Re: Animism\t rituals

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_DhkEwp0g8xeVqi4fB-jVl8TNAJd6yyOTmDwDpOJLNKq4QYgBX1VkkKJLjx0S5Q45WaM>
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:10:24 +1300


On 2/4/2010 10:42 AM, Greg Stafford wrote:

> Look:
> Chris should write down what his vision of the Praxian rites.
> Screw the theory!! SHOW US
> Someone has a variant? Give us a NARRATIVE of its difference

I'll put forward my take (much delayed due to a blown computer)

The Praxians have four rituals, each based on their deities and associated with a particular place on the spirit realm.

Storm Bull Ritual - used for fighting chaos. Very dangerous as it takes place near or in the Eternal Battle.

Eiritha Ritual - used for fertility and spirits of the Herd. Associated with the Paps or to be more precise the Paps on the Spirit World.

Daka Fal Ritual - used for dealing with the other spirits of the Wastelands (Oakfed, Zola Fel etc). The aim is to make friends or to keep them happy.

Waha Ritual - used for driving off enemy spirits and scumbag outsiders.

These rituals are performed at various times during the year but only during the Sacred Time are they performed at the same time. There it takes the form of the remaking of the world from the horrors of the Great Darkness. Storm Bull kills the Devil, Daka Fal sorts out the Living from the Dead, Waha performs the Survival Contest and returns to Life.

Chris was wondering about Magical Effects and speculated about lingering benefits. To me, that's bland. I would divide the benefits/banes as follows.

ALLIANCE: only possible with spirits of the Greatlands. Members of the clan that participated in the alliance become temporary worshippers of that spirit and gain access to his magic. Once the Alliance ends, the spirits do not return once used.

CURSES: what you get if you fail to defeat some chaotic monster or enemy spirit or bungle an alliance. The curse has two forms, a chronic effect such as magic is weakened when fighting broos, disease (or whatever the foe the clan screwed up fighting). The acute attack is much rarer but is a magical attack (like a supernatural disease or that the herd spontaneously becomes pregnant with broos).

BLESSINGS: is what you get when you do well with friendly or kindred spirits (ie best the Bison Spirit when belonging to the Sable Tribe). At an ordinary level, this might mean a bonus to magic when dealing (or raiding) while at a magical level, this might be a chance discovery of a herds, water, grazing and so forth.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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