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Anvil ref guidelines

2026-09-20T13:27:56Z

Xavin: /* Processing rituals – requirements */

This page contains general guidance for Anvil reffing (as opposed to Skirmish reffing). It applies equally whether your are wandering or in a fixed location.<br>
These are not detailed "how to" instructions for these tasks - but rather principles, and the general approach that you should have in mind while performing them.

==Processing rituals, ceremonies, and bondings – requirements==
* '''The rules as written say that players should get a ref "if possible" before performing a ritual, in order to allow it to be logged'''
* '''The player-to-ref ratio is far too high for this to be viable as a general approach. It is fine for most rituals to be reported after the fact'''
* '''It is NOT required for all casters and targets to be present when the ritual is logged – a list of participants is fine'''
* '''A similar principle applies to ceremonies and Create Bond - players may report these after the fact and only need to bring the information, not everyone involved'''
It is common for rituals (and other processes) to be reported after the fact – with few exceptions, this is entirely acceptable. Exceptions – cases where it is critical that a ref knows in advance, and possibly needs to observe the ritual – are uncommon, and are usually obvious, typically involving PVP (e.g. ritual curses involving a Pronouncement of Doom).<br>

There is no requirement for caster(s) and target(s) to all be present at the point that the ritual is logged - it can be useful for this to be the case (in order to help ensure that correct details are logged), but it is not required. If a caster turns up with a list of targets, or targets turn up with details of the caster(s), then this is still fine to log.<br>
It is preferable if players who do this include both PID and character name (or other identifying information) on their lists, so that transcription/handwriting/etc. errors can be detected and resolved; however, if all they have is PIDs then that’s still acceptable, and we do our best with the available information. Only if you reasonably have significant concern that the target is not being correctly identified should you decline to process it without satisfactory confirmation or clarification.<br>
In principle, it is possible for players doing this to be knowingly reporting false information (e.g. they have the ID of a caster, but did not actually get that person to cast the ritual on them; or they are reporting a target upon whom they did not actually roleplay the casting). However, so long as they are still spending the relevant resources, the combined risk and impact of this is vanishingly small: they would just be cheating themselves out of roleplay.

Similarly with performance of liao ceremonies or use of the Create Bond spell - under most circumstances it is acceptable for players to report these after the fact, and are not required to bring along all of the people and/or ribbons involved, so long as they are bringing the necessary information. Exceptions are cases where an immediate referee response might be required - e.g. performance of a Thorough Insight.

==Updating character records==
* '''Things you can update on a character record as a ref:'''
** '''Ritual Mastery and/or Artisan Items – if they have a suitable free slot'''
** '''Adding new skills – if they have sufficient unspent XP'''
** '''Retraining – if you are aware of the [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|process]] and comfortable with following it'''
** '''Leaving a banner/sect/coven – if they are not immediately joining a new one'''
** '''Breaking item bonds – where it is more convenient than via the ribbon record'''
** '''Removing active effects on the “Magic” tab when they have been fixed IC'''
* '''Do not change character records for anything else without Shift Lead/Head Referee permission – in most such cases you will refer the participant to GOD'''
* '''Avoid updating character records without the player or their registered proxy being present'''

Updates to character records are generally things that participants should edit themselves through their own accounts, GOD functions, or things that they need to email in about; however, there are a number of exceptions where (mostly for reasons of convenience) it is acceptable normal practice for refs to make updates during events. It is always fine to (at the participant’s request) fill available ritual mastery or artisan item slots, or to spend available XP gaining new skills.<br>
If a participant wants to use their Retraining slot, in order to free up ritual mastery/artisan item slots or XP, then you should only do this if you are comfortable with the process detailed [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|here]], paying close attention to the cutoff date. In general, participants should be encouraged to do this via their own accounts – our ability to do it is primarily in order to avoid having multi-player ritual processing held up while 1 or 2 people go to GOD to update their characters.<br>
If a character is leaving a banner/coven/sect without joining another one then this is processed by editing their character to set the relevant field to blank. If they are joining another one then this should be processed as Create Bond on the Magic menu as normal (administratively the new band will simply overwrite the old one on their record – in character they still needed the Create Bond spell casting twice, once to remove them from the old band and again to bond them to the new one)<br>
Occasionally it is more convenient to break existing item bonds via the “Bonds” tab of the character record (rather than via the Ribbon record as normal), and this is also fine.<br>
Sometimes an ongoing effect listed on the “Magic” tab of the character record is ended early (typically when a Curse effect is removed) – this is performed using the “Break Enchantment” button next to the relevant effect on that tab.<br>

Other than the cases described above, you should not amend character records without the explicit permission of your Shift Lead or Head Ref, and (if possible) refer the participant to the correct route for their request.<br>

As a general principle, you should avoid updating anyone’s character record without them being present, or having some kind of confirmation that they are OK with it. If the person asking you to do it is a registered proxy for the player of the character being updated then this is OK, and the responsibility of the proxy; proxy details appear on [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/admin/player?25 player] records, “Details” tab, and they indicate “Proxy for:” (i.e. this person can may proxy decisions on behalf of the person(s) listed) and/or “Proxy by” (i.e. this person may have decisions made on their behalf by the person(s) listed).<br>
The most common situation you are likely to encounter such requests is in a coven ritual casting, where one or more of the casters does not have the ritual mastery that the player reporting it expects; is OK to exercise your judgement in these cases – for example, if one or more casters without mastery of the ritual being reported have free slots (that could be used for it), but are not present to check with, then it is acceptable to process the casting (recalculating magnitude achieved and mana required) as if they did have the mastery, with a request that they get their character record updated at their earliest convenience. If you have concerns that any participant is abusing levels of trust placed in them, in such situations, then you can put a note on the character and/or player record as appropriate (remember that Ref Notes are only visible to a more restricted audience than User Notes.)

==Messaging Eternals==
Text originally written for E2 2026 RefInfo page, but added here as generally applicable
* Players can only send a message to an eternal if they are using a ritual/ribbon/etc. that '''explicitly''' says that they can
* Note that, just because ritual/ribbon/etc. allows something to be sent through (e.g. specific items, resources, etc.), it still does not allow a written message to be included unless it explicitly says so (the magical channel/portal/etc only accepts the stuff actually specified)
** Ruling confirmed on Crew Discord ref-text channel by Graeme ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510020884323106816 link]) and Matt ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510339828418347058 link])
** General explanation of why this is restricted can be found in the "OOC Note about Communication" box [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Eternals_and_rituals#Plenipotentiary here]
*** In summary:
**** Part of the game is about who gets to negotiate with an eternal - the more communication routes allowed, the more that part of the game is undermined
**** Every message from a player to an NPC is extra work for plot - limiting to expected communications ensures that sufficient resources are available to respond, and prevents player disappointment and frustration from failed attempts to initiate communication with eternals (who may not currently even be active in plot)
** Additional explanation from Matt:
<quote>Think of a ritual as a thing that can carry things.<br>

Think of stuff as being light, so it's easy to carry with a ritual. You can put resources in a box and send them - easy.<br>

Think of words as being heavy - in magical terms they weigh a lot. Think about how long it takes you to type up the message afterwards to see why words are "heavy" in Empire. That's why pleni is word count limited...<br>

Words weigh a lot - you need special magic to carry words - because they're heavy. Usually the magic limits how many words can be sent. You can't just pop the heavy words in with all those light resources, for the same reason that you can't put 4,000 Kg of uranium in your car. Sure... it'll fit just fine in the boot, but you ain't going anywhere...</quote>

[[Category:Reffing]]

Imperial:TitleBar

2026-08-22T00:53:08Z

Xavin:

* All Crew
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Rituals with unusual handling

2026-08-22T00:41:37Z

Xavin:

This page contains detailed instructions for some of the rituals that require unusual handling<br>
For ease of finding what you need, and avoiding overwhelming amounts of text, each section on this page starts out collapsed and can be individually expanded and collapsed.

===Another Missive===

Various items, plot effects and similar give players the opportunity to send messages to an Eternal.
Typically there will be a ribbon, a document with a ribbon ID on it, or details published in the Winds of Fortune prior to the event.
Usually the character will need to perform Operate Portal at the Imperial Regio and send a document/item through or make some kind of verbal declaration.<br>
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
Click "Expand" for this section for more detailed instructions.
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'''If the message is being sent by an Archmage, using the power of ''plenipotentiary'', then process as the administrative ritual "Plenipotentary" instead (see the named entry for that below, but it is broadly the same process as "Another Missive/Use Effigy")'''
<br />
<br />
'''If the message is being sent as part of the preparation by a ritualist for ''Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River'' or ''Swim Leviathan's Depth'' (to be cast on a later day of the event) then they will need to provide the effigy token relevant to the ritual'''. See the individual ritual descriptions below for more detail, but these use the "Another Missive/Use Effigy" ritual to submit the question being asked of the eternal.

*The standard method for handling this is to process an administrative ritual, "Another Missive/Use Effigy", using the Ref Dummy Character (CID 0.1) as caster.
**The realm is Autumn (although, in fact, it will appear under any of the realms)
**On the Targets page, select the target Eternal from the dropdown list - if they are not in the list, leave it set to "Choose One" and enter the name in the "Name" box (this is a free text field).
**The calculator on the Ranks page will say there is a mana cost of 1. '''Ignore this''' - do not charge the player any crystal mana.
**Enter any relevant information (e.g. CID of the sender, ribbon ID they used if any) in the Notes field. Do not put the text of the message here - this will be added after the ritual has been Processed.
**If there is a physical message, write the ritual ID number on it.
**The text of the message (and any additional info to be passed to plot) can be typed up on the "Message" tab once the ritual is processed - click "Set Response" and enter the text (or pass it to someone with a laptop in the central area Ref Tent to do)
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===Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River===
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There are 2 stages to performing this ritual that need to be processed at the Regio - submitting a question to the Eternal Sung, and actually performing the ritual to receive the response. If you are unsure, confirm with the player which step they are performing. Both steps should be performed at the same event.

*'''Submitting the question'''
**This step must be performed, by the latest, prior to Time Out on the day before the actual ritual is to be performed, and at the same event - thus it can only be done on the Friday or Saturday of the event, not the Sunday
**The character must provide a special effigy, which was created during downtime - it takes the form of a coiled snake, carved from ambergelt.
**The character must also provide a written document to be submitted, containing their question beginning "The ''named coven'' asks Sung why..."
***A coven may ask multiple questions at the same time, but they will need a separate effigy for each one - generally these should each be processed separately, but add notes to each indicating multiple questions were asked, including relevant ritual IDs.
**Take the effigy and message, and process this as an administrative ritual "Another Missive/Use Effigy", as per the "Another Missive" section above
***The target Eternal is ''Sung''
***It can be helpful to add the name of the coven to the notes field, so that it can be more easily identified later
***The message '''must''' be typed up ASAP - the plot team need to respond to these overnight, so that a response is available for the ritual the following day. It is fine to pass it to someone with a laptop at the central area Ref Tent, but make sure they know it is for this ritual and thus a priority.

*'''Performing the ritual''', in order to get the result.
**This step must be performed, at the earliest, the day following the question having been submitted, and at the same event - thus it cannot be be performed on the Friday of the event, and can be performed on the Saturday only if the question was submitted on the Friday; it is not a problem for the question to be submitted on the Friday and the ritual not be performed until the Sunday.
**It is advisable for the referee to check that a result exists before processing the ritual - and ideally before the players have performed it IC
**The result is usually delivered as a verbal response from Sung
***'''Sung is usually voiced by Autumn Bailey''' using the regio sound system. Wherever possible, coordinate with Autumn to provide the result; however, if Autumn is unavailable then it is acceptable for Sung to be voiced by someone else.
***The players may request a printed copy of the response for accessibility reasons - this can usually be provided from the printing facility at the central area Ref Tent
**The results text can be found by looking up the original message.
***From the "Plot" menu, select the "Messages" sub-menu, set the "Eternal" dropdown box to ''Sung'', and set the "Ritual" dropdown to ''Another Missive/Use Effigy''
***If you know the name of the coven performing the ritual then you can add that to the "Message Text" box as it should have been mentioned in the original message.
***Assuming the "Count" is greater than 0, click "Load" to see the message rituals found, and "Select" the correct one (if there is more than one then you may need to check them in turn to see which one it is)
***This should open the message ritual in a new browser tab - select the "Message" tab to see the question and (hopefully!) response.
**Assuming the result exists and someone is available to deliver it, process the ritual as you would any other (with the relevant character(s) as Caster/Participants etc.)
***Note that if the coven asked multiple questions then they can get multiple results in one ritual by increasing the magnitude by 20 for each additional question. Alternatively they can perform the ritual multiple times - in either case it is important to ensure that the right response is being matched to the each question.
**If no response has been written, and the message was submitted on an earlier day of the event, then this will need to be urgently chased up with the Matt-cave (unless the message search indicates that the message was assigned to another plot writer other than Matt or Andy - in which case it needs to be urgently chased up with that plot writer instead)
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=== Challenge the Iron Duke ===
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* Can ONLY be cast on '''Friday''', in the Regio. Any attempt to cast on Sat or Sun will fail with the mana/resources refunded.
* Any given coven can only cast once per event per challenge
* Casters must specify target, the contest they are entering, and the prize that they seek
** Contests and prizes available will be specified in Winds prior to each event
** The target page collects all 3 pieces of information.
*** The contest and prize selection are dropdown boxes - the lists should have been updated by the start of each event to match the options in the Winds. Ff, for any reason, this has not happened then radio the MattCave to let them know and record the correct information in the notes.
* Multiple options for replacing crystal mana exist (maximum ranks rules still apply):
** Any special material ''except Orichalcum'' can substitute as 2 measures/ingots = 1 mana
*** Coven stones etc. that allow Orichalcum substitution still work as normal
** [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Philtres_of_War#Skop's_Mead Skops Mead] drunk during ritual, '''in addition to normal effect''':
*** Counts as 2 mana if drunk by a caster
*** Counts as 3 mana (split as desired between casters) if drunk by target '''so long as target is not also a caster'''
** [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Vis#Golden_Apples Golden Apples] count as 5 mana instead of the normal 3
*** Any other form of Summer vis still only counts as 3

You might be able to find the available challenges [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Template:Challenge_Links here]
</div></div>

===Combing the Beach===
<label type="warning">THIS RITUAL NO LONGER FUNCTIONS</label><br>
Previously this was a ritual for asking a question of Roshanwe, and worked like Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River (and Swim Leviathan's Depths). It has permanently ceased working.<br>
'''DO NOT ACCEPT ANY QUESTION SUBMISSIONS FOR IT''', any attempt to cast the ritual fails.

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===Dreams in the Witch House===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<label type="warning">Obtaining the result of this ritual (or checking if one already exists) requires Plot Wiki access</label><br>
Note that, if you are processing this on a tablet, it is often easier to radio for someone with a laptop (an access to Plot Wiki) to look up the information, and/or to paste the results into the ritual notes after you have processed it. If you do not have Plot Wiki access then you will need to do this, or pass the processing of it to someone who does.

*'''Before'''
** Check if you already know the result of this ritual by going to [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empireplotwiki/Current_Event_Visions Current Event Visions] <label type="warning">(on Plot Wiki)</label> and checking if there is a result for the territory that want to target

*'''If the answer is not there'''
** Radio Plot and tell them the target territory
** Tell the player to come back in one hour

*'''If the answer is there'''
** Process the ritual as normal
** It is advisable to check the scrying results spreadsheet for the presence of any shroud (see either ''Eye of the High Places'' or ''Eyes of the Sun and Moon'' details below for how to do that)
*** '''If a shroud is present''':
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is less than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is just the presence and magnitude of the shroud
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is equal to or greater than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is the same as if the shroud was not present (see below)
*** '''If a shroud is NOT present''' (or the magnitude of the ritual is equal to or greater than the shroud):
**** The result of the ritual is the text from the relevant section of the visions page
** If printing is available then it is usually best to provide the result as a printout, otherwise copy into Notepad (or similar text editing app) and show that to the player
** If processing on a tablet then go to note, add a new ''user note'' with the result
*** Let the player read the note. In general they should not take notes or speak to each other whilst reading the result, but it is always acceptable for them to do so (and/or take a photo of the results text on their own device) for accessibility reasons
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===Ephesis Scale===
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* Before processing
** Check that items have phys-rep. Notify player that items without phys-rep might not be counted.
** Check that you have an Ephisis Scales token. It should be a strip of paper, printed at the start of the event, with a letter/number combination appearing twice.

*Processing
** Split the token into 2 parts, with one copy of the letter/number combo on each part. Put one in the box given to the player
** Enter the ritual as normal in the system, add the token letter and number in the notes before tapping "Process" (if you forget then you can add a User Note on the Notes tab afterwards instead)
** Give the other half of the token to the player
** Notify the player of the time and location to redeem that token (Currently Hall of Worlds, on Sunday, at 1:00 PM)

* Post Processing
** Bring the box to the Matt Cave and ask where to put those boxes (so you don't mix processed and unprocessed boxes)
** ''You can wait to have multiple boxes to do this, but do '''NOT''' leave boxes undelivered overnight.''
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===Eye of the High Places===
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This is a scrying ritual on a territory that gives information about significant effects on that territory, plus significant effects on regions and/or campaign armies within it.
*'''If you are using a laptop connected to the PD network drive:'''
** Locate the scrying results spreadsheet on the server and open it
*** Location is likely to be \\gonzo\Profound Decisions\Empire\Event\''[event name]''\Ref (where ''[event name]'' is the season and year - e.g. Winter 2026)
*** Filename is likely to be "Eyes Resulets ''[event]''" (where ''[event]'' is the event number and year - e.g. E1 2026)
**** (Yes, "Results" is typically misspelled as "Resulets" in this filename)
** Look up the target territory on the spreadsheet and check the 2nd column (titled "Shroud") to see if a shroud is present
*** '''If a shroud is present''':
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is less than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is just the presence and magnitude of the shroud
***** (Yes "Shroud" is typically misspelled as "Shorud" in this column)
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is equal to or greater than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is the same as if the shroud was not present (see below)
*** '''If a shroud is NOT present''' (or the magnitude of the ritual is equal to or greater than the shroud):
**** The result of the ritual is the text in the 3rd column (titled "EotHP")
** If printing is available then it is usually best to provide the result as a printout, otherwise copy into Notepad (or similar text editing app) and show that to the player

*'''Otherwise:'''
** Contact (by radio if needed) someone with access to such a laptop
*** Give them the ritual ID, ask them to get the results as above - and either provide a printout (if practical) or copy the results into the notes field of the ritual (which you can then show or read to the player)
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===Eyes of the Soul's Past===
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* This ritual provides additional information for a target who has recently (i.e. at the same event) experienced a past-life vision
* A similar ritual, ''Secrets of the Soul's Desire'', also gives (different) additional information regarding the same past-life vision and is frequently cast shortly before or after this ritual
* Both rituals are processed normally, but the unusual handling part is in knowing how to find the resulting visions
** The visions are found under the ''Plot'' menu of the database
*** A quick trick that '''may''' work is to use the ''Search Encounter'' sub-menu (which the Plot menu opens in by default), enter the text "plv" in the ''Plot text'' search box and click the ''Load'' button if any are found
**** Past-life vision plot entries typically start with "PLV" and ideally include the target character's name and CID in the title - if this list includes the target of the ritual then click the relevant ''Select'' button to open the plot, then select the ''Divinations'' tab
***** This will show all visions associated with the PLV, including for Eyes of the Soul's Past (and Secrets of the Soul's Desire)
*** If this approach does not locate the desired plot entry then instead select the ''Schedule'' sub-menu within Plot, set the ''Summary'' dropdown box to "Rituals", and set the ''Ritual'' dropdown box to "Eyes of the Soul's Past"
**** This will show all visions written for this ritual for the event - ideally these will identify the target character by name/CID in the title, but it may sometimes be necessary to open the individual entries with the corresponding ''Encounter Data'' button in order to determine which one applies
***** If you need the results for both rituals then open the entry with the corresponding ''Encounter Data'' button and select the ''Divinations'' tab
** Once the correct vision is located then, if printing is available, print off the relevant vision(s) for the target, otherwise show them to the target on screen
*** If it is necessary to conceal other text on screen then try to copy into a separate text editor and show them that instead
*** Where printing is unavailable, it is acceptable for the target to take a photo of the text on their own device
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Eyes of the Sun & Moon===
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This is a scrying ritual on a territory that gives information about armies, navies, and/or fortifications within it.
*'''If you are using a laptop connected to the PD network drive:'''
** Locate the scrying results spreadsheet on the server and open it
*** Location is likely to be \\gonzo\Profound Decisions\Empire\Event\''[event name]''\Ref (where ''[event name]'' is the season and year - e.g. Winter 2026)
*** Filename is likely to be "Eyes Resulets ''[event]''" (where ''[event]'' is the event number and year - e.g. E1 2026)
**** (Yes, "Results" is typically misspelled as "Resulets" in this filename)
** Look up the target territory on the spreadsheet and check the 2nd column (titled "Shroud") to see if a shroud is present
*** '''If a shroud is present''':
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is less than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is just the presence and magnitude of the shroud
***** (Yes "Shroud" is typically misspelled as "Shorud" in this column)
**** If the magnitude of the ritual cast is equal to or greater than the magnitude of the shroud then the result of the ritual is the same as if the shroud was not present (see below)
*** '''If a shroud is NOT present''' (or the magnitude of the ritual is equal to or greater than the shroud):
**** The result of the ritual is the text in the 4th column (titled "EotS&M")
** If printing is available then it is usually best to provide the result as a printout, otherwise copy into Notepad (or similar text editing app) and show that to the player

*'''Otherwise:'''
** Contact (by radio if needed) someone with access to such a laptop
*** Give them the ritual ID, ask them to get the results as above - and either provide a printout (if practical) or copy the results into the notes field of the ritual (which you can then show or read to the player)
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===Gift of Knowledge===
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The ref notes that appear when processing this ritual are pretty clear, but details are also summarised here:
* The ritual sends a payment of 5 weltsilver, along with a book/pamphlet/scroll/etc. to the Great Library in the realm of Day, for the work to be copied into the library, in return for Prismatic Ink (Day vis)
* Under most circumstances you should simply take the 5 weltsilver (and the mana from casting), record the title of the written work in the ritual notes, and give the text back to the player along with a Prismatic Ink card (the central area Ref Tent usually holds a stock of these)
** Also add to the note if the written work is exceptionally fine (or in very poor condition)
** Some players choose to email the text of the work into Plot after the event, and they may want to know the ritual ID to reference in that email - it is absolutely fine to give it to them
* Additional action is required if the written work contains (or just is) a ritual text
** In this case you should also add this to the notes (along with details of the ritual text - at least ribbon ID if possible).
*** The ritual text is also retained - if it can be easily and safely separated from the rest of the work then only keep the ritual text, otherwise the whole work is retained
*** You should also let plot know, and check whether they want the physrep of the ritual text
</div></div>

===Golden Voice of Virtue===

There exists in the system a single item type ([https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire/itemdata?26&Id=382 Esther's Mantle]) which enables the coven to which it is bonded to perform an upgraded version of the Autumn ritual ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' (Normally Mag 7, +5 per extra target - all targets must be in same Sect. The upgraded version is Mag 11, +8 per extra target - targets must be in the same nation).<br>
There is '''usually''' only one example in existence - a permanent item. Very occasionally other 1-year duration versions are made, but the schema is not in Imperial Lore, and knowledge of how to make it is extremely limited.<br>
Correctly recording the effects of this requires a slightly involved process.<br>
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
Click "Expand" for this section for more detailed instructions.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* Fully recording this correctly requires (at least) two separate rituals to be processed:
** Firstly a casting of ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' - to ensure the details of the actual caster(s) and their coven are recorded, and possibly to aid with magnitude/mana calculation.
*** If the targets are not in the same Sect, but are in the same nation, then you may need to process as multiple separate rituals in order to get around the targeting restrictions for ''Mantle of the Golden Orator''
** Then an admin ritual casting of ''Golden Voice of Virtue'' on the same target(s) - to override the first ritual on the target(s) with the correct effect.
* Process the casting of ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' as normal, with the following exceptions:
** Take a note of the target CID(s), as you will need them for the admin ritual afterwards
** The required magnitude and mana calculation will be incorrect - you will need to calculate this manually
*** Actual magnitude is 11, plus 8 per every target after the first (so 1 target is 11, 2 targets is 19, 3 targets is 27 etc.)
**** Remember that, if you are processing as separate rituals (because of targeting restrictions) but it is actually being cast as single ritual, then you should calculate the magnitude on the basis of '''all''' the targets
*** Calculated ''Ranks Achieved'' will be correct. If this is equal to or greater than the manually calculated total magnitude required then everything is fine. If not then they appear not to have sufficient magnitude (check calculation, masteries etc.)
*** If everyone has mastery (or, at least, enough do to hit the magnitude anyway) then mana is easy - half the magnitude required (rounded up). If not then you will need to manually calculate how much extra is needed, using normal ritual maths
** Add a note that the ritual is using ribbon (specify the ribbon ID) to upgrade the effect to Golden Voice
** Take a note of the ritual ID (for use in the notes of the admin ritual you are about to process)
* Now process an admin ritual, ''Golden Voice of Virtue'', with Ref Dummy character (CID 0.1) as caster
** Realm is Autumn (although it will, in fact, appear under any realm)
** Set targets as the full list of target CIDs you noted from the ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' ritual(s)
** Add a note that it is an admin ritual, using a ribbon (specify the ribbon ID), to replace the effect(s) of (ritual ID(s) noted from the ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' ritual(s))
* If you want to provide full traceability then go back to the ''Mantle of the Golden Orator'' ritual(s) and add a note specifying the ritual ID of the ''Golden Voice of Virtue'' admin ritual that had been used to replace it
** This final step (going back to add the note) is not required - it is just for completeness, and makes it very slightly easier to track exactly what was done in the event that someone is checking the ritual records
</div></div>

===Plenipotentiary===

The Archmage of each realm has the power (named ''Plenipotentiary'') to send a message to one Eternal associated with their realm each event. The perform Operate Portal at the Regio, sending a written message of up to 313 words to the named Eternal.<br>
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
Click "Expand" for this section for more detailed instructions.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*Process this as an administrative ritual, "Plenipotentiary", using the Ref Dummy Character (CID 0.1) as caster.
**The realm is Autumn (although, in fact, it will appear in the list regardless of which realm you pick)
**On the Targets page, select the target Eternal from the dropdown list - if they are not in the list, leave it set to "Choose One" and enter the name in the "Name" box (this is a free text field).
**The calculator on the Ranks page will say there is a mana cost of 0 - this is correct, do not charge the player any crystal mana.
**Enter any relevant information (e.g. CID of the sender) in the Notes field. Do not put the text of the message here - this will be added after the ritual has been Processed.
**Take the written message from the player and write the ritual ID number on it.
**The text of the message can be typed up on the "Message" tab once the ritual is processed - click "Set Response" and enter the text (or pass it to someone with a laptop in the Regio tent or to Andy Raff)
</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Secrets of the Soul's Desire===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* This ritual provides additional information for a target who has recently (i.e. at the same event) experienced a past-life vision
* A similar ritual, ''Eyes of the Soul's Past'', also gives (different) additional information regarding the same past-life vision and is frequently cast shortly before or after this ritual
* Both rituals are processed normally, but the unusual handling part is in knowing how to find the resulting visions
** The visions are found under the ''Plot'' menu of the database
*** A quick trick that '''may''' work is to use the ''Search Encounter'' sub-menu (which the Plot menu opens in by default), enter the text "plv" in the ''Plot text'' search box and click the ''Load'' button if any are found
**** Past-life vision plot entries typically start with "PLV" and ideally include the target character's name and CID in the title - if this list includes the target of the ritual then click the relevant ''Select'' button to open the plot, then select the ''Divinations'' tab
***** This will show all visions associated with the PLV, including for Secrets of the Soul's Desire (and Eyes of the Soul's Past)
*** If this approach does not locate the desired plot entry then instead select the ''Schedule'' sub-menu within Plot, set the ''Summary'' dropdown box to "Rituals", and set the ''Ritual'' dropdown box to "Secrets of the Soul's Desire"
**** This will show all visions written for this ritual for the event - ideally these will identify the target character by name/CID in the title, but it may sometimes be necessary to open the individual entries with the corresponding ''Encounter Data'' button in order to determine which one applies
***** If you need the results for both rituals then open the entry with the corresponding ''Encounter Data'' button and select the ''Divinations'' tab
** Once the correct vision is located then, if printing is available, print off the relevant vision(s) for the target, otherwise show them to the target on screen
*** If it is necessary to conceal other text on screen then try to copy into a separate text editor and show them that instead
*** Where printing is unavailable, it is acceptable for the target to take a photo of the text on their own device
</div></div>

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===Sleep shall not divide us long===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
This ritual does not require any special processing at the point it is cast, but it is a good idea to make sure the target is aware of how it works - and, if not, to brief them as per the ref note that appears upon processing the ritual. This section may also be relevant if you are processing an Insight performed by someoe under the effect of this ritual.
* The target is placed under an enchantment such that, the next time they perform an Insight on someone, they will subsequently receive a visionary dream relating to that person
** They '''must''' inform the referee processing that Insight that they are under this effect, and that the referee will need both their CID and the CID of the target of the Insight.
** The resulting vision should be available from GOD the following morning
* If you are the referee processing the Insight then you must take a note of these 2 CIDs, and pass the whole mess (including the information that it is the effect of this ritual) onto Raff in the Matt-cave to sort out
</div></div>

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===Somnolent Wanderer===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
This ritual gives targets a vision (overnight), which may also grant them temporary additional ritual mastery and/or increased effective ranks of lore.
* In general it does not require any unusual processing for us. However, there are target restrictions that are not currently enforced by the database, so '''need to be checked manually''':
** Target(s) must have at least 1 rank of ritual lore in at least one of the realms
** If there are multiple targets in the same ritual then they must all be members of the same coven
* The visions they receive generally need to be collected from GOD (the morning after casting the ritual) as they are A4 printouts
** As of E4 2026 it ''may'' be possible to print these at the Ref Access Tent as well, as new equipment is being trialled
* Any ritual casting boosts the target receives are detailed in the visions, but are not recorded on the database - so if they are used then you will need to manually adjust the results of the ritual calculator
** The player should show you the vision printout in order to use any granted ritual boost abilities
** If you need to look up the visions then they can generally be found on the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empireplotwiki/Current_Event_Visions Current Event Visions] page <label type="warning">(on Plot Wiki)</label>

</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">

===Swim Leviathan's Depth===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
There are 2 stages to performing this ritual that need to be processed at the Regio - submitting a question to the Eternal Leviathan, and actually performing the ritual to receive the response. If you are unsure, confirm with the player which step they are performing. Both steps should be performed at the same event.

*'''Submitting the question'''
**This step must be performed, by the latest, prior to Time Out on the day before the actual ritual is to be performed, and at the same event - thus it can only be done on the Friday or Saturday of the event, not the Sunday
**The character must provide a special effigy, which was created during downtime - it takes the form of a carved whale, made from dragonbone.
**The character must also provide a written document to be submitted, containing their question beginning "The ''named coven'' asks Leviathan why..."
***The coven can, in some cases, ask a question starting with something other than "''Why''", it just has to be about motivations or causes - for example "''Who is behind the Druj attacks on the Barrens?''" would be acceptable; "''How?''" questions will generally fail.
***A coven may ask multiple questions at the same time, but they will need a separate effigy for each one - generally these should each be processed separately, but add notes to each indicating multiple questions were asked, including relevant ritual IDs.
**Take the effigy and message, and process this as an administrative ritual "Another Missive/Use Effigy", as per the "Another Missive" section above
***The target Eternal is ''Leviathan''
***It can be helpful to add the name of the coven to the notes field, so that it can be more easily identified later
***The message '''must''' be typed up ASAP - the plot team need to respond to these overnight, so that a response is available for the ritual the following day. It is fine to pass it to someone with a laptop at the central area Ref Tent, but make sure they know it is for this ritual and thus a priority.

*'''Performing the ritual''', in order to get the result.
**This step must be performed, at the earliest, the day following the question having been submitted, and at the same event - thus it cannot be be performed on the Friday of the event, and can be performed on the Saturday only if the question was submitted on the Friday; it is not a problem for the question to be submitted on the Friday and the ritual not be performed until the Sunday.
**It can '''only''' be performed when Leviathan (voiced by Andy Raff) is present. A window starts at 1pm on the Saturday and Sunday of each event, and lasts only a limited time (generally a maximum of an hour). '''If Leviathan (i.e Andy) has departed before the ritual is performed then it will fail.'''
**It is advisable to check that a result exists before processing the ritual - and ideally before the players have performed it IC
**The result is always delivered as a verbal response from Leviathan, voiced by Andy Raff
***The players may request a printed copy of the response for accessibility reasons - this can usually be provided from the printing facility at the central area Ref Tent
**The results text can be found by looking up the original message.
***From the "Plot" menu, select the "Messages" sub-menu, set the "Eternal" dropdown box to ''Leviathan'', and set the "Ritual" dropdown to ''Another Missive/Use Effigy''
***If you know the name of the coven performing the ritual then you can add that to the "Message Text" box as it should have been mentioned in the original message.
***Assuming the "Count" is greater than 0, click "Load" to see the message rituals found, and "Select" the correct one (if there is more than one then you may need to check them in turn to see which one it is)
***This should open the message ritual in a new browser tab - select the "Message" tab to see the question and (hopefully!) response.
**Assuming the result exists and someone is available to deliver it, process the ritual as you would any other (with the relevant character(s) as Caster/Participants etc.)
***Note that if the coven asked multiple questions then they can get multiple results in one ritual by increasing the magnitude by 12, and the duration by 5 minutes, for each additional question. Alternatively they can perform the ritual multiple times - in either case it is important to ensure that the right response is being matched to the each question.
**If no response has been written, and the message was submitted on an earlier day of the event, then this will need to be urgently chased up with the Matt-cave (unless the message search indicates that the message was assigned to another plot writer other than Matt or Andy - in which case it needs to be urgently chased up with that plot writer instead)
</div></div>

[[Category:Reffing]]

Rituals with unusual handling

2026-08-22T00:41:21Z

Xavin: Created page with " This page contains detailed instructions for some of the rituals that require unusual handling<br> For ease of finding what you need, and avoiding overwhelming amounts of text, each section on this page starts out collapsed and can be individually expanded and collapsed. ===Another Missive=== Various items, plot effects and similar give players the opportunity to send messages to an Eternal. Typically there will be a ribbon, a document with a ribbon ID on it, or detai..."

Anvil ref processes

2026-08-20T00:15:40Z

Xavin:

This page contains guidance information for a number of processes typically encountered by Anvil refs. It does not cover specific rituals that require unusual handling, as that is a fairly extensive topic by itself, and has a separate page [[Rituals_with_unusual_handling|here]].<br>

For ease of finding what you need, and avoiding overwhelming amounts of text, each section on this page starts out collapsed and can be individually expanded and collapsed.

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==Bonding an item to a band==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* Specific magic items bond to bands rather than individuals
** Gonfalons bond to [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Bands#Banners Banners] and must meet the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Magic_items#Magic_Standards magical standards] phys-rep requirements
** Paraphernalia bond to [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Bands#Covens Covens] and should be orbs, books, chalices or similar
** Reliquaries bond to [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Bands#Sects Sects] and can be any phys-rep of a suitable relic, statue, chalice, tome, or actual reliquary
* Bonding works the same way as any other magic item but the target character ID should be someone who is currently a member of the Band
** The item will bond to the Band, not to the individual
*** There is no requirement that the individual used for the item bonding remains bonded to the band afterwards, the item stays bonded to the band even if that individual does not.
*** The individual does not need any free "slot" for the bonding to work - these items do not use a Weapon, Armour, or Talisman slot
*** A Band may only have a single item bonded to them at a time
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==Detect Conjunction==
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<label type="important">Important</label> Dates and times given for conjunctions/plot encounters etc use "Game Day" even at/after midnight. e.g. 'Saturday 00:00' or 'Saturday 01:00' is at the end of Saturday night, not the end of Friday.
* Players may be looking at conjunctions in one of 2 ways, which are processed differently:
** In Character - using the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Detect_magic#Discover_Conjunction Discover Conjunction] version of Detect Magic to discover IC information about the conjunction
** OOC - requesting accessibility information about the conjunction
* IC version:
** Character performs a Detect Magic spell on the Sentinel Gate, using the Discover Conjunction variant of the spell
** Select the "Magic" menu, and "Detect Conjunction" from this menu
** Ensure the "Event" dropdown at the bottom is set to the correct event, and enter the character's ID in the "Caster" box
** Get as much location information as you can from the player - ideally Nation, Territory, and Region - and enter this information in the dropdown boxes
*** Note that it is '''not''' absolutely necessary to complete all the boxes - selecting a Nation will subset the options in the other 2 to only Territories/Regions in that Nation, and similarly selecting a Territory will subset the Region list to only the Regions of the Territory. However, you can just directly select from the longer list(s) in the lower level box(es) without selecting the higher level ones.
*** The "Count:" text will update to show how many conjunctions are present for the selected nation/territory/region. You can force it to include all conjucntions for an event by setting the Nation dropdown to any nation and then setting it back to the blank value at the top of the list
*** A count of 0 means no conjunctions are found in the selected nation/territory/region
*** Assuming that the count is higher than 0, selecting the "Conjunctions" tab to the right will reveal a list of all the conjunctions found in this nation/territory/region, each with a more specific "Location". '''The character should be able to tell you this specific location information''' (or something approximating it) in order to positively identify the conjunction. If they do not have this information then they will generally not be able to identify a conjunction.
*** If they have identified the location correctly, click the "Select" button to get the info on the conjunction. Note that this action logs on the plot page that the Detect Conjunction has occurred (along with when, which character, and which ref's account processed it). Plot writers use this information to gauge interest in their plot, so it is important to process the IC checks this way - but also not helpful to click through multiple different conjunctions trying to identify a specific one (as this will log a check occurring on each one each time).
**** If you need to look at different conjuncions to determine which one it is, use the OOC version to do so and then, if an IC check is still being performed, process the IC version on the now correctly identified location.
*** Give the player the information revealed - the date & time, duration, and size (i.e. number of people who can enter the conjunction through the gate). Check if they also want the OOC information on accessibility, combat likelihood etc., and give that to them as well if they want it.
* OOC version:
** Select the "Plot" menu, and click the "Show Conjunction Data" button (this button toggles back and forth between conjunctions and encounters)
** Use the search boxes to subset the list of conjunctions if necessary
** Get information from the player(s) to identify the conjuynction they are interested in (date/time, location etc.)
** Click "Select" for a conjunction to get additional information
*** Unlike the IC version, this does not log a check as having occurred
** This will open the plot information on the "Description" tab - generally you will need the information on the "Access" tab, and possibly the "Conjunction" tab.
*** You can give the players any/all information from the "Access" tab, and/or the date/time, duration, size, combat, and accessibility information from the "Conjunction" tab
**** The "Conjunction" tab is also where logged checks will appear from using the IC version (this is not information that the players should be given, as it represents IC information that they should not be able to access)
*** You should generally '''not''' reveal information to players from the other tabs, but it may sometimes be useful to you in identifying/confirming the correct conjunction from info the players give you.
</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==Generating S&P/Visions Packets==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* On the database, under the Plot menu, [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire/schedule?4 Schedule sub-menu]:
** Select "Rituals" in Summary (the upper left dropdown box)
** Select ''Sign And Portents'' in Ritual (2nd row of dropdown boxes, 3rd from right)
** Press the "Print Signs" button - this will generate a PDF of the visions in a random order
*** Note that it is helpful for each pack of visions to be in a (different) random order, to make it more likely that each individual vision gets issued at least once
** Send the document to a printer
*** Generally the printer in the Ref Access Tent should be used, but the GOD printers can also be used if needed or more convenient
*** The document is formatted to use A5 pages - if possible, set the page size as A5 and load the printer with A5 paper
** To print additional packs, refresh the page (to reset the random order) and repeat from the ''Press the "Print Signs" button'' step
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==Pop-up Box on Rituals==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* When you process a ritual there is a green information box that pops up with stuff about roleplaying effects etc. and anything additional you need to do as a ref
* Remember to read this after processing a ritual, even if you have processed it before, This is because:
** Ritual effects change, people forget things, and humans make mistakes. This helps limit the impact of that.
** Rich has the access rights needed to edit ritual information, and usually tries to update these reminders about event-specific effects where relevant (but note that obviously this info appears ''after'' you have processed the ritual)
</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==Recording database notes==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
There are 2 types of note you can record, “User” or “Ref”, each with different uses and visibility
* '''User notes are:'''
** '''Visible to anyone with crew database access'''
** '''Typically entered on records for something that exists In Character (e.g. item, ritual, character etc.)'''
** '''Usually used to provide additional information, not otherwise captured in standard database fields'''
* '''Ref notes are:'''
** '''Visible only to those with specific access rights'''
** '''Typically entered on player records'''
** '''Usually used to record referee write-ups of individuals and incidents'''

When you enter a note on the “Notes” tab of any record, there is a dropdown box labelled “Type” – this defaults to “User Note”; if you need it to be recorded as a Ref Note instead then make sure you select this in the dropdown. Some processes (e.g rituals, item bondings, and ceremonies) have a “Notes” field on the processing page - these are stored separately to the “Notes” tab, and do not have a type. For practical purposes they have the same visibility as User Notes.<br>

User Notes are visible to anyone with access to the record that they are on. They are used for providing additional information that may be required, but for which there is no standard database field – e.g. if the performance of a ritual has taken an event-specific plot opportunity; or on a potion record, where the potion says “see ref”, to tell you what to do when the player comes to see you. They are typically made in relation to something (or someone) who exists in game - ribboned items, potions, traumatic wounds, characters etc.<br>

Ref Notes are only visible to those with specific access rights – this includes anyone with a crew ref role, plus certain other individuals or departments with a need to know (e.g. the Game Team). They are used for information that only those people/departments need to see – typically for [[Write-ups|referee writeups]] on player records.
</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==Retraining skills==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Characters have a single "retraining" slot after each event they attend, allowing them to drop a single skill '''or''' a single artisan item they know how to make '''or''' up to 2 rituals that they have mastered - to free up XP or make the slot(s) available for something else. In general, participants should be encouraged to do this via their own accounts – our ability to do it is primarily in order to avoid having multi-player ritual processing held up while 1 or 2 people go to GOD to update their characters.<br>
If you are unsure whether you should perform this process for a participant then check with your Shift Lead.
* [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Downtime#Retraining Rules on the wiki]
* Go to the Character, on the Skills tab page
* '''Check if they've dropped a skill/ritual/item since the last event''' (See the RefInfo page for the current event for the correct date). All dropped skills/rituals/items are time stamped at the bottom
** They have one retrain slot per season, which can be used for a skill '''or''' ritual mastery '''or''' an item recipe (not separate retrain slots for each)
* '''If they have dropped a skill/ritual/item since the last event, then they cannot drop another''', the answer is no.
* Assuming that they've not dropped a skill, hit the "Drop Skill", "Drop Ritual" or "Drop Item" button as appropriate, hit "Retrain" for the appropriate skill/ritual/item, and then hit save.
** Note that if they are using the retrain slot for ritual mastery then they can drop '''two''' rituals if they want, but both have to be done at the same time (i.e. hit "Retrain" for both at this step, before hitting "Save"). They cannot drop one now and come back to drop another later on (until the slot "refreshes" after the event). They can use the slot to drop only one if they want.
** If they drop a skill which means they have to empty any other slots then the system will enforce that at this point and ask for selections (e.g. if they drop a level of realm lore, reducing the number of ritual mastery slots they have, they will have to pick which rituals to drop if they don't have enough free slots remaining)
* Then hit "Edit Skill", "Edit Rituals" or "Edit Items" as appropriate, and add the appropriate skill/ritual/item
The main thing to note here is that the system will let you do this even if they've already used their retrain slot this season.
Note: The "Skills Dropped" list correctly includes ritual masteries and artisan items - and any one of those things being listed counts as the retrain slot being used. (i.e. that's good and all working as intended)
</div></div>

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">

==Targeting via general of Citadel Guard==
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* '''This effect applies at all events until further notice. Location and character affected will be detailed on the RefInfo page for each event'''
* One of the Imperial armies, the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Citadel_Guard Citadel Guard], has the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Highest_discipline Highest Discipline] quality, which includes the [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Army_qualities#Magic Magic] quality
* The army (via their General as a ritual focus) can be used to meet targeting requirements for the territory they are currently in
** This counts as meeting a requirement for a ritual which targets a territory/region/fortification to be performed in a regio within the territory it targets
** All other requirements for such a ritual still need to be met
*** e.g. if the ritual requires a region with a specific keyword then this effect does not bypass that requirement
** The General must be present throughout the ritual
*** If the General is not at the event then an Urizen egregore may stand in for them
** If the army is in a region normally targetable from the Imperial regio then there is generally little to no benefit in this effect, and the Imperial regio will typically be used instead
</div></div>

[[Category:Reffing]]

Imperial:TitleBar

2026-08-20T00:07:57Z

Xavin:

* All Crew
** [[General introduction|Overview]]
** --
** [[Crewing]]
** [[Crew organization|Organization]]
** [[What to wear|What to Wear]]
** [[Crew protocol|Crew Protocol]]
** [[Supporting players|Supporting Players]]
** [[New crew|New Crew]]
** --
** [[Time off|Time Off]]
** [[Food and drink|Food and Drink]]
** [[Crew facebook groups|Crew Facebook Groups]]
* Safety
** [[Draft Safety]]
* Plot
** [[Plot organization|Organization]]
** --
** =Writing=
** [[Plot team|Plot Team]]
** [[Style guide|Style Guide]]
** [[Plot creation process|Process]]
** [[Plot tools|Tools]]
** =IT=
** [[Accessibility]]
** =Skirmish=
** [[Skirmish style guide|Approach]]
* NPCs
** [[NPC guidelines|Guidelines]]
** --
** = Civil Service =
** [[Civil Service]]
** [[NPC costume|NPC Costume]]
** [[Hub records|Hub Records]]
** = Skirmish Team =
** [[The Hundred]]
** = Player Support =
** [[Three Refrains]]
* Refs
** [[Introduction to reffing]]
** [[Ref Roles & Training]]
** = Guidelines =
** [[Anvil Combat Protocols]]
** [[Anvil ref guidelines]]
** [[Anvil ref processes]]
** [[Intervention|How and When to Intervene]]
** [[Write-ups]]
** [[Reffing_small_events|Reffing Small Events]]
** = Battles =
** [[Battle and skirmish processes|Battle and Skirmish Processes]]
** [[Battle ref guidelines|Battle Ref Guidelines]]
** = Resources =
** [[Ref jackets|Ref Jackets]]
** [[Ref documents]]
* Site
** [[Early Arrivals]]
** [[Hook loader units]]
** [[Local amenities]]
** [[Vehicle safety|Vehicle Safety]]
* Admin
** [[Radio protocol|Radio Protocol]]
** [[Ordering check list]]
* GOD
** [[GOD manual]]
** [[GOD roles]]
* IT
** [[Broken rituals]]
** [[Photography]]
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** [[Wireless]]
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** [[Wiki Maintenance Stuff]]

Anvil ref processes

2026-08-20T00:00:55Z

Xavin: Created page with "This page contains guidance information for a number of processes typically encountered by Anvil refs. It does not cover specific rituals that require unusual handling, as that is a fairly extensive topic by itself, and has a separate page here.<br> For ease of finding what you need, and avoiding overwhelming amounts of text, each section on this page starts out collapsed and can be individually expanded and collapsed. <div class="mw-c..."

Anvil ref guidelines

2026-08-19T00:32:54Z

Xavin:

This page contains general guidance for Anvil reffing (as opposed to Skirmish reffing). It applies equally whether your are wandering or in a fixed location.<br>
These are not detailed "how to" instructions for these tasks - but rather principles, and the general approach that you should have in mind while performing them.

==Processing rituals – requirements==
* '''The rules as written say that players should get a ref "if possible" before performing a ritual, in order to allow it to be logged'''
* '''The player-to-ref ratio is far too high for this to be viable as a general approach. It is fine for most rituals to be reported after the fact'''
* '''It is NOT required for all casters and targets to be present when the ritual is logged – a list of participants is fine'''
It is common for rituals (and other processes) to be reported after the fact – with few exceptions, this is entirely acceptable. Exceptions – cases where it is critical that a ref knows in advance, and possibly needs to observe the ritual – are uncommon, and are usually obvious, typically involving PVP (e.g. ritual curses involving a Pronouncement of Doom).<br>

There is no requirement for caster(s) and target(s) to all be present at the point that the ritual is logged - it can be useful for this to be the case (in order to help ensure that correct details are logged), but it is not required. If a caster turns up with a list of targets, or targets turn up with details of the caster(s), then this is still fine to log.<br>
It is preferable if players who do this include both PID and character name (or other identifying information) on their lists, so that transcription/handwriting/etc. errors can be detected and resolved; however, if all they have is PIDs then that’s still acceptable, and we do our best with the available information. Only if you reasonably have significant concern that the target is not being correctly identified should you decline to process it without satisfactory confirmation or clarification.<br>
In principle, it is possible for players doing this to be knowingly reporting false information (e.g. they have the ID of a caster, but did not actually get that person to cast the ritual on them; or they are reporting a target upon whom they did not actually roleplay the casting). However, so long as they are still spending the relevant resources, the combined risk and impact of this is vanishingly small: they would just be cheating themselves out of roleplay.

==Updating character records==
* '''Things you can update on a character record as a ref:'''
** '''Ritual Mastery and/or Artisan Items – if they have a suitable free slot'''
** '''Adding new skills – if they have sufficient unspent XP'''
** '''Retraining – if you are aware of the [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|process]] and comfortable with following it'''
** '''Leaving a banner/sect/coven – if they are not immediately joining a new one'''
** '''Breaking item bonds – where it is more convenient than via the ribbon record'''
** '''Removing active effects on the “Magic” tab when they have been fixed IC'''
* '''Do not change character records for anything else without Shift Lead/Head Referee permission – in most such cases you will refer the participant to GOD'''
* '''Avoid updating character records without the player or their registered proxy being present'''

Updates to character records are generally things that participants should edit themselves through their own accounts, GOD functions, or things that they need to email in about; however, there are a number of exceptions where (mostly for reasons of convenience) it is acceptable normal practice for refs to make updates during events. It is always fine to (at the participant’s request) fill available ritual mastery or artisan item slots, or to spend available XP gaining new skills.<br>
If a participant wants to use their Retraining slot, in order to free up ritual mastery/artisan item slots or XP, then you should only do this if you are comfortable with the process detailed [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|here]], paying close attention to the cutoff date. In general, participants should be encouraged to do this via their own accounts – our ability to do it is primarily in order to avoid having multi-player ritual processing held up while 1 or 2 people go to GOD to update their characters.<br>
If a character is leaving a banner/coven/sect without joining another one then this is processed by editing their character to set the relevant field to blank. If they are joining another one then this should be processed as Create Bond on the Magic menu as normal (administratively the new band will simply overwrite the old one on their record – in character they still needed the Create Bond spell casting twice, once to remove them from the old band and again to bond them to the new one)<br>
Occasionally it is more convenient to break existing item bonds via the “Bonds” tab of the character record (rather than via the Ribbon record as normal), and this is also fine.<br>
Sometimes an ongoing effect listed on the “Magic” tab of the character record is ended early (typically when a Curse effect is removed) – this is performed using the “Break Enchantment” button next to the relevant effect on that tab.<br>

Other than the cases described above, you should not amend character records without the explicit permission of your Shift Lead or Head Ref, and (if possible) refer the participant to the correct route for their request.<br>

As a general principle, you should avoid updating anyone’s character record without them being present, or having some kind of confirmation that they are OK with it. If the person asking you to do it is a registered proxy for the player of the character being updated then this is OK, and the responsibility of the proxy; proxy details appear on [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/admin/player?25 player] records, “Details” tab, and they indicate “Proxy for:” (i.e. this person can may proxy decisions on behalf of the person(s) listed) and/or “Proxy by” (i.e. this person may have decisions made on their behalf by the person(s) listed).<br>
The most common situation you are likely to encounter such requests is in a coven ritual casting, where one or more of the casters does not have the ritual mastery that the player reporting it expects; is OK to exercise your judgement in these cases – for example, if one or more casters without mastery of the ritual being reported have free slots (that could be used for it), but are not present to check with, then it is acceptable to process the casting (recalculating magnitude achieved and mana required) as if they did have the mastery, with a request that they get their character record updated at their earliest convenience. If you have concerns that any participant is abusing levels of trust placed in them, in such situations, then you can put a note on the character and/or player record as appropriate (remember that Ref Notes are only visible to a more restricted audience than User Notes.)

==Messaging Eternals==
Text originally written for E2 2026 RefInfo page, but added here as generally applicable
* Players can only send a message to an eternal if they are using a ritual/ribbon/etc. that '''explicitly''' says that they can
* Note that, just because ritual/ribbon/etc. allows something to be sent through (e.g. specific items, resources, etc.), it still does not allow a written message to be included unless it explicitly says so (the magical channel/portal/etc only accepts the stuff actually specified)
** Ruling confirmed on Crew Discord ref-text channel by Graeme ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510020884323106816 link]) and Matt ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510339828418347058 link])
** General explanation of why this is restricted can be found in the "OOC Note about Communication" box [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Eternals_and_rituals#Plenipotentiary here]
*** In summary:
**** Part of the game is about who gets to negotiate with an eternal - the more communication routes allowed, the more that part of the game is undermined
**** Every message from a player to an NPC is extra work for plot - limiting to expected communications ensures that sufficient resources are available to respond, and prevents player disappointment and frustration from failed attempts to initiate communication with eternals (who may not currently even be active in plot)
** Additional explanation from Matt:
<quote>Think of a ritual as a thing that can carry things.<br>

Think of stuff as being light, so it's easy to carry with a ritual. You can put resources in a box and send them - easy.<br>

Think of words as being heavy - in magical terms they weigh a lot. Think about how long it takes you to type up the message afterwards to see why words are "heavy" in Empire. That's why pleni is word count limited...<br>

Words weigh a lot - you need special magic to carry words - because they're heavy. Usually the magic limits how many words can be sent. You can't just pop the heavy words in with all those light resources, for the same reason that you can't put 4,000 Kg of uranium in your car. Sure... it'll fit just fine in the boot, but you ain't going anywhere...</quote>

[[Category:Reffing]]

Imperial:TitleBar

2026-08-19T00:26:01Z

Xavin:

* All Crew
** [[General introduction|Overview]]
** --
** [[Crewing]]
** [[Crew organization|Organization]]
** [[What to wear|What to Wear]]
** [[Crew protocol|Crew Protocol]]
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** [[New crew|New Crew]]
** --
** [[Time off|Time Off]]
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** [[Crew facebook groups|Crew Facebook Groups]]
* Safety
** [[Draft Safety]]
* Plot
** [[Plot organization|Organization]]
** --
** =Writing=
** [[Plot team|Plot Team]]
** [[Style guide|Style Guide]]
** [[Plot creation process|Process]]
** [[Plot tools|Tools]]
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** [[Skirmish style guide|Approach]]
* NPCs
** [[NPC guidelines|Guidelines]]
** --
** = Civil Service =
** [[Civil Service]]
** [[NPC costume|NPC Costume]]
** [[Hub records|Hub Records]]
** = Skirmish Team =
** [[The Hundred]]
** = Player Support =
** [[Three Refrains]]
* Refs
** [[Introduction to reffing]]
** [[Ref Roles & Training]]
** = Guidelines =
** [[Anvil Combat Protocols]]
** [[Anvil ref guidelines]]
** [[Intervention|How and When to Intervene]]
** [[Write-ups]]
** [[Reffing_small_events|Reffing Small Events]]
** = Battles =
** [[Battle and skirmish processes|Battle and Skirmish Processes]]
** [[Battle ref guidelines|Battle Ref Guidelines]]
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** [[Wiki Maintenance Stuff]]

Anvil ref guidelines

2026-08-19T00:23:09Z

Xavin: Created page with "This page contains general guidance for Anvil reffing (as opposed to Skirmish reffing). It applies equally whether your are wandering or in a fixed location.<br> These are not detailed "how to" instructions for these tasks - but rather principles, and the general approach that you should have in mind while performing them. ==Processing rituals – requirements== * '''The rules as written say that players should get a ref "if possible" before performing a ritual, in orde..."

This page contains general guidance for Anvil reffing (as opposed to Skirmish reffing). It applies equally whether your are wandering or in a fixed location.<br>
These are not detailed "how to" instructions for these tasks - but rather principles, and the general approach that you should have in mind while performing them.

==Processing rituals – requirements==
* '''The rules as written say that players should get a ref "if possible" before performing a ritual, in order to allow it to be logged'''
* '''The player-to-ref ratio is far too high for this to be viable as a general approach. It is fine for most rituals to be reported after the fact'''
* '''It is NOT required for all casters and targets to be present when the ritual is logged – a list of participants is fine'''
It is common for rituals (and other processes) to be reported after the fact – with few exceptions, this is entirely acceptable. Exceptions – cases where it is critical that a ref knows in advance, and possibly needs to observe the ritual – are uncommon, and are usually obvious, typically involving PVP (e.g. ritual curses involving a Pronouncement of Doom).<br>

There is no requirement for caster(s) and target(s) to all be present at the point that the ritual is logged - it can be useful for this to be the case (in order to help ensure that correct details are logged), but it is not required. If a caster turns up with a list of targets, or targets turn up with details of the caster(s), then this is still fine to log.<br>
It is preferable if players who do this include both PID and character name (or other identifying information) on their lists, so that transcription/handwriting/etc. errors can be detected and resolved; however, if all they have is PIDs then that’s still acceptable, and we do our best with the available information. Only if you reasonably have significant concern that the target is not being correctly identified should you decline to process it without satisfactory confirmation or clarification.<br>
In principle, it is possible for players doing this to be knowingly reporting false information (e.g. they have the ID of a caster, but did not actually get that person to cast the ritual on them; or they are reporting a target upon whom they did not actually roleplay the casting). However, so long as they are still spending the relevant resources, the combined risk and impact of this is vanishingly small: they would just be cheating themselves out of roleplay.

==Updating character records==
* '''Things you can update on a character record as a ref:'''
** '''Ritual Mastery and/or Artisan Items – if they have a suitable free slot'''
** '''Adding new skills – if they have sufficient unspent XP'''
** '''Retraining – if you are aware of the [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|process]] and comfortable with following it'''
** '''Leaving a banner/sect/coven – if they are not immediately joining a new one'''
** '''Breaking item bonds – where it is more convenient than via the ribbon record'''
** '''Removing active effects on the “Magic” tab when they have been fixed IC'''
* '''Do not change character records for anything else without Shift Lead/Head Referee permission – in most such cases you will refer the participant to GOD'''
* '''Avoid updating character records without the player or their registered proxy being present'''

Updates to character records are generally things that participants should edit themselves through their own accounts, GOD functions, or things that they need to email in about; however, there are a number of exceptions where (mostly for reasons of convenience) it is acceptable normal practice for refs to make updates during events. It is always fine to (at the participant’s request) fill available ritual mastery or artisan item slots, or to spend available XP gaining new skills.<br>
If a participant wants to use their Retraining slot, in order to free up ritual mastery/artisan item slots or XP, then you should only do this if you are comfortable with the process detailed [[Anvil_ref_processes#Retraining_skills|here]], paying close attention to the cutoff date. In general, participants should be encouraged to do this via their own accounts – our ability to do it is primarily in order to avoid having multi-player ritual processing held up while 1 or 2 people go to GOD to update their characters.<br>
If a character is leaving a banner/coven/sect without joining another one then this is processed by editing their character to set the relevant field to blank. If they are joining another one then this should be processed as Create Bond on the Magic menu as normal (administratively the new band will simply overwrite the old one on their record – in character they still needed the Create Bond spell casting twice, once to remove them from the old band and again to bond them to the new one)<br>
Occasionally it is more convenient to break existing item bonds via the “Bonds” tab of the character record (rather than via the Ribbon record as normal), and this is also fine.<br>
Sometimes an ongoing effect listed on the “Magic” tab of the character record is ended early (typically when a Curse effect is removed) – this is performed using the “Break Enchantment” button next to the relevant effect on that tab.<br>

Other than the cases described above, you should not amend character records without the explicit permission of your Shift Lead or Head Ref, and (if possible) refer the participant to the correct route for their request.<br>

As a general principle, you should avoid updating anyone’s character record without them being present, or having some kind of confirmation that they are OK with it. If the person asking you to do it is a registered proxy for the player of the character being updated then this is OK, and the responsibility of the proxy; proxy details appear on [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/admin/player?25 player] records, “Details” tab, and they indicate “Proxy for:” (i.e. this person can may proxy decisions on behalf of the person(s) listed) and/or “Proxy by” (i.e. this person may have decisions made on their behalf by the person(s) listed).<br>
The most common situation you are likely to encounter such requests is in a coven ritual casting, where one or more of the casters does not have the ritual mastery that the player reporting it expects; is OK to exercise your judgement in these cases – for example, if one or more casters without mastery of the ritual being reported have free slots (that could be used for it), but are not present to check with, then it is acceptable to process the casting (recalculating magnitude achieved and mana required) as if they did have the mastery, with a request that they get their character record updated at their earliest convenience. If you have concerns that any participant is abusing levels of trust placed in them, in such situations, then you can put a note on the character and/or player record as appropriate (remember that Ref Notes are only visible to a more restricted audience than User Notes.)

==Messaging Eternals==
Text originally written for E2 2026 RefInfo page, but added here as generally applicable
* Players can only send a message to an eternal if they are using a ritual/ribbon/etc. that '''explicitly''' says that they can
* Note that, just because ritual/ribbon/etc. allows something to be sent through (e.g. specific items, resources, etc.), it still does not allow a written message to be included unless it explicitly says so (the magical channel/portal/etc only accepts the stuff actually specified)
** Ruling confirmed on Crew Discord ref-text channel by Graeme ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510020884323106816 link]) and Matt ([https://discord.com/channels/539902929411506186/946724000489431050/1510339828418347058 link])
** General explanation of why this is restricted can be found in the "OOC Note about Communication" box [https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Eternals_and_rituals#Plenipotentiary here]
*** In summary:
**** Part of the game is about who gets to negotiate with an eternal - the more communication routes allowed, the more that part of the game is undermined
**** Every message from a player to an NPC is extra work for plot - limiting to expected communications ensures that sufficient resources are available to respond, and prevents player disappointment and frustration from failed attempts to initiate communication with eternals (who may not currently even be active in plot)
** Additional explanation from Matt:
<quote>Think of a ritual as a thing that can carry things.<br>

Think of stuff as being light, so it's easy to carry with a ritual. You can put resources in a box and send them - easy.<br>

Think of words as being heavy - in magical terms they weigh a lot. Think about how long it takes you to type up the message afterwards to see why words are "heavy" in Empire. That's why pleni is word count limited...<br>

Words weigh a lot - you need special magic to carry words - because they're heavy. Usually the magic limits how many words can be sent. You can't just pop the heavy words in with all those light resources, for the same reason that you can't put 4,000 Kg of uranium in your car. Sure... it'll fit just fine in the boot, but you ain't going anywhere...</quote>

[[Category:Refs]]