Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterFour (section)

==== Drowning Ritual (OO) ====

It's a known fact that some people are just plain immune to becoming Beloved. Many would by kings among the tribe have been frustrated by their inability to recruit the local politician, richest man in town or sheriff to cement their rule. Though not nearly as useful as a true beloved Drowning can be the next best thing.

Ritually drowning can be used to create a loyal slave unimaginatively named a Drowned. The Drowned are a curious specimen. When following their instructions they possess all the skills and memories they had in life but lack any independent thought or initiative, this limits them to clear goals. “Take detective Jones off the docklands-ripper case” is good, “Run the sheriff's office like normal until I need you” just wont work. When a Drowned really is required to run the office most Leviathans assign a Beloved to do the thinking. Those of the Tribe who care still debate weather the original mind still exists trapped within the Drowned or if it perishes during the ritual, so far no psychic Channel of the Tribe has found any trace.

A Drowned can survive for one day per Sheol. After that they start to bloat and decompose like a waterlogged corpse losing one dot in every Physical Attribute per day. Once an Attribute reaches zero dots the Drowned is permanently destroyed. Curing a Drowned with anything less powerful than outright resurrection is probably impossible, if it can be done it hasn't come to the attention of the Tribe.

Sacrifice: A Wake vulnerable victim is force fed a live fish or creature that resembles the Leviathan (and it must remain alive, no chewing) then held underwater until dead by drowning. This for those who can't see the obvious, is murder. A willing Cult requires Zeal 3, Zeal 4 in the case of self sacrifice.

Effigy: None, the victim is the entire point. Technically an Effigy of the fish can be used at the usual penalty but by the time a Cult is performing this ritual they've long gone past caring about animal cruelty.

Auspicious Portents: Ebb Tide and Pluto

Ominous Portents: Flood Tide and Neptune

Sample acts: The victim is made to sign a contract of servitude. The victim abandons something symbolic to their old life. Practices from the cults funeral or birth services are incorporated into the ritual. The victim undergoes the ritual after mundane indoctrination. The victim is sent into visionary trances themed around servitude or the Leviathan's magnificence.

Roll: Sheol+Zeal+Occult

Suggested Modifiers: The victim has a mild derangement (+1). The victim has a sever derangement (+2). The victim's Willpower is greater than the Leviathan's Presence + Sheol (-2). The Leviathan's Presence + Sheol is greater than the victim's Willpower (+1). The fish only vaguely resembles the Leviathan (-1). The Victim is an Ahab or Atoll (automatic failure but they will obviously still die if drowned).

Dramatic Failure: The victim becomes a Drowned but is violently insane and aggressive rather than obedient.

Failure: The victim dies naturally.

Success: The victim becomes one of the Drowned.

Exceptional Success: Not only does the victim become a Drowned it will last an extra day before decomposition.