Dark Ages Rituals

(Level One)
The Knotted Cord
This Ritual has saved many an infernalist from trial and execution, by silencing accusers.
System: The infernalist must knot a length of rope while reciting the name of whomever she wishes to silence.

Bind the Familiar
This Ritual calls and binds a familiar to the infernalist. System: This hour-long ritual calls up a minor imp that possesses an animal’s body and serves the infernalist faithfully.

(Level Two)
Bring Forth the Hell Beast
Through the use of this Ritual, an infernalist may infuse an animal with corruption and rage. The beast becomes twisted and evil, seeking to wreak the Devil’s own havoc on humanity.
System: An infernalist who knows this ritual merely needs to lay his hands on any beast and thereby infuse it with a little of his blood (one Blood Point). The animal flies into a rage and attempts to kill anyone and anything it encounters, until slain. This trace of infernal taint provides increased strength (Potence 1), and the animal becomes so frenzied that it feels no pain (is not affected by wound penalties).

Warding Circle
This Ritual prepares an area for infernal magics by creating a protective circle to defend the infernalist from a demon’s anger.
System: The warding circle is a complicated diagram of astrological symbols that has to be drawn with special chalks while an incantation is intoned. The infernalist can either create a temporary warding circle, which takes 30 minutes to complete, or makes a permanent circle, which takes several nights. Once the circle is completed, the infernalist must stand inside it and activate the ritual magic with a prepared phrase or prayer. So long as the infernalist remains within the enchanted space, she is protected from any attack by an infernal creature.

(Level Three)
Blood Imp
This strange Ritual allows the infernalist to distill an obedient homunculus from his own blood. The homunculus assumes the form of a small animal, often a j ackdaw or monkey, and can be used as a spy or thief.
System: The Blood Imp is created from vitae and shaped by the magic of the ritual. It has a Strength Attribute (for carrying things only) equal to the Blood Points spent on its creation. It has no combat abilities (though it may serve as a distraction) and lasts for one night. Its method of locomotion is based on its animal form (jackdaws can fly, monkeys climb, etc.).

Bloody Bones
This Ritual is cast over an area. The infernalist must bury a specially prepared bag of bones in the area of casting. Once this is done, the place is cursed plants wither and die, stillbirths are common, and tempers flare easily. The cause of the curse is a spirit that is bound into the bones.
System: The spirit bound into the bloody bones has influence over an area as large as a village. The area is cursed so long as the bones remain buried. Vampires can easily find the bag of bones with Heightened Senses; scattering the bones frees the spirit.

The Leaden Heart
An infernalist uses this Ritual to bind a target to the spot so that he cannot flee the fate in store for him.
System: The infernalist must not only know the name of the target but must use some personal token (a piece of clothing, a lock of hair) to work the magic. After a 10-minute Ritual, the victim finds himself unable to flee the area. The Ritual’s power ends either at cockcrow or if the victim’s name is called out by a true love. This Ritual is not limited by any distance; as long as the infernalist has a personal token she may affect her subject. Luckily for that subject, the token is consumed each time this Ritual is enacted.

(Level Four)
Vile Swarm
Infernalist Nosferatu have learned many secrets in their deep catacombs. This Ritual allows entire swarms of vermin to be commanded and used on missions of destruction.
System: The infernalist performs the Ritual to summon a horde of creatures (insects, bats or rats), and then feeds them her blood. These bound creatures swarm at the infernalist’s command, overwhelming foes and destroying crops and property. As long as the Infernalist concentrates, the swarm is disguised as if by Cloak the Gathering (such intense concentration requires the player to spend one Willpower point each hour). Hundreds, even thousands of creatures compose the swarm, and only fire or some other massive form of destruction can halt its rampage.

Lethean Chains
The infernalist may erase memories from his target by using a special potion, thereby concealing his evil actions.
System: This Ritual allows the Infernalist to distill a potion that causes the imbiber to forget all that happens for the space of one night — in her amnesiac state the victim is easily led astray and can even be blamed for the crimes of the infernalist. The Ritual itself is simple, taking only a few minutes of preparation time; however, the potion’s ingredients include the tears of a demon or water from an Underworld river, so are hard to obtain. Each preparation of the potion contains a number of doses equal to the infernalist’s successes.

(Level Five)
The Hand of Glory
This Ritual allows the Infernalist to put all the inhabitants of a building into a deep slumber.
System: The infernalist must ritually prepare a hand cut from the corpse of a hanged man. By lighting the fingers of the hand and using it as a torch, the infernalist causes all the inhabitants of any place he enters to fall asleep (if the infemalist enters a massive building such as a castle, only those in his immediate vicinity will sleep; those in distant parts of the structure are unaffected and are likely to notice the disturbance). Once those within slumber, the infernalist can move about freely.

Ward Versus Demon
This Ritual works in a manner similar to Ward Versus Ghouls (Level-Two Ritual), but affects demons and other infernal creatures.
System: The requirements of this Ritual are the same as those of Ward Versus Ghouls, except the required component is the blood of an innocent (non-infernalists learn a variant of this Ritual that requires holy water).
(VDA Comp)

Dark Thaumaturgy

disciplines