Arana's plague

Arana's plague is a legendary ritual invocation which is best known throughout Delvaruud.

It is a very intricate ritual and can only succeed when, according to the legend, it is carried out by the "chosen one". It is considered one of the most powerful displays of magic known to man. The ritual is described together with a prophecy that it will someday be cast to usher in a new age for the kazena race when the time is right.

Arana's plague is a terrible and by definition incurable disease which can only be contracted by people who are not from kazena descent. Effectively mass murdering the majority of other races gives the kazena a tremendous advantage and could take over the world which would for a long time only be inhabitable by themselves.

Many high priest awaits the day that the chosen one is found and Arana's plague may be released onto Varel.

## The day of obscuration

The day of obscuration is an astronomical event which takes place every 5.16 years. The stars Jumerus, Ocarn and Ukaron form a triangle, with Jazar in the center. On the day of obscuration, there is a total eclipse of Jazar by a planet. Since Jazar is an important sign in Delvaruudian religion, an eclipse of the star makes for a very significant sign. A jazarian eclipse has strong ties to the delvaruudian demon Arana, who according to the legends last departed to kzonar during a jazarian eclipse.

## The components

The ritual requires certain components. 6 kharèns, freshly smithed and sanctivised are required. The kharèns need to be of exceptional quality, all of them. Together with that, 5 young nymph women are required. For each nymph, a high priest is required. Plenty black waxen candles are required, as well as an unholy chalice filled with blood from a planewalker. Another requirement is a vat of distilled alcohol. The most important component of all is Arana's orb. A glass ball filled with billowing, swirling smoke. It is an ancient artefact supposedly created by Horenor and enchanted by Arana herself, magically "sealing the darkness between Jumerus and Ocarna and Ukaron".

## The chosen one

The chosen one is prophecized to be a very young, (nearly) purebred kazena, below the age of 15. The child has a strong innate sense for magic and can produce spells sometimes by merely thinking them, outskilling wizards 20 years older than them. Days leading up to the day of obscuration, the child has terrible nightmares, getting worse each day. On the day of obscuration itself, the terrible nightmares will also show the location of Arana's orb. After the child has had the nightmares once they are old enough to convey their meaning, a quest to retreive the orb may begin.

## The incantation

In the final step of the ritual, an incantation is chanted by the chosen one to invoke the magic. This part of the ritual interconnects all the other parts and initiates the magic. The incantation must be chanted in a high-pitched whispering voice for the invocation to be carried out successfully. The pacing of the incantation is important as well, requiring 2 syllables per approximate second.

The incantation goes as follows.

Arana va matore

Arana va jzranome

I, ojava va arenerus soron shara re juur

Uverna jera bonorau

Uverna jera bazekzonar

Uverna jera kanohore kurasa, Kanirai!

## The full ritual

The carrying out of the ritual is described in the following steps:

A round, heightened altar must be prepared. A peaking arrangement of black candles must be made, not unlike the back rest of a throne, facing the back of the ritual circle. The chalice with planewalkerblood must be laid to the chosen one's left, the sixth kharèn to their right, and Arana's orb in front, mounted in a stand.

The chosen one must be brought in and light the candles on the altar themself.

The chosen one now seats themself in the center of the altar.

The five nymphs are now brought to the altar by the high priests, undressed, tightly bound and gagged. The nymphs are laid in an equal distance from another and from the altar, forming a big ritual circle. They are laid with their feet towards the altar and facing the sky.

The high priests grab cups of alcohol and start forming a pentagram with the points of the star resting in between the breasts of the nymphs.

The setup is now complete, the true ritual commences.

The high priests each stand at the head of one of the nymphs and call out "VOREKORANA" - unholy silence.

The chosen one grabs the kharèn to their right, sticks out their toungue and slits it right down the middle.

The chosen one now picks up the chalice from their left and holds it up. This signals the high priests to now put on their cowls, close their eyes, make a praying gesture touching their thumbs to their chins, index fingers to their foreheads and pointing their hands straight up.

The high priests start chanting the incantation in a low, monotone voice.

The chosen one slowly drinks from the chalice, emptying it over the course of the first recital of the incantation.

Once the chalice is empty, the chosen one puts it down where they picked it from. The chose one now also makes the praying gesture and closes their eyes.

Once the second recital of the incantation begins, the chosen one joins in but with the whispering voice.

Once the second recital ends, the high priests step back once and hold onto their kharèn. The chosen one continues chanting the incantation.

Before the third recital ends, the gag of the druids is undone. The high priests now sit on their knees at the heads of the druids, holding their kharens firmly, ready to thrust down.

The instant the third recital is done, the high priests simultaneously thrust their daggers into the hearts of the nymphs to "release the inner fire". The chants are to continue through the screams of the dying nymphs.

Once the nymphs have bled enough, the high priests trace the pentagram with the nymphs' blood.

Once the pentagram has been completely traced, the high priests simultaneously cast a fireball on the chests of the nymphs, setting the pentagram ablaze.

The high priests now step away from the heads of the nymphs and kneel.

When the fifth recital begins, the smoke in de orb grows restless as winds start picking up.

When the fifth recital ends, the ritual has reached its inflection, it has now been carried out.

As the sixth recital begins, fierce winds start picking up around the chosen one, making the flames of the pentagram burn with passion. The chosen one will be pulled upwards slowly as they continue chanting the incantation. The orb starts floating next to them.

In a big shattering blow, the orb explodes as the smoke is pulled up like a tornado up to the skies, taking the chosen one with it.

From the smoke that billows upward, Arana forms, her talons, beak and eyes in bright red flames. Tremendous birds' shrieks and ghostly hisses intermixed sound as Arana sweeps furiously across the skies and the grounds, leaving behind a thick cloud of black smoke and strong air currents wherever she flew.

After flying over the nymphs and high priests for a while, spreading a storm of black smoke, she barrel rolls up to the skies and explodes in an enormous cloud of smoke which slowly but surely covers almost a quarter of the world until it lifts again, spreading its plague to almost all races at once.