Obcasus Rites are a form of ritual magic available to the Begotten.
Overview[]
Any Beast who has experienced Guidance from the Dark Mother may become an Obcasus Initiate, but in practice few pursue this. An Obcasus Initiate can lead any Rite, but success depends on the presence of appropriate Trappings, the most important of which are the other participants. The more participants in a rite -- whether Beasts, Kin, or mortal cultists -- the more likely it is to be successful. Other helpful Trappings include access to special ritual tools, garb, and a grimoire which recounts the history of the local Hive.
Obcasus Rites must take place in a temple which has been consecrated to the Dark Mother; this is the first Rite any Initiate will receive from Her. Further Rites are learned by entering Communion with the Mother. Interlopers, especially Heroes, may profane the temple through unauthorized access or simply spying on the rite in progress; this necessitates a re-dedication of the space. Beasts therefore invest a great deal of time and energy in securing their temples, and react swiftly and violently to unauthorized visitors.
Rites[]
More advanced Rites take longer, and may require specialized materials along with any Trappings.
Basic Rites[]
- Consecrate: the Initiate consecrates a space to use as a temple for future rites.
- Horror Mask: the Initiate crafts an elaborate mask, representing their Horror, which counts as ritual garb for future rites.
- Blood Offering: by sacrificing a human to the Dark Mother, all Beasts present receive a prophetic vision.
- Share Your Sister's Pain: Other Beasts heal a wounded comrade by taking on any injuries or illnesses she suffers.
Intermediate Rites[]
- Seek the Child: identifies candidates for the Devouring in the local area.
- Night of Revels: identifies someone who has offended the Dark Mother, granting rite participants the ability to track this individual from sundown to sunrise in order to punish them.
- Secret Ways: secures a location from mortal access.
Advanced Rites[]
- Heart Theft: steals the target's soul and binds it into three symbolic offerings.
- Gatecraft: creates a durable portal to another realm, such as the Hedge, Shadow, etc.
- Folie a Deux: inflicts all mortals in the area with a mild to moderate mental Condition for one lunar month.
Epic Rites[]
- Kingdom of Nightmares: entry or exit from a specific area becomes impossible until the next sundown/sunrise.
- Restore the Heart: attempts to join a Horror from a Beast that has previously undergone the Unfettered or Rampant Inheritance to a new human. If successful, a new Beast will be created from the union.