Horizon's Razor Edge

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a character, who must be present throughout.

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

Effects

The target may call cleave once each day with any melee weapon except a pike.

While under the enchantment the target experiences a roleplaying effect: you feel focused and ready, you are on the lookout for an opportunity to act decisively, achieving your goals with as little unnecessary effort as possible.

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. Every two additional characters increases the magnitude by 5. Additional characters must be present throughout.

Description

With the power of this ritual, a warrior is granted clarity of purpose, empowered to strike a single decisive blow that can cripple a limb or render a lightly- or unarmoured opponent incapacitated with one swift strike. It is also known as Strike of Running Water among the Navarr who make good use of it with spear-and-shield fighting style, and as The Sentinel's Poise in parts of Urizen.

This enchantment provides similar power to that granted by Swan's Cruel Wing, a Summer ritual. When the ritual was entered into Imperial Lore by the Dean of the Lyceum in 96YE there was some criticism - that there was little value in duplicating the power of Swan's Cruel Wing. At the time, the counterargument was made that while Summer magicians may excel at combative magic, their realm is not the only one that sees virtue in magic that allows warriors to strike decisive blows, and not every coven is trained in the lore of Summer.

Common Elements

This ritual usually involves both the target and their armoury. A ritualist might trace matching runes on weapons and warrior, or might encourage them to run through a 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. A toast of fresh water or fruit juice is often drunk, especially when the ritual is performed on a band of warriors rather than a single target. Legendary warriors, especially those who fought only when neccessary, are often invoked as are Paragons and Exemplars who showed great patience

Any of the Dayrunes might be evoked. Cavul, the rune of clarity and Aesh, the rune of thought, are commonly marked on the weapon and the wielder respectively. An evocation of The Key may be appropriate with this ritual, as might evocations of creatures such as mantids or birds.