Whispering Shadow Courtiers

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. During the ritual the contributors must whisper a secret of some sort, preferably one unknown to the other contributors.

Effects

During the ritual the ritualists become increasingly aware of whispering voices, and may begin to become aware of shadowy indistinct shapes observing them from nearby.

At the completion of the ritual, the contributors each learn a single fact, or receive a short vision, that reveals secret knowledge. The secret is invariably revealed without context, although these secrets are almost always relevant to current events around the Empire.

Each contributor receives the same piece of information. A character can receive only one secret each event; performing the ritual again will simply reveal the same secret, even if it is no longer relevant or has become widely known.

It is not possible to direct this spell to gain information about specific topics.

OOC Elements

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

The visions tend to refer to events hidden in the backgrounds of characters attending the event and may concern both player-characters and non-player characters; to current events that effect the people of the Empire; or to past events whose details relate to current events in some fashion.

Description

This ritual is often seen as a counterpart to Signs and Portents; like that mysterious ritual it seems to pluck information out of the air, and like that ritual it seems to ensue that the information is relevant to some degree - although the onus lies on the ritualists to get some value from the secret they uncover. Another key difference between this ritual and Signs and Portents is that the visions are much more likely to refer to things that have happened in the past than they are to events that may happen in the future or the present.

The visions tend to be less symbolic than those gained from Signs and Portents, although this can vary. Visions that concerns secret wrongdoing in particular tend to me more symbollic - they often serve to point the caster in the direction of a group or nation rather than an individual. A vision about a Dawnish with with "blood on her hands" might contain hints as to the heraldric device of the witch, for example, rather than explicitly revealing that information. Some degree of interpretation is almost always needed. Still, more than one ritualist has been involved in bringing a criminal to justice by carefully pursuing a hint uncovered through this ritual.

Every ritualist who has performed Whispering Shadow Courtiers reports the same awareness of whispering voices, and indistinct shadowy shapes. To date, no Imperial magician has conclusively explained this phenomenon although most ritualists believe that these are probably spirits of the Night realm, or possibly emissaries of a Night Eternal, most likely agents of the Whisper Gallery. The Axou by contrast claim to believe that these are the spirits of the dead, whispering secret lore they have gained beyond the boundaries of life. This tale is usually dismissed as fanciful rubbish.

Common Elements

This ritual often involves consuming a narcotic of some sort, or the burning of strong incense to produce a form of mist or obscuring fog. It is often performed in secret; invocations are whispered, and identities are concealed with masks, cowls, cloaks and hoods. Runestones may be used, especially if they are concealed in darkess - creating a divination that nobody reads is seen as a clever way to create a secret. It is common for the ritual to start in dim light, and for the ritualists to slowly deepen the darkess by extinguishing candles or lanterns as they weave their magic.

Symbols of Wisdom or Vigilance may be used, and the rune Diras has obvious application here. The ritual is associated with the Whisper Gallery, the Shadow Courtiers of the Realm of Night, who are said to collect all secrets and hoard them as a miser hoards wealth. Their names are often invoked during the performance of the ritual, as is the name of Sadogua, especially if the contributors are hoping to receive magical insights.