Rituals

Rituals are a type of Esoteric Art centered on the invocation of natural powers and the Authorities of great beings trough the performance of ceremonial acts - such as chanting, dances and sacrifices - characterized by symbolism and strict adherence to format and process. The performance of a Ritual will typically involve the use of numerous accessories to aid the performer. They may also have to select an appropriate time of day, or a particular date or season, and observe peculiar codes of conduct to increase their chances of success. As Rituals beseech the Domains of divinity, they may employ more abstract effects in place of directly stating a Mystical Effect.
Rituals are mostly employed for casting mystical effects over large areas or with permanent effects, for summoning, and for seeking boons from certain entities. Any of these cases can fail spectacularly, resulting in calamity. As anyone is theoretically capable of performing a Ritual if given the knowledge, these make perfect vehicles for the influence of evil entities. Therefore, throughout Amurel, the practice and proliferation of Rituals is perceived with fear and skepticism. At best, this takes the form of strict monitoring and control by local authorities. At worst, performing a Ritual may be grounds for imprisonment or death. The clergy will typically retain the right to perform Rituals in the name of their gods, offering it as a service to the local populace. 
== Performing a Ritual ==
A Ritual requires at least one Performer, who goes trough the process of casting the Ritual. The resolution of the Ritual is determined by a Draw against the Ritual's Primary Check by the Performer. Each Ritual is described with a block of information that includes the Ritual's name, Casting Time, Cost, Duration, Interlocutor and Primary Check, as well as Secondary Checks and Mystical Effects, if these exist. The remainder of the entry describes the effect of the Ritual. 
Template Ritual
Casting Time: (n) Minutes, Hours, Days, etc...
Cost: Total cost (₩) of materials and/or well as specific Ingredientes (if any) required for the casting of the Ritual
Duration: Instantaneous; (n) Minutes, Hours, Days, etc...
Tier: Minimum level in the Mysticism skill required to be the primary caster of this Ritual
Interlocutor: The Entity and Authorities (in parenthesis) invoked by this Ritual
Primary Check: The main check that will determine the result of the Ritual
Secondary Checks: List of Secondary Checks (if any) that accompany the Ritual performance
[Mystical Effects]
----Description of the Ritual's effects and behavior.
=== Primary and Secondary Checks ===
The resolution of a Ritual is determined by a Mysticism (INT) Primary Check. The DC of this Primary Check is mainly determined by the Cost of the Ritual, the highest Attainment required to learn the Mystical Effects used to compose it, and the Stratum at which the Domain is employed, as seen in the Ritual Creation section. Depending on the complexity of the Ritual, a number of Secondary Checks will be imposed during the casting procedure. Typical examples include Crafting (AGI) Checks, when the Ritual requires the creation of certain charms; Performance (GLA or AGI) Checks, in cases where the Ritual requires chanting or dancing as part of its casting; a particular Lore Check, to determine the appropriate time or presence of certain constellations; and Persuasion (GLA) Checks to determine the outcome of negotiations with certain entities that may be conjured by the Ritual. 
=== Interlocutor ===
An Interlocutor is the source of Divinity that the Ritual will reference. This is an unavoidable part of using the natural forces of the universe. The Interlocutor doesn't necessarily need to be a Deity however; any entity with sufficient Divinity, such as an Artifact, Mystical Wonder, or even the Performer 'Themselves', will do just as well. In any case, the Interlocutor must have an Authority of a relevant Domain to the subject of the Ritual. That is to say, a Ritual involving healing may only be performed with an Interlocutor with an Authority of the Life Domain, such as an Authority over Flesh, Fertility or Medicine. If an entity doesn't directly state an Authority over a matter relevant to the objectives of the Ritual, they may not be its Interlocutor. Only entities at the Stratum of Demi-God and above can serve as Interlocutors for a Ritual. Furthermore, the Ritual may only employ their Domain up to a Stratum that they posses. 
== Ritual Requirements ==
Certain requirements must be met before the Ritual can be completed. These must be completed before the Ritual can be led to its Primary Check.
=== Stage ===
A Ritual requires the construction of a Stage that will resonate with the powers the Performer is attempting to summon. To do so, the location in which the Ritual is to be performed must be isolated from the surrounding area. This can be achieved in one of three ways:
# By magically Concealing the location of the Ritual;
# By magically sealing or isolating the location of the Ritual; 
# By drawing a perimeter around the Ritual with a Favored Material of the Interlocutor. This can be replaced by using a (-Sanctified-) object to draw an imaginary perimeter around the location of the Ritual. In either case, this has the same effect as isolating the location of the Ritual.
Once the Stage is set, the Performer assembles the necessary Ingredients, as listed in the Ritual's description.
=== Favored Materials ===
If the Ritual's Interlocutor is a deity, you must incorporate at least one of their Favored Materials within the Ritual's Stage. You may replace any object within the Stage with an appropriate Favored Material, such as an Ingredient, accessory, or Target, as long as that would not invalidate them from their original purpose in the Ritual.
=== Connection to Target ===
The target of a Ritual is the entity on which the Ritual will take effect. It may be anything from an object or structure, to a creature, or even an entire location. Not having the Target of the Ritual within its Stage necessitates the formation of a Connection. This can achieved with traditional methods of establishing a Connection to another entity, such as:
* Possessing a relevant piece of them (hair, soil, flesh);
* If they are a living creature, possessing a sample of their blood (or a similar vitae-bearing fluid);
* Speaking an incantation with their true name in a Mystical Language (formulating an incantation that would equally identify the Target may also be valid). However, in such a case, the Target may elect to not respond, nullifying the Ritual;
* Creating a icon with sufficient likeness (such as a painting, doll or statue).
Whenever a Ritual requires the establishment of a Connection, it may also state a particular method for establishing it, alongside any particularities or additions to said method that must be followed. 
== Learning Rituals ==
Rituals are not particularly rare. Many among the clergy are entrusted with knowledge on Rituals calling upon their chosen Deity. Although unwilling to teach, most would be willing to perform them for the faithful - and some, for any who could afford them. Cultists, meanwhile, learn their Rituals from taboo sources. They are typically happy to teach the Rituals they know in exchange for tribute, but these will likely to call upon dangerous entities, carrying tremendous risks.
== Creating Rituals ==
In place of learning existing Rituals, you may elect to create your own from the various Mystical Effects you've learned. 
Once you have an initial idea of what you want the Ritual to be like, begin by defining the Target. Will your Ritual be designed to affect a particular creature, a group of creatures, or those within a certain area? Or will it affect a space or location; will it affect an object? Defining the Target first will make the awnser to one of the Ritual requirements, the Connection to its Target, come more naturally. If it targets a creature, for example, it might be worth it to base the Connection on a vitaeic substance or 
Mystical Effects, as if you were creating a Spell. 
As Rituals cannot be upcast, these should be set at the desired level during the creation of the Ritual. Furthermore, their Duration will be overridden by that of the Ritual. Although the Range of each Mystical Effect will be kept, their Point-of-Origin will be defined in the Ritual. 
 
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== trying to figure math out pls ignor ==
Ritual Cost (₩) = {[Total Material Cost * (Duration Modifier)] / (n)'s of Casting Time} - (n)'s of Duration*5 
 
Ritual Duration Modifier	Ritual Duration Modifier
Duration 	Modifier
(n) Turns 	-
(n) Minutes 	x 2
(n) Hours 	x 3
(...) One Step Increase 	x(+1)
Instant 	x 10
Ritual Complexity 	Ritual Complexity	Ritual Complexity 	Ritual Complexity
Total Ritual Cost (₩ )	Tier 	Casting Time 	Base Primary Check DC
1-50 	1 	(n) minute(s) 	6
51-100 	2 	(n) hour(s) 	8
101-150 	3 	(n) day(s) 	10
151-200 	4 	(n) week(s) 	12
201-350 	5 	(n) month(s) 	14
(...) + 51-50 	+ 1 	Increases One Step	+ 2
Ritual Materials	Ritual Materials 	Ritual Materials
Resource 	Material Type 	Resource - Material Conversion
Might 	Metals and Stones 	For every Might, 10 ₩ worth of one Mystical Material.
Numen 	Liquids and Extracts	For every Numen, 12 ₩ worth of one Mystical Material.
Fate 	Gems and Crystals 	For every Fate, 8 ₩ worth of one Mystical Material.
Category:Esoteric Arts