effects of the withering cleave can be treated in the same way as a blow from a sword or axe. . As with Kimus' Glaring Eye, the magic of this ritual can be used by a magician in armour because they are not actually casting a spell when they invoke it's power. For a ritualist with no other useful incantaions, this can prove moderately useful on a battlefield as long as they select the right moment to strike with their withering strike. Even magicians with useful battlefield magic can still find this enchantment useful however; it gives a powerful strike when used at the right point in a battle, and is certainly enough to deal a crippling blow to an enemy magician.
Common Elements
This ritual almost always involves the target's.implement in some fashion. Sometimes the rod is anointed with noxious preparations, sometimes magician and rod alike are marked with the rune Kyrop which symbolises weakness. Invocations involving old age, disease and sickness are included.