Blades of Clear Sight

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This ritual is part of Urizen lore rather than Imperial lore.

Rules

Urizen Lore

This ritual is part of Urizen lore rather than Imperial Lore. Any Urizen character with the appropriate lore can master or perform this ritual. A character from another nation who mastered the ritual before it became part of Urizen lore may still perform it, but does so under the usual rules for performing a ritual learned from a ritual text.

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a character, who must be present throughout. The target character must possess the weapon master skill. This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

The target may call IMPALE three times each day with any great weapon. In addition they may react to any roleplaying effect that attempts to coerce them to follow another being by immediately lashing out at the source of that effect instead.

While under the enchantment they also experience a roleplaying effect: you find it difficult to tolerate anyone who you believe is trying to exert authority over you. In mild cases you might simply ignore them but in situation where you feel especially bullied or oppressed you find it difficult not to physically lash out at that person.

If the target regains all spent hero points by some method, such as drinking an Elixir of Exalted Puissance, being targeted by the effect of Sutannir's Promise, or being exposed to a musical instrument such as a Celebrant's Fiddle, they also regain all spent uses of this ability at the same time. Other methods of restoring hero points that are not listed as restoring them all in one go do not restore uses of this ability (for example drinking multiple Philtres of Strength or bottles of Skop's Mead).

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional characters from the same banner. Each additional character increases the magnitude by 11. Additional characters must be present throughout.

Description

This ritual was one of the first to become part of Urizen lore, alongside the more controversial Chastise the Foolish and The Certainty of Doubt. These three rituals were included in a set of scrolls belonging to a sect of sword scholars named A Single Strike. In Winter 383YE, enthused by the support that the Urizen Assembly and the Assembly of Wisdom had at that time shown for their creed, Helos of the Moonfall Blade proposed to contribute the scrolls - one of the hidden grimoires belonging to the followers of Sulemaine - to the establishment of Urizen lore. The collected writings of A Single Strike record details of the sword scholar philosophy compiled by the Moonfall Blade temple alongside the texts for the three rituals that had hitherto been carefully guarded by Helos' sect.

Sulemaine said both "The soul is a blade; properly wielded, one strike can change the world" and "Bring strength against weakness and victory is yours." This enchantment empowers a master of the greatsword to strike down their enemies with a single blow, and ensures that they remember that only victory matters.

Helos of the Moonfall Blade

Not all the sword scholars view such largesse with equimanity however. Some of them still held a grudge against their fellows - blaming them in part for the massacre at the Temple of the Winds. As an internal compromise, Helos secured the approval of at least some of their peers by promising to secure a bounty of liao before they would allow the book to become part of lore. The liao was to be distributed between several of the sword scholar sects and used to create auras in keeping with the wider goal of spreading the teachings of Sulemaine throughout Urizen and - with the support of the Assembly of Wisdom - across the rest of the Empire. At least fifty doses of liao were eventually provided to Helos and his followers. The decision to contribute the scrolls remained contentious with several of the more traditionalist sects of the sword scholars, right up until the nation chose to turn away from the teachings of Sulemaine.

The enchantment the magic creates is reportedly a staple of the sword scholar tradition, and some students of history suggest it may have been used by Sulemaine herself. Indeed there are some followers of her creed who claim that she herself was responsible for its codification. There's little evidence for this being the case, but the lack of such does little to dissuade them from their belief. It grants someone proficient with great swords to inflict devastating carnage on their foes by striking with absolute precision. Drawing the resonance of mastery and focus, it aligns the mind, body, and blade of the recipient in a harmonious whole capable of delivering near perfect blows in combat. The magic goes beyond that of Alignment of Mind and Blade, to which it could be compared, by building on the knowledge and training the target already possesses and empowering their arete to let them deploy their expertise with deadly effect.

It is notable that the magic encourages the recipient to consider their own judgement in all things. It urges them to trust themselves, and to resist anyone who attempts to exert dominion or authority over them. Choosing who will experience the enchantment can be a serious decision in and of itself - lest the ritualists who wove the magic find themselves on its receiving end should the recipient feel they are trying to exert undue influence over them.

Common Elements

This ritual usually involves both the recipient and their weapon. The ritualist might trace matching runes on weapons and warrior, or might encourage them to perform a flaweless weapon-drill. Some magicians encourage the targets to remain absolutely still, sometimes in an uncomfortable martial pose, until the climax of the ritual when they explode into action with a single dramatic strike. Traditionally the ritual would involve a recitation of some of the tenets of the sword scholars, especially those believed to come directly from Sulemaine. As the schism within the sword scholars between those who looked to Sulemaine for inspiration and those who eschewed her teachings, this element has declined significantly.

Arete, excellence, and poise are often referenced in the performance of the ritual. The target might speak of the deeds they intend to perform, or recite a personal creed based on their philosophical understanding of what it means to kill. Usually the performers practice restraint and clarity attempting to put aside any strong passions that might interfere with the flow of Day magic. This is not a ritual for expressing hatred of a particular foe, or to talk about seeking vengeance - and ritualists may work to draw out what the target thinks rather than what they feel.

Beyond philosophical speech, the ritual might be empowered by the use of the Stork, or by the runes of clarity, seeking, and thought.