Hengeyokai Rites are rites used by the Hengeyokai.
Overview[]
Hengeyokai enjoy participating in rites and use them as ceremonies that bind together the many Breeds of the Beast Courts in a common practice. Though Hengeyokai usually teach their rites to any shapechangers who ask politely (even Sunset People), they hold some apart for their own use and teach them to no one outside the Beast Courts.
Hengeyokai Accord Rites[]
The Beast Courts have their own versions of the Rites of Contrition and Cleansing and teach them to as many hengeyokai as they can. The Rite of the Great Burden is their version of the Rite of Renunciation and is used when a hengeyokai wishes to change from service to the Courts to service to her Breed or vice versa or when a Western Changer wishes to join the Beast Courts. When a hengeyokai changes her auspice to one more suited, she undergoes the Rite of the Second Face. This rite can only be performed once per individual and usually takes place at a crossroads.
- Level One[1]
- Rite of Feeding the Ghosts - This basic rite calls on one's ancestors to bestow their blessing from above, and offers up a sacrifice for their welfare. It is particularly popular among the Courts, and few hengeyokai beyond Rank Two or so are without knowledge of it. The rite is always performed in breed form, and almost always alone, although siblings or other relatives may honor their mutual ancestors in a communal rite. The ritemaster must make an appropriate offering of food to the ancestors - a Nezumi would offer plenty of rice, while a Kitsune would offer fine sake, candied sweetmeats and several fresh-killed rabbits. The hengeyokai then chants, howls, sings, dances or the like, whichever is most appropriate, while waiting for her Ancestor-spirits to devour the food. Although the food does not actually disappear if the rite is a success, the ritemaster's ancestors do consume the lingering spiritstuff of the sacrifice; anyone so callow as to eat the offering post-rite finds it bland, tasteless and without any real nutritional value.
- Nagah: Rite of the River's Blessing - This Rite of Accord is an archetypal Nagah purification ritual, performed after the death of a great enemy. The Nagah must kneel at the bank of a river or stream to enact it, and make obeisance to the water running by. As she chants a litany of mantras and praise to the Three Mothers, she washes herself in the water, then shifts to Azhi Dahaka to shake the drops from her hood. This rite is considered most auspicious when performed by moonlight, in full view of the Three Mothers.
- Level Two[2]
- Rite of the Great Burden - (See Rite of Renunciation)
- Rite of the Second Face - This rite declares to the spirit world that necessity decrees the hengeyokai must walk a different path. Like the Garou Rite of Renunciation, it is performed when a shapeshifter must change his auspice to one better suited to his current role. Most commonly, this is when a hengeyokai must give up the role of a sentai member and become a courtier, but circumstances might necessitate other changes. Aptly enough, this rite is always performed at a crossroads of some sort - even the crossing of two paths in a jungle or two currents in the sea suffices. The supplicant pleads for the spirits' blessing in his new role, and pledges renewed loyalty to the Beast Courts. At rite's end, his companions or fellow courtiers lead him away from the crossroads and welcome him to his new task.
Hengeyokai Caern Rites[]
The Eastern shapechangers value caerns just as highly as do the Westerners. And with all the Wyrm-beasts, Chi-thirsty Kuei-jin, power-hungry Namebreakers and rogue hengeyokai trying to size dragon nests for their own, the Asian beast-folk spend plenty of time and resources trying to keep the Emerald Mother's sacred places from being defiled. The Courts know their own versions of all Garou Caern Rites save The Badger's Burrow; although the actual specifics of the rituals might be unfamiliar to a Sunset Person, the end effects are very much the same.
Hengeyokai Rites of Death[]
Generally speaking, it is not for a court to ritually mourn the loss of one of their own. Death Rites are largely left to the Changing Breed in question, for nobody wishes to anger the Court of Ancestors by the improper burial of a descendant. As a result, each Changing Breed has their own highly stylized Death Rites, from the poetically formal funerals of the Hakken to the Nagah's eloquently simple consignment to the River. Only one rite stands out as distinctly of the Courts, rather than of any one race of beast-folk.
- Level Two[3]
- Journey's End - This solemn rite is performed for a fallen hero whose actions have highly honored his court. The hero's body is taken to the heart of the caern, and there set in a diamond formed by mystic lanterns burning with spirit-fire. The court's historian beats a drum slowly, letting the mournful tempo echo through the caern. In turn, a representative of each Breed present at the court step forward and honors the deceased in some way appropriate to his race - a Nagah representative might glide from the shadows and sing a brief song of glory; a Hakken might recite a haiku written in the fallen one's honor; a Kitsune might leave a beautiful calligraphy poem, exquisitely folded, on the hero's chest; a Nezumi might bow over the corpse, then throw his head back and release a keening wail. When the last envoy is finished, the hero's surviving sentai mates, if any, sing a chant of loss and sorrow. If an entire sentai has perished and is the subject of this rite, then this song is sung by the court's Gai'nan. At the song's end, the entire court chants a single mantra, calling the body home. As the mantra concludes, a high wind arises; the lanterns extinguish, and the body of the fallen vanishes, absorbed directly into the Umbra. No greater honor exists.
Hengeyokai Mystic Rites[]
Hengeyokai constantly seek spiritual attunement, and it is no surprise that they have mastered great numbers of Mystic Rites. These are the usual province of the court seer or sentai's Mirror, although the hengeyokai aren't against performing such rites as a group. The rites of Binding, Talisman Dedication, Spirit Awakening and Summoning are all well-known to the Courts, as well as a few rites peculiar to the Eastern beast-folk.
- Level Three[4]
- Rite of the Harmonious Journey - This rite is performed over shapeshifters who wish to form a mountain sentai. The rite usually takes place under moonlight, and involves the ritemaster ritually naming each participant by direction, element and task. At the close of this, the ritemaster leads the group into the Umbra, just as if treading the mountain's shoulders. There they journey to the desired totem spirit has given its blessing, the sentai emerges into the physical world once more.
- Level Four[5]
- Rite of the Spirit Tattoo - This peculiar rite is used to arm hengeyokai going on particularly dangerous missions. It involves binding a summoned spirit into the subject's skin, where it takes the form of a tattoo. When the hengeyokai calls on the spirit's power, the spirit will manifest its power in the form of one of its Charms - a Dragon-spirit tattoo might uncoil from the shapeshifter's torso and breathe a gout of fire on her foes, while an armored Ancestor-spirit might materialize into the solid world and attack. Once the spirit has performed its one service, it leaves; these tattoos are effectively talens bound into the shapeshifter's skin.
- Level Five[6]
- Kumo: Rite of the Goblin Chrysalis - Once of the most foul practices to be found among the Yomi Courts, the Rite of the Goblin Chrysalis binds a Bane into a living being, creating a bakemono. The bakemono-to-be must be bound in fresh Kumo silk and anointed with warm blood before the actual rite's beginning. Although this stipulation would seem to make this rite the Goblin Spiders' exclusive province, many fallen shapeshifters have discovered that silk fresh-cut from a Kumo's abdomen and properly handled works admirably, as well as providing a source of fresh blood to anoint the subject.
Hengeyokai Punishment Rites[]
Unsurprisingly, a wide variety of punishment rites are shared among the hengeyokai courts. These are largely unique, although the Tengu know variants of the Stone of Scorn and Satire Rite, and are willing to share them. A pair of sample hengeyokai punishments follow.
- Level Three[7]
- Rite of Quiet Burial - This rite commonly used on offenders who have proven themselves in need of time alone to contemplate their wrongdoing. They receive it - for they are buried alive and left in the dark earth until the punishment is complete. The subject is escorted to the place of burial, where the ritemaster binds his wrists and ankles with white cord and draws the hengeyokai symbol for "silence" on his forehead. The attendants then lower the subject into the prepared pit (administering any blows necessary to quell resistance along the way; the subject need not be conscious during this portion of the rite). The ritemaster then writes the subject's offense on a piece of bark, then throws it onto the subject's chest while intoning the story of the infraction to the four winds. Once the tale is complete, all present cover the subject with earth and tamp down the "grave." If the rite is performed successfully, the subject will not need to breather, eat or drink for the rite's duration (which usually lasts from sunset to sunrise). Of course, the live burial is a harrowing experience, and the subject must make three successive Willpower rolls, all difficulty 8, or lose a permanent point of Willpower. If any of these tolls are botched, the unfortunate sinner may go temporarily insane. At the rite's completion, the malefactor is exhumed, and all is considered forgiven. However, such a claustrophobic experience usually does much to set errant hengeyokai back on the path of virtue.
- Level Five[8]
- Rite of Hell Made Flesh - One of the direst punishments known to the Courts, this rite is reserved for those who have betrayed the Emerald Mother and her servants in the most heinous of ways. The subject is dragged out to a desolate place where none will hear his cries or care (this actually includes certain urban districts, in some cases). The ritemaster describes the subject's crimes, appealing to the spirits to punish such treachery. They do so in a horrible way - by slowly transmuting the victim's bones into silver, gold or hong mu rosewood, whichever is most appropriate. The change begins at the feet and proceeds upwards to the skull - by the end of the rite's completion, the subject is in breed form, this death is hideous. The body is then disposed of in the most matter-of-fact way possible, to avoid further offending the spirits - some greedy homids who've cut open the corpse for the silver or gold have found themselves cursed with horrible withering ailments for coveting the byproduct of treachery.
Hengeyokai Rites of Renown[]
The Courts have relatively few common Renown Rites - the two most important celebrations are the baptism of new hengeyokai, and the acknowledgment of a shapeshifter's ebrated by a variant of the Rite of Accomplishment, which sometimes entails the gift of new badge appropriate to the subject's new station. The former is not so easily represented by a Garou rite....
- Level Two[9]
- Rite of the Opened Way - This rite is performed on newly-Changed hengeyokai who are entering the service of the Beast Courts. Before undergoing this rite, younglings have learned the Mandates by heart, and must undergo a minor trial of worth. Unlike the Garou Rite of Passage, these trials are usually undergone alone, unless by the blessings of Heaven, enough newly-Changed shapeshifters are available to form a new sentai. After the tests of ability and knowledge, the aspiring hengeyokai are brought under the light of the moon for this rite. There the ritemaster purifies each one in turn, and guides them into a state meditation. As each one opens himself to the new life before him, the ritemaster speaks the words of the rite over their heads. Each cub will see visions before his eyes as this happens, visions that illustrate the Way that lies before him; those meant for the role of the Fist, for example, might see visions of war and weapons or images of clenched talons. As the ritemaster concludes the chant, the cub comes fully awake and speaks of his vision. The ritemaster then anoints the cub with painted pictogram marking his auspice, and presents him with the wooden badge due his new rank.
Boli Zouhisze Rites[]
While the Boli Zouisze are not officially part of the Beast Courts, they can still join and participate in the Courts. Doing so allows them to be able to use the Rites listed or join in these Rites. They also have Glass Walker rites available to them.
Hakken Rites[]
Hakken make use of most Garou rites, tending to favor Rites of Punishment, Accord and Death. A rite unique to them is the solemn Rite of Seppuku, used when a Hakken wishes to restore lost honor to her clan after failing her duty or when she wishes to join a deceased daimyo in death as a gift of supreme loyalty. The Hakken earns posthumous Renown in the form of five Honor and two Wisdom. If the daimyo lives, he must give permission to the Hakken wishing to perform the rite.
- Unknown Level[10]
- Rite of Seppuku - Most Westerners think this is merely ritual suicide in protest of a daimyo's policy or because a Hakken has failed in her duty. The rite, however, also restores lost honor to the celebrant's clan or allows a Hakken to join her departed daimyo of she feels she can't continue without his guidance. A Hakken gains approximately five points of Honor and two points of Wisdom posthumously for participating in the Rite of Seppuku. Her clan is likewise given esteem. If the daimyo is still living, it's customary for the Hakken to obtain permission before beginning this rite.
Khan Rites[]
The Khan use Rites of Purification frequently, but their limited connection with the spirit world prevents them from using many rites used to ask the favor of the spirits. They leave this to other hengeyokai to do.
Kumo Rites[]
The Kumo have their own variations on Mystic and Renown Rites as well as rites to honor their family patrons. Rumor credits them with originating the Rite of the Goblin Chrysalis, a foul Level Five rite that transforms a person into a bakemono.
Nagah Rites[]
All Nagah share the same rites.
Nezumi Rites[]
Nezumi use most rites available to Garou. They enjoy ritual and perform their mystic rites with a great deal of reverence. Because they treat the spirits with such honor, they respond in kind and favor the Nezumi.
- Level Four[13]
- Rite of Plague Genesis - Seers are the keepers of ancient wisdom, but also receive revelations to aid them in solving problems, If kept in isolation for at least a week, the Seers of a nest can join together to create a new disease to spread across the nearest site of human population. Succumbing to the disease usually just incapacitates a human for a week or so. If it's the right human, however, the Rite is an excellent way to prepare him for his assassination or abduction.
Same-Bito Rites[]
Same-Bito do not perform their rites in the Umbra, preferring the waters of the Mother's Sea for their most scared ceremonies. They conduct Rites of Accord, Punishment and Renown most often. The weresharks also perform new year's rites in honor of Tiandi and the Dragon Lords. Some also hold secret ceremonies to honor Teanoi.
Stargazer Rites[]
The Stargazers have left the Garou Nation and joined the Beast Courts ever since Revised Edition. They still retain their unique rites, but now can use Hengeyokai rites in addition to them.
- Level One - Five
- Chi Kung/Yoga - Many Stargazers practice such energy techniques as Chi Kung or Yoga. These practices cleanse the aura/meridians/chakras to aid in health and mental acuity. Chi Kung is similar to the Chinese art of Tai Chi, and involves both standing and sitting meditations. Yoga seeks to repeat the postures each being performed when in the womb, to awaken primordial energy and health, there are many Garou yogas for each form, from Homid to Lupus.
- These exercises are usually done for one hour in the morning and provide their effects for the full day, although certain types of energy work can be done during certain hours of the day for best effect. If less than an hour is practiced, the rite is not effective.
- There are deeper and deeper levels of such practices, represented by five levels of rites. (Cleansing, Exercise, Centering, Meditation and Restoration).
Stargazer Mantras[]
There are various mantras - works of power - used by Stargazers to achieve certain effects. Each mantra must be chanted during the course of the rite, which usually lasts for one minute per level to cast, during which the Stargazer can take no other actions. Most mantra effects last for a scene.
- Om (Level One) - By chanting the universal word of creation and unity, Stargazers can calm others down and diffuse violence. Rage rolls are at +1 difficulty for all beings who hear the chant.
- Om Habhava Dhi (Level Two) - Calls upon Serene Habhava. Grants wisdom. All Wits or Intelligence rolls are at -1 difficulty.
- Om Chakala Phat (Level Three) - Calls upon Fierce Chakal. Drives away evil influences and distractions - Banes cannot manifest in the area and Enigmas rolls are at -1 difficulty. In addition, Black Spiral Dancers in the area suffer a reverse effect, that of distraction: +1 difficulty on Enigmas rolls.
Stargazer Rites of Accord[]
- Level One[14]
- The Rite of Meeting - The population of living Stargazers is growing thin, and such, many of the tribe consider themselves fortunate when encountering a new (or previously unmet) Stargazer. This rite, known in India as the "Rite of Namah-te" and in China as the "Rite of Gong Xi" is meant to allow two tribe members to greet one another with proper respect. The rite is a traditional greeting that's been used for many centuries. Two Stargazers meeting for the first time place the flat of their palms against their chest, and bow their heads at one another. They hold the bow for as long as necessary, and then each Garou takes a small smear of ash or soil and anoints the other's forehead with it. Finally, both Stargazers utter a prayer to Gaia. The meanings to this ritual meeting are many. It is a wish for extended friendship, but in it is also the unspoken wish to have both minds joined in service to both Gaia (the Emerald Mother) and the Jade Emperor. Both Garou are equal in the eyes of those two cosmic forces, even if they are not technically equal in rank. In this meeting, egos are set aside and the two are - however, briefly - conjoined in the service of Gaia.
- Level Two[15]
- Feng Shui - This Rite of Accord is a more permanent version of the Rite of Cleansing. Through the use of geomantic lore and tools (small mirrors placed in just the right locations to divert bad energy), the Garou can cleanse a place and make it more conducive to good energies. There is a whole body of knowledge associated with Feng Shui geomancy, including the colors used in the area, the directions the walls face and in which lines converge, the topography of the area (hills, depressions, rivers, etc.). This lore must be called on for the rite to work.
- Level Three[16]
- Banishment of the Self - This rite allows a Stargazer to dampen her own ego so she may give aid to those closest to her (typically her pack or sentai). The werewolf meditates for an hour beneath the moon and continually recites the following in whatever language she chooses: "I give my body to the hungry, my blood to the thirsty, my skin to the naked, and my bones as fuel to those who suffer cold. I give my good fortune to the unlucky, and may the breath of my life restore the dying. Shame on me if I draw back from this sacrifice! Shame on all who hesitate to accept it!" Those she chooses to aid from this ritual find their spirits lifted and find a renewed sharpness to their minds.
- Thaipusam - The rite called "Thaipusam" is an act of consecration meant to separate a Stargazer from the profane world and officially become part of the greater sacred sphere. Few Stargazers practice it; it's mostly prominent among the Stargazers of India, despite the fact that its origins actually lie among the native peoples of Malaysia. At its roots, Thaipusam is an act of ritual piercing. The Stargazer, after washing his hands in both milk and honey, then pierces his own flesh to insert a ring. While chanting the universal mantra (aum), salt is rubbed in the wound to heighten the pain and ensure that it won't heal over immediately. The ring itself needn't be made of any specific material, though may Stargazers favor simple rings of steel, jade, or hematite, though some decorate their bodies with more ornate trimmings. The bodily location of the piercing also is insignificant. Many pierce their ears, lips, nipples, and some even go so far as to pierce genitals, the flesh around the throat, or bunches of pinched skin around the forehead. Many elder Stargazers can be seen with countless rings adorning their scarred bodies.
- Rite of Rebalancing - This variation of the Rite of Renunciation has been all but lost - though some Stargazers know it and see it as the only means to bolster their tribe's numbers. By means of this rite, a Garou of another tribe loses his tribal affiliation and instead becomes a Stargazer in blood, if not by birth. The Garou wishing to become a Stargazer may not perform this rite herself; it must instead be performed upon her by an able and willing ritemaster. In this rite, the ritemaster must take the Garou beneath the new moon and together must stand in a body of running water (a creek, stream, or river will do). The ritemaster must, with a claw, etch the Stargazer glyph into the Garou's body, and let the blood mingle with the flowing water below. The Garou mustn't let this wound heal right away, and instead must allow it to scab over and become a natural scar. After seven days has passed, the Garou is now a full-blooded member of the Stargazer tribe regardless of her tribe of origin.
Stargazer Caern Rite[]
- Level Five[17]
- Rite of the Beating Heart - These days, Stargazer caerns are particularly vulnerable places. There is, however, a rather perilous Stargazer rite that some have learned in case their caern in threatened and beyond the ability of the guardians to protect it. With this rite, a Stargazer may take the powerful heart of the caern into her own heart and secret it away from the place so its power may be planted anew, or at least added to the strength of an already existing caern. In performing the rite, a single Stargazer must first successfully perform the Rite of the Opened Caern. Once this is complete, the werewolf must then consume some part of the land surrounding the caern - this may be soil from the ground, water from a lake, or even pieces of brick or concrete if it's an urban caern. Finally, the Stargazer must plead with the totem spirit of the caern, begging and cajoling until finally the caern heart is relinquished for a time, taken deep into the Stargazer's own still-beating organ. But this rite carries with it an exhausting price; the Stargazer who takes this burden unto herself will die soon after performing the rite, as her flesh is simply too frail to handle the potent energies that accompany a caern's own spirit. Her time to affix the caern's heart back to the flesh of the Emerald Mother is severely limited. Knowledge of this rite is exceedingly rare.
Stargazer Dark Umbra Rite[]
- Level Three[18]
- Cheating the Cycle
Stargazer Death Rites[]
- Level Two[19]
- Vigor of the Departed - Two things are important to many Stargazers: the veneration of their ancestry and the tamping down of uncontrollable Rage. This ritual is an answer, somewhat, to both of these presumed Stargazer "duties." With this rite (which can only be performed under the werewolf's own birth moon) a Stargazer calls upon his ancestors to help him understand some mastery (however temporary) over his anger, wrath, and fury. The Garou must sit in the middle of an empty room, or if outdoors must perform the rite where there are no people within sight. Then, the Stargazer must concoct a makeshift shrine to his ancestors, cobbled together if items that were important to his ancestors or somehow symbolize the departed. Finally, the Garou must also place two slips of paper, one in each palm. On these slips of paper, called kangshin, there must be written a list of her ancestor's names. From there, the Stargazer meditates upon her antecedents, and seeks enlightenment from those who have come before him. Come morning, the werewolf will find that his Rage has been lessened. The primal fury within has been dampened, and up until the next dawn of his auspice moon, the Stargazer can try to deny any frenzy with a simple memory f her ancestor's wisdom. The vigor of the departed is thus transferred, for a short time, to the Garou.
- Buying Back the Soul - Also called the "Rite of Lalu-chilu," this rite is meant to help a Stargazer track the next incarnation of another of his tribe. Incarnations are important to the Stargazers - when one dies, it's believed that, while their spirit may linger for a time, the Emerald Mother returns them quickly to the world to do her work once again. The quandary is then, so why aren't there the same number of Stargazers now as there were in the beginning? The like a vessel, and while in the womb it sets, vacant of the ancestral incarnation. But the biology is already determined. While the ancestral spirit may "become" the new child, that new child is more than likely not a Stargazer werewolf. Hence, the incarnations are still being born, but into the bodies of kin, not Garou. To perform this rite, the ritemaster must be present at the death of the Stargazer whose soul he wishes to track. Once the Garou has departed, this rite must be performed within twelve hours, or it will provide no answers. The one performing the rite mixes some of the fallen Garou's blood in a bowl with equal parts milk. The liquid must be stirred by the ritemaster's own fingers or hands, and then a piece of cake or bread must be soaked thoroughly in the mixture. The ritemaster eats the bread or cake, and when next he sleeps, he will be granted a vision of the newborn meant to house the next incarnation of the dead Stargazer. He will also be given a location, but no name or other pertinent information. Many Garou performing this will then seek out the newborn caught up in this transmigration of souls in the hopes that a kin-fetch spirit will be there and the child will be Garou.
Stargazer Minor Rites[]
- Ancestor Veneration - As has been stated, Stargazers are often closer to their forebears and spiritual ancestors than most other Garou. They tend to erect and maintain sometimes simple, other times elaborate shrines to their antecedents, hoping to gain favor from them and elevate them above their once-living stations. Many Stargazers sit at these constructed shrines and pray in an effort to venerate their ancestors, partially to honor them, and partially to gain a greater connection to them.
- Tea Ceremony - The Stargazer tea ceremony is both a social occasion and a meditation practice. It allows a Stargazer to center herself, both through uncomplicated conversation and through the calming simplicity of drinking hot tea.
Stargazer Mystic Rites[]
- Level Two[20]
- Rite of Knowing - The Stargazers, ever on a quest to answer the riddles of the cosmos, often turn to divination to puzzle out some of the more oblique conundrums of the universe - sometimes to even solve those questions that haven't yet been asked. There are many forms of divination available to Stargazers (or to anybody, really). Sciomancy is divination by shadows or darkness. Divination by smoke is called Capnomancy. Onomancy is the divination by the letters in a person's name. Tephramancy is divination by ashes, catoptromancy is divination by mirrors, and austromancy is divination using the wind as a guide. There are other popular divination tools, as well. The chosen form of divination uses it and believes in it. The Stargazer lays out her divination tools as proper (which may involve throwing bones, dice, or standing on a peak and examining the winds). The items before her then literally become infused with their spiritual counterparts. Dice may begin rolling of their own accord, the winds may begin blowing and whispering in the Stargazer's ear, and ashes may hang suspended in the air and reveal a shadowy face. Secret truths are imparted to the Stargazer, though they are not particularly clear at first.
- Level Three[21]
- Rite of the Seed of Desire - Desire, in and of itself, is unavoidable. Everybody wants something, and few Stargazers deny this. However, many Stargazers also openly deny their own desires, giving in only to the beneficial desires of others (or the desires of the world). Lust, greed, gluttony - these traditional "sins" are also the seeds of desire that afflict all. Stargazers would seem the model of desire denial, and many of them are. Unfortunately, however, this repression also lends itself to the theory that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and sometimes tamping down one's own desires causes them to pop up later at twice the strength. The lone one denies, sometimes the harder it is to deny the sweet succor of want. This ritual helps curtail that, to a degree. When performed, it literally gives spiritual form to a Stargazer's desires, in the form of an Urge-Spirit. In the Umbra, around the Stargazer, the Urge-Spirit manifests and can thus be communicated with, defeated, or even bound into a fetish. If the spirit is this diminished, so are the Stargazer's prevalent "bad" desires. This rite is only performed on those Stargazers found truly desirous of negative things, however. For instance, a Stargazer with a bad chocolate habit or unrequited love in his heart doesn't usually count as one who is besieged by negative urges. Only those Stargazers who are plagued by grievous desires (or who have already given into them) are the subject of this rite. A Stargazer who is addicted to pain medication (or, alternatively, pain) is a good choice, as is a Stargazer with a dangerous love of money, women, or alcohol. The ritemaster must spend at least eight hours in the company of the "afflicted." After the eight hours is complete, the ritemaster must speak the mantra of desire (Aum-Klim) over the subject before blowing bine dust in the subject's face.
Stargazer Punishment Rites[]
- Level Four[22]
- Pilgrimage of Non-Being - This rite is forced upon a Stargazer who has committed a grievous sin against sept or tribe. It is reserved for one who has brought deep shame to himself and others. The Stargazer's hands are bound, and he is lead over a period of months to a number of Stargazer holy places. At each caern, the offending Garou must eat ashes while the caern guardians condemn and then ignore the Stargazer. At the final caern, upon completing this grim pilgrimage, the Stargazer's entire identity and memory fall away, toppling like a house of cards that can never be rebuilt. He becomes tabula rasa, a clean slate, unable to regain the most simple and intimate of memories - not even his own name. Most of the tribe views this rite as the utmost of punishments, but a rare few view it as a reward. Some believe that one of the highest states of being is actually a state of non-being, and they seek to have this rite performed upon them so that their souls may transcend. There is an even lesser held belief that this rite is useful for curing Harano; however, to make that worthwhile, one would have to find a way to allow the old memories and identity to resurface after the rite is completed, but as yet, nobody has come forth with a means to make that happen.
Stargazer Seasonal Rites[]
- Level Three[23]
- Sky Hunts (Any Lunar Eclipse) - All major astrological concolations are important to the Stargazers, but the lunar eclipses have special importance to this tribe. During such eclipses many Stargazers embark on a rite known as a Sky Hunt. As in many things, the Stargazers differ from their brethren Garou when it comes to tribal rites. Sky Hunts are individual rites, or they involve at most a mentor and her student, for the Stargazers believe each individual must journey alone into the void to seek the truth of her own philosophy, just as the first Stargazer, Myridia (or Klaital or Mnemis or many other names beside), traveled to the End of the World only to find herself at its center. Any Stargazer capable of performing this rite inevitably journeys on her own Sky Hunt at the time of the lunar eclipse. The Stargazers believe Gaia's true light is easier to grasp during a lunar eclipse than at any other time. The dazzling light of the moon is a distraction, just as the obvious, the profane, can dazzle the eyes of the student from the quiet inner light of the sacred. When beginning a Sky Hunt, the Stargazer looks into a polished silver mirror, a pool of still water or other reflective surface, and calmly watches the moon begin to disappear in shadow. As the first edges of the moon dissolve into darkness, the Stargazer wills herself to do likewise. She moves out of her body into the mirror, and from there what some members of the World Tree camp refer to as the Astral Plane, or the Heavens or Upper World. While traveling this strange and fluid domain, each Stargazer looks for the truth in her own way. She can continue her Sky Hunt until the last shadow slips from the moon's surface, at which time she finds herself back in her body. Except for a certain number of the World Tree camp, the Stargazers are unable to enter this revelatory aspect of the universe except during the time of the Sky Hunts.
Tengu Rites[]
Tengu use few rites as a rule other than the Rite of Talisman Dedication, used to keep favorite items with them regardless of form. They also favor the Rite of Becoming and enjoy acting as ritemaster for the Courts' less strenuous Rites of Punishment, such as the Stone of Scorn and the Sarcasm Rite (for which they are superbly well-suited). The Corax Rite of the Fetish Egg is another must-have, as it is the only way to continue their race.
- Level Two[24]
Zhong Lung Rites[]
The Middle Dragons love rituals and celebrate Rites of Accord and Mysticism regularly, along with other rites similar to those of the Garou. They also honor the passage of the seasons. The Rite of Nanfeng (south wind) celebrates the summer; the Rite of Xifeng (west wind) acknowledges autumn; the Rite of Beifeng (north wind) celebrates winter; and the Rite of Dongfeng (east wind) commemorates spring. The Rite of Renewal celebrates the New Year. The Zhong Lung seasonal rites employ colors, incense, dance, quests for knowledge, poetry and other arts. The Middle Dragons also perform Minor Rites to honor the Sun.
- Level Five[25]
- Shedding Bones - This powerful rite allows the Zhong Lung to prolong his life. He must first prepare a medicinal potion of herbs to restore the balance of yin and yang. This takes some time. He may also engage an herbalist to make it for him. He will then identify his weakest and oldest bones, and push them out through his skin. As he does so, his youth returns to him.
- No Levels[26]
- Rite of Nanfeng (South Wind) - Seasonal Rite
- Rite of Xifeng (West Wind) - Seasonal Rite
- Rite of Beifeng (North Wind) - Seasonal Rite
- Rite of Dongfeng (East Wind) - Seasonal Rite
- The Rite of Renewal - Seasonal Rite
References[]
- WTA: Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East, p. 66, 82, 88, 99, 110-113, 173
- WTA/cMET: Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts, p. 56, 80, 87-88, 105-106, 115, 121-126, 223-224
- WTA: Players Guide to the Changing Breeds, p. 189-190, 192, 194, 196-197, 198, 201, 203
- WTA: Stargazers Tribebook, p. 53
- WTA: Litany of the Tribes Volume 4, p. SG: 53
- WTA: Tribebook: Stargazers, p. 74-80
- WTA: Mokolé, p. 95
- WTA/cMET: Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2, p. 179
- WTWW: Ghost Towns, p. 100
^ Level 0
Minor, Stargazers: Ancestor Veneration | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 80 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Beifeng | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 105 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Beifeng | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 115 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Beifeng | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 201 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Dongfeng | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 105 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Dongfeng | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 115 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Dongfeng | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 201 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Nanfeng | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 105 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Nanfeng | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 115 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Nanfeng | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 201 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: The Rite of Renewal | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 105 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: The Rite of Renewal | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 115 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: The Rite of Renewal | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 201 |
Hakken: Rite of Seppuku | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 66 |
Hakken: Rite of Seppuku | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 56 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Xifeng | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 105 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Xifeng | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 115 |
Seasonal, Zhong Lung: Rite of Xifeng | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 201 |
Minor, Stargazers: Tea Ceremony | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 80 |
^ Level 1
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Cleansing | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Cleansing | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Accord: Rite of Feeding the Ghosts | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 110 |
Accord: Rite of Feeding the Ghosts | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 121 |
Mystic, Tengu: Rite of the Fetish Egg | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 99 |
Mystic, Tengu: Rite of the Fetish Egg | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 105-106 |
Accord, Stargazers: The Rite of Meeting | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 74 |
Accord, Nagah: Rite of the River's Blessing | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 82 |
Accord, Nagah: Rite of the River's Blessing | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 80 |
^ Level 2
Death, Stargazers: Buying Back the Soul | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 77 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Exercise | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Exercise | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Accord, Stargazers: Feng Shui | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Accord, Stargazers: Feng Shui | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Death: Journey's End | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 111 |
Death: Journey's End | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 122-123 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om Habhava Dhi | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om Habhava Dhi | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Accord: Rite of the Great Burden | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 110 |
Accord: Rite of the Great Burden | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 121 |
Mystic, Stargazers: Rite of Knowing | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 77-78 |
Renown: Rite of the Opened Way | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 113 |
Renown: Rite of the Opened Way | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 125-126 |
Accord: Rite of the Second Face | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 110 |
Accord: Rite of the Second Face | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 121-122 |
Death, Stargazers: Vigor of the Departed | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 76-77 |
^ Level 3
Accord, Stargazers: Banishment of the Self | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 74-75 |
Dark Umbra, Stargazers: Cheating the Cycle | Ghost Towns | Pg. 100 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Centering | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Centering | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om Chakala Phat | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Mantras, Stargazers: Om Chakala Phat | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Mystic: Rite of the Harmonious Journey | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 111 |
Mystic: Rite of the Harmonious Journey | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 123 |
Punishment: Rite of Quiet Burial | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 113 |
Punishment: Rite of Quiet Burial | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 124-125 |
Punishment: Rite of Quiet Burial | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 203 |
Accord, Stargazers: Rite of Rebalancing | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 75 |
Mystic, Stargazers: Rite of the Seed of Desire | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 78-79 |
Seasonal, Stargazers: Sky Hunts | Werewolf Storytellers Handbook | Pg. 49 |
Accord, Stargazers: Thaipusam | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 75 |
^ Level 4
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Meditation | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Meditation | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Punishment, Stargazers: Pilgrimage of Non-Being | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 79-80 |
Nezumi: Rite of Plague Genesis | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 88 |
Mystic, Nezumi: Rite of Plague Genesis | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 87-88 |
Mystic: Rite of the Spirit Tattoo | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 112 |
Mystic: Rite of the Spirit Tattoo | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 123-124 |
^ Level 5
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Restoration | Stargazers Tribebook | Pg. 53 |
Stargazers: Chi Kung/Yoga: Restoration | Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 | Pg. SG: 53 |
Caern, Stargazers: Rite of the Beating Heart | Tribebook: Stargazers | Pg. 75-76 |
Mystic, Kumo: Rite of the Goblin Chrysalis | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 112 |
Mystic, Kumo: Rite of the Goblin Chrysalis | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 124 |
Punishment: Rite of Hell Made Flesh | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 113 |
Punishment: Rite of Hell Made Flesh | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 125 |
Punishment: Rite of Hell Made Flesh | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 203 |
Zhong Lung: Shedding Bones | Mokolé | Pg. 95 |
Zhong Lung: Shedding Bones | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 | Pg. 179 |
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rites | |
---|---|
Garou and Fera Rites | Accord · Age Role · Ahadi · Astrological · Caern · Dark Umbra · Death · Frontier · Hengeyokai · Minor · Mystic · Punishment · Pure Ones · Renown · Seasonal · Wyld |
Fifth Edition Garou Rites | Common · Legendary · Social |
Kinfolk Rites | Accord · Caern · Homestead · Milestones · Minor · Punishment · Renown · Ritual of Sacred Rebirth |
Unique Fera Rites | Ajaba - Ananasi: First · Triumvirate · Viskr - Bastet: Kuasha · Moon · Need · Taghairm - Corax - Gurahl - Kitsune - Mokolé - Nagah - Nuwisha - Ratkin - Rokea |
Rites of the Lost Breeds | Apis - Camazotz - Grondr |
Wyrm-Corrupted Fera Rites | Blood Rituals · Defiler Kings · Buzzards · Histpah |
Miscellaneous Rites | 7th Generation - Fomori - Miscellaneous Rites |