Clarity of the Master Strategist

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Day regio. This ritual targets an Imperial army. The general responsible for the army must be present throughout.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

This ritual uses a general to deliver an enchantment to a campaign army. The target campaign army gains a boost to it's combat ability equivalent to five additional basic military units.

The general used to focus this ritual experiences a short-lived roleplaying effect: they are immediately made aware of every single soldier and piece of equipment in the target campaign army, their status, readiness and prowess. This rush of information is often sufficient to knock a general off their feet or even cause a loss of consciousness, but fades entirely within around ten seconds. In some cases, a referee might use this opportunity to draw their attention to conditions or circumstances around the campaign army that may have plot implications.

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

Additional Power

This ritual can be used to grant a greater bonus. Every extra five effective military units added to the strength of the campaign army increases the magnitude of the spell by 60.

Description

This ritual empowers and enhances an army, using the Imperial general as focus. Every soldier in the target army gains an increased awareness of their role within the army, and the needs of the army as a whole. Officers are aware of the status and needs of the soldiers who fight under them, and gain a much greater understanding of the purpose and goal of strategic and tactical decisions. Captains and commanders receive an even more wide-ranging awareness, being able to understand and collate information about enemy movements and strength, the effects of terrain and weather, and the probabilities of success for any given maneuver. The army does not become infallible, but it gains an unparalleled ability to work as a single unit and to make informed decisions about how best to proceed. This clarity extends to interactions both with other campaign armies and with military units that join the army later, helping them to integrate and allowing the commanders to make reasonable decisions about their abilities.

On the battlefield, warriors under this enchantment fight cohesively, and sometimes display a supernatural awareness of their surroundings, their fellow soldiers, and the overall progress of the battle.

This ritual is also sometimes called Ascent of the Pyramid, a reference to the Day Eternal Turning Mirror who is sometimes invoked during this ritual for it's ability to perceive the many parts that make up a whole, and to assist in unifying those disparate agencies towards a single aim.

Common Elements

This ritual enhances a campaign army, and the general of the target army serves as a vital focus for delivering the magic. It is common to include a banner or standard that will be used by the target force as a focus for the ritual. Other common elements include the invocation of Paragons and Exemplars of Vigilance and Loyalty, as well as the names of Day Eternals associated with information such as the Turning Mirror. Other elements include girding or crowning the military leader, the rhythmic beat of military drums, the presence of warriors from the same nation as the target as witnesses. Another common element is the use of crystals and mirrors to reflect parts of the ritual, slowly moving them towards a single location to symbolise the coming together of disparate elements.

The rune of thought, Aesh, is favoured for this ritual as are the Autumn runes Queros and Lann. The constellations of The Chain and The Three Sisters might be invoked, as might the characters of The Captain or The Doctor.