Revelations of the Past

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. The ritual targets a single item or object which must be present throughout and must possess a ribbon or a Profound Decisions ID code.

Effects

When the ritual is complete, the ritualists and one other additional character who must be present throughout receive a vision during which key events in the history of the target item are revealed.

Period	Summary
Before History	Before records of human habitation of the Bay of Catazar
Ancient	Earliest recorded habitation of the Bay until foundation of Terunael
Terunael	Foundation of Terunael to Fall of Terunael
Chaos	Fall of Terunael to arrival of the Highborn
Pre-Imperial	Arrival of Highborn to roughly 20BE
Foundation	Roughly 20BE until the start of Empress Richilde's reign
Consolidation	Start of Empress Richilde's reign until start of First Interregnum
Expansion	Start of First Interregnum until start of Emperor Nicovar's reign
Turmoil	Start of Emperor Nicovar's reign until start of Second Interregnum
Renewal	Start of Second Interregnum until start of Empress Giselle's reign
Decline	Start of Empress Giselle's reign until start of Empress Britta's reign
Resurgence	Start of Empress Britta's reign until present

The older the object, the more likely information is to be uncovered. Objects created in the last few years are extremely unlikely to reveal anything through the use of this ritual. The ritual provides visions that answer some or all of the following questions:

• How old is this item? This information reveals which broad historical period the item was created in.
• What information is there about significant events the item has been present at?

The ritual is likely to be equally effective on magic items as mundane items - provided that they have a ribbon of a Profound Decisions ID. The divination function of detect magic will indicate if there is information on an item that can be determined by this ritual.

If the item is shrouded or obscured by an effect of a higher magnitude, the ritual will identify the realm and magnitude of the shroud, and whether there is any information to be learned with this ritual, but nothing else.

Additional Magnitude

You may increase the magnitude of the ritual to penetrate shrouds or masks designed to conceal information.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional targets from the same band (banner, coven, or sect). Each additional target increases the magnitude by 6. The additional target must be present during the ritual.

Description

This ritual was codified at the Loom of Spells under the guidance of Sanvar Isk, a herald of Callidus. The ritual was chosen by Bledri Eternal of Navarr, the Dean of the Thorned Rose, and based on original work by the vate.

As a ritual codified by young, unpaid apprentices at the Loom of Spells, the ritual text itself is somewhat unique in tone, being full of hyperbole, flattery, and outlandish claims. The actual magic itself creates an effect reminiscent of Skein of Years, though it allows the sharing of the vision with an additional person.

Common Elements

As a divination, ritualists who favour the use of runes generally tend to employ the runes of Revelation, Discovery, and Secrets. What sets it apart from performances of Skein of Years is the use of runes associated with bonds, such as the runes of Dominion and Bargains.

Astronomancers might draw on the powers of Web and the Spider, or the Key. Again, the revelation to someone who is not a contributor to the ritual can be exemplified by use of the Chain or the Phoenix.

From a dramaturgical perspective, things are much the same as with Skein of Years. Both the Doctor and the Bishop are the obvious choices for personae. The Doctor, in particular, is incredibly useful when the performance incorporates a sequence where the item is studied as part of an investigation.

Original Text

The original text is duplicated here, both for completeness sake and for any insight it might offer Imperial magicians into the working of the Autumn realm or Sanvar Isk.

FROM THE DEPTHS OF TIME ITSELF COME...

THE ENTICING “REVELATIONS OF THE PAST"!
AN ASTOUNDING SPELL
DRAWING ON THE MAGIC OF THE VERY SKY AND THE SEA ITSELF!
CODIFIED FOR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE AT THE LOOM OF SPELLS, UNDER THE BENEFACTOR OF SANVAR ISK
^{(“NOT A SLAVER” – BISHOP CORADDO FILIARCHI DI REGARIO)}
AT THE DECREE OF THE STUDIOUS

BLEDRI ETERNAL, DEAN OF THE ROSES!

A CONCISE SUMMARY OF THE RITUAL FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WHEN THIS AMAZING RITUAL IS INEVITABLY ENTERED INTO THE ANNALS OF IMPERIAL LORE

This mysterious ritual reaches back into the tangled skein of the past to uncover secrets concerning the provenance of a single object. Under normal circumstances, such a ritual would provide this information only to those rousing the magic. The genius of Bledri Eternal is that his keen vision has seen a path to break the limitations of this magic and share it with another, one who is not themselves part of the ritual casting! Truly, a revelation! Of the past itself!

THE FAILINGS OF SKEIN OF YEARS

There is a much inferior ritual well know by Imperial magicians that allows them to scry the past. It is something of a pale shadow of the true magic rite known as the hand of the maker – more concerned about where something has been than where it originally came from. It is just about fit for purpose – but lacks anything approaching ambition.

This rite clearly exceeds the limitations of the Skein of Years. The ability to add an additional person to receive the vision perceived by the coven has obvious applications. Firstly, a scribe or other functionary can be paid to painstakingly record the vision and the insights of those who perceive it, leaving the magicians who are in the best position to actually appreciate the importance of what they are seeing to concentrate on the divination itself.

Most importantly, it is possible to share the vision created by this complex divination with a paying customer or patron. Previously, the one commissioning the skein of years needs must wait for the magicians to interpret the vision. How can they be sure what is important to the one holding the purse strings? My question is rhetorical – they clearly can’t, which is the weakness of all such transactions. Now the employer can see the vision themselves, ensuring that if they miss any vital detail, it is their own look out and the magicians are blameless!

Oh! Another possibility! When determining if a certain weapon has been used in a murder, the magistrates themselves can be made privy to the vision removing any doubt at all. Or an object with a particularly exciting, salacious, epicurean, or scandalous content could be presented for the delight of the jaded elites who will pay well for the privilege. The revelatory possibilities – and opportunities for advancement – are indeed endless!

PERFORMING THE REVELATIONS OF THE PAST

There’s lots of ways to perform divination rituals, but when selling them to others it’s important to make it clear that you are doing something both difficult and dangerous, but with a little bit of showmanship as well to leave them certain they have reaped the best reward for their coin. Ostentatious invocations of runes, stars, and eternals, or the use of many tools of divination and revelation such as runes, lenses, bright flames, compasses, and rods of power may be the order of the day.

The rune Sular, which encompasses the idea of searching for wealth and also knowledge, or the rune Diras which represents the kinds of valuable secrets that people will pay through their nose to learn – or prevent others from learning. Likewise, the Spider has especial resonance with this ritual – the additional observer is very much like that tiny creature that lurks on the edge of the web observing all that unfolds!

The clarity of the dramaturgical character of the Doctor or the Bishop can prove quite useful, especially when the theatrical performance incorporates a sequence where the item is studied as part of an investigation. Dramaturgy, of course, lends itself very well to ensuring that the patron has an exciting experience.