LeviathanTempest:RitualsDevelopmentPage

Rituals

The Wicked Tribe's reputation is forever stained by tails of horrific rituals, orgies of bloodshed and excess. To Leviathans and their Cults these are no mere stories but facts of life, baring certain Vestiges the divine power of Tiamat's blood flowing through the Tribe is unfocused and directionless. Only by using a Cult as a focusing lens can a Leviathan call upon their true birthright. To defy the limits of the post primordial world and wield the power of a god.

Sidebar: Know Your Limits

The rules described below depict human sacrifice, torture and abusive authority figures within a religious framework. Although Leviathan: The Tempest casts players as members of “Earth's most Wicked Tribe” it is not a race to the bottom of monstrous depravity. A game where players try to construct a moral framework and social identity they can live with out of a monstrous heritage is as valid an interpretation of the themes as trying to become the tyrannical God-King of Innsmouth.

Players who are uncomfortable with human sacrifice, torture or outright evil portrayals of religion, whether or not a given Leviathan models his cult on, or disguises his cult as, a popular real world religion are not “playing the wrong game”. The gaming group should discuss what they are comfortable with. It's ok to drop out of character for the duration of a horrific ritual and just roll dice without narrative, you can impose a rule that Cults cannot resemble any religion still practised today. If you want to tone things down a notch remove the dice penalty for using an Effigy.

Know your limits and don't break them.

Eldritch Lore (O to OOOOO)

All Leviathans can lead their Cults in rituals which unleash great and terrible effects on the world. The least of this power, directing the Cult to perform rituals that replenish Ichor is known to all Leviathans, it comes as naturally as breathing. To do more requires study, dedication and understanding of Eldritch Lore.

A Leviathan can learn as many rituals as they have time and Experience points for but they cannot learn a Ritual with more dots than their dots in Eldrich Lore.

Vestiges

A Ritual focuses the Leviathan's immense psychic potential into practical effects, and Eldrich Lore provides the necessary knowledge to design a Ritual. Yet no ritual can focus potential that isn't there, a Leviathan must have one Atavism in the appropriate Vestige for each dot of the Ritual they wish to perform.

Awareness

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of Awareness can pear across time and space to answer questions. A Leviathan can predict the future, unearth the past, or just watch that Atoll from afar. The curse of Awareness is that it can only uncover facts, not answers. The Tribe can gain any knowledge they wish, but they cannot answer the questions that truly matter.

Elements

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of Elements can warp the world itself. The sea and sky, the Earth end even the sun's light all bend before a master of Elements. Rituals can raise terrible storms, or quell them and even twist the fabric of space and time. The curse of Elements is that every place touched by it's power is unnatural and tinged with the nature of the Tempest. Even when the Ritual ends a storm the result is not calm but an oppressive science that can cause madness to those within.

Fecundity

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of Fecundity can bestow the Tribe's life giving elements upon others. They can gift, or curse, other's with strange biological mutations. Reproduction, both physically and as a concept, fall under the purview of Fecundity. The curse of Fecundity is that no life can safely hold divine Ichor. The Tribe's gifts are cancerous corrupting things.

Might

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of might can control physical forces. They can bestow strength and move mountains, sending crushing forces at the Leviathan's enemies. The curse of might is that the Tribe's power is to large for this world, it cannot be restrained to delicate tasks or distinguish between friend or foe.

Predation

Predation is the most vicious of the Vestiges. Poisons, toxins and diseases - the fruits of life turned toxic - are the tools of a master of Predation. The curse of Predation is that it is an imprecise weapon at best, a Leviathan can pick his targets one by one but she cannot blanket the land with toxins tailored to her enemies.

Sanctity

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of Sanctity cover the very concepts of religion and godhood. With Sanctity a Leviathan can force others to recognise his divinity or bind people's social identities to religious faith. The curse of Sanctity forever links the Tribe to ancient ideas, the god who demands worship and punishes heresy. The Tribe can only force others to kneel, they cannot ask.

Vitality

Rituals that incorporate the Vestige of Vitality can protect. A Leviathan can bestow strange armours upon their subjects, bar intruders from their domains and protect against even stranger threats. The curse of Vitality is that it forms barrier between the world and the "blessed". People touched by Vitality become lethargic and unmotivated, and ever more dependent upon the Leviathan's protection.

Codified and Improvised Rituals

Rituals come naturally to Leviathans. Both the act of leading the faithful in ceremony and steps of the Ritual seem intuitive, it feels right. With a few rehearsals a Leviathan can direct it's Cult through a new ritual.

That's not to say there aren't advantages of codifying a ritual, writing a script rather than ad-libbing ------------------------------------------------------

Codifying a ritual simply requires sitting down and designing it: An extended Sheol + Occult roll requiring (Dots squared) Successes in addition Dots * 2 experience points. Each roll takes one hour. An easier method is to adapt a pre-existing Ritual. This is significantly easier and only requires the roll, as well as a teacher or written instructions. The exp cost is waived. Not all Leviathans write down their Rituals but most do: Nothing says “Important” about a religion like stone tablets. Rituals can't be used as is, or rather they usually can but from a personal perspective they're unsatisfying. All Rituals incorporate elements of their creators personal theories on tribal history, their place in the world and a wider mythology or cosmology. When you're devout your religion is an important part of your self identity and for a Leviathan that's no different. Using another's Ritual without adaptation is like a devout believer attending a another faith's service. It can be enjoyable, it can be interesting to see another culture but it's not your beliefs and it never will be.

Step One: Ritual

Before the Ritual can begin the player must define it's effects, including the application of any spell factors.

Area of Effect

Area of Effect is used for spells that have power over a specific loction, or a defined area.

Number of Targets

Number of Targets is used for spell's effect that must be applied equally to separate individuals.

Each additional success beyond doubles the previous Sheol Multiplier.

Duration

Duration is used for ritual effects that must persist longer than a single turn. Note that wounds, biological mutations and other lingering consequences of the ritual persist even after the Duration ends.

Indefinite Rituals cannot target a living being, however wounds, biological mutations and other lasting effects of a ritual may persist long after the definition.

Range

Each success past 4 doubles the reach of the spell or adds another seven years of temporal distance.

Knowledge

The Tribe's biology is truly transdimensional, and Transformation is not the only manifestation of this fact. The tiniest fragment of a Leviathan exists in every image of itself, every written description, even every mind who simply knows about it. A Leviathan can make use of this fact for Rituals, spreading the Ritual's effects not from his own body but from anywhere it's name is spoken.

Dice Penalty | Knowledge of the Leviathan
- | Unknown: The target knows nothing of the Leviathan, and cannot be the direct target of a ritual.
-10 | Described: The target has never met or seen the Leviathan, but knows enough to describe it. The target is a written text about the Leviathan.
-8 | Encountered: The target has briefly seen or spoken to the Leviathan. The target is a photo or an idol of the Leviathan.
-6 | Acquainted: The target casually knows the Leviathan, they may meet frequently but rarely interact.
-4 | Known: The target knows the Leviathan personally, and has had at least a few serious interactions.
-2 | Intimate: The target knows the Leviathan very well, and probably has first hand knowledge of it's supernatural nature or cult doctrine.
-0 | The Leviathan itself.

If the target does not have any knowledge of the Leviathan's supernatural nature increase the penalty by 2, if the target is aware of the Leviathan's Apotheosis then decrease the penalty by 2, to a minimum of -2

Potency

Potency represents the strength of the ritual; it is used whenever the ritual has an incremental effect. Rituals that add or subtract dice from dice pools use Potency to determine the dice by which to modify the pools. Rituals that inflict damage use Potency to determine how severe the wounds are.

Add an additional success to the target number per die or wound.

Step Two: Worship

After the player has chosen the Ritual's effects and factors the next step is to determine what the ritual requires. What profane acts are necessary to perform the ritual, and what omens will predict it's success or failure.

Task Points

A ritual requires the time and effort of the Cult. Such resources are scarce, for cultists also have jobs and lives that demand their attention. Or at least they should, if the Leviathan wants to stay under the radar. The basic cost is one Task Point per dot of the Ritual.

Sacrileges

The rites and worship of the Tribe are terrible things. They incorporate bronze age ideals of power and dominance, life becomes the toxic fecundity of the Tribe. Performing a Ritual often requires the participants to betray their sense of self and their ethics. Mechanically speaking every Ritual is a Tranquillity disruption of seven minus the Rituals dots. Yet the Tribe don't have to perform horrific rites, with time and effort (or rather, the Cult's time and effort) it is possible to find "ethical alternatives". Virgin sacrifice, well there's virgins everywhere, but an black bull with pure unblemished skin, that's kind of rare. It would take time to find one. In practice what this means is that every additional Task Point spent upon a Ritual can increase the Tranquillity level by one. The Storyteller may allow the Leviathan to personally track down the supplies needed instead of spending Task Points.

Not all cultists are willing to kill for their god. Assume that a cult will happily perform anything with a Tranquillity rating above (5 - Zeal). Committing worse acts will require the Leviathan to bully their cult into compliance: Roll Presence + (Persuasion or Intimidation) + Zeal – (The Zeal required for the cult to agree). A Leviathan who frequently persuades his Cult to perform hideous rituals should expect to see his Cult's Zeal rise. When measuring if a cultist would be willing to sacrifice themself treat Zeal as two dots lower, however asking cultists to sacrifice each other incurs no penalty. Leviathan's rarely need the sacrafice to be willing, and anyway, with the wake no one is ever really agreeing of their own free will.

Portents

The fetters of geometry and time held the Progenitors lightly, their descendants may sometimes feel a connection to the movement of the planets and the changing of the tide. At no time is this expression stronger than when working the most abstract of their powers.

All the sample Rituals have one favourable tide and one hostile tide – the two are almost always opposite – as well as one favourable planet and one hostile planet. Every Leviathan's Rituals are different and not all follow the above system. Most Leviathan's have a unique style to their Rituals, they find a core of genuine Eldrich Lore and transform it into the product of a Tribal culture that never was. The Portent is designed in part to give the Ritual system something that can easily be modified and has more mechanical weight than a description of how a Ritual functions. However, for simplicity the sample Rituals all use the planets of the Western Zodiac and a system of four tides of our own creation.

When the stars are right rituals are more effective. Each auspicious Portent that shines upon a Ritual gives +1 to the dicepool. However each ominous Portent gives a -1. If both auspicious Portents and neither ominous Portent are true then the dice pool also gets 9again however attempting a Ritual when both ominous Portents are true without the security of either auspicious Portent degrades a normal Failure into a Dramatic Failure. Fortunately under the following system each 12 hour tidal cycle is divided into four tides that last four hours. Only the most ignorant or desperate Leviathan need perform a Ritual against a hostile tide.

Sidebar: Increasing the power of Portents (Optional Rule)

For simplicity we've kept the number of Portants in every Ritual to a minimum. It does however make sense that more powerful Rituals would require a more intricate balance of signs. Storytellers who wish to focus on the religious themes have two options for expanding the power of Portents. These rules may be done on a player by player basis, after all every Leviathan's Rituals are unique.

The first is to increase the number of ominous, but not auspicious, portents to represent the increased difficulty of more powerful Rituals. Either one negative portent per Dot or per two Dots rounded up.

The second is to allow the players to change the amount of portents in a Ritual in exchange for Experience points. Every auspicious Portent increases the cost by one and every ominous Portent decreases the cost of the Ritual by one. The Storyteller may include a minimum number of Portents.

When changing the number of Portents the Storyteller should consider how how this changes the probability of getting only and all auspicious or ominous Portents. We recommend that the current effects occur if either side outnumbers the other by two Portents. If one side outnumbers the other by a whole four Portents consider indroducing a further effect respectively: 8again and no rerolls with 1s subtracting successes.

Sidebar: Signs and Symbols

If you are creating your own rituals and wish to include them within this system here are descriptions of the signs used:

High Tide: A High Tide is used whenever the Leviathan is directly using his powers or enhancing his own strength.
Flood Tide: A Flood Tide is favourable when the Leviathan is granting a blessing to others, most commonly her Beloved.
Ebb Tide: An Ebb Tide grants fortune when the Leviathan is placing a curse upon others, or granting a blessing saner individuals would consider a curse.
Low Tide: A Low Tide blesses any Ritual designed to weaken the Leviathan who performs it, it is rarely an Auspicious Portent

Mercury signifies social interaction.
Venus signifies love.
Mars signifies conflict and danger.
Jupiter signifies business and wealth.
Saturn signifies death and failure.
Uranus signifies change.
Neptune signifies mental disease.
Pluto signifies rebirth.

Step Three: Divinity

The final stage is to gather everyone in the temple and enact the Ritual. This requires an extended roll of Sheol + Zeal. Sheol represents the raw power of the Leviathan, while Zeal represents the enthusiasm and dedication of the cultists. When enough successes are acquired the Ritual's effect takes place. Players who create consistent and well thought out symbolism or theology behind their Rituals may get bonuses. In addition the following situational modifiers apply to the roll:

Time Per Interval
1 Minute | -6 dice
10 Minutes | -3 dice
1 Hour | -0 dice
1 Day | +3 dice

A multi-day ritual will probably require rotating individuals, the Leviathan's presence is only required at a few key points.

Rituals Without Leviathans

A Ritual does not in fact require the physical presence of a Leviathan, a fact many of the Tribe take advantage of by teaching their Cult Rituals that can serve the Leviathan's interests while he is performing other matters. When a Leviathan is not present the rules for Rituals remain unchanged, except for two things. Firstly Sheol is not added to the roll, for the Leviathan is not taking part. Secondly, only Leviathan's can use improvised rituals. Without the Leviathan's presence the Cult must rely on rituals that have been codified.

A Leviathan is always aware when someone is using it as the focus of a Ritual but they aren't always aware of what precisely the ritual is intended to achieve. If the Leviathan objects he may Reflexively subtract the lower of Composure and Tranquillity from all dicepools used to enact the Ritual. If this leads to a chance die, the ritual fails automatically.

Sidebar: Tribal Sorcery

If a cultist or an independent Lahmasu becomes an important NPC the Storyteller may wish to give her some small measure of independent power. The rules from World of Darkness: Second Sight can be adapted.

Tribal Sorcery is a form of basic magic that mortals and Hybrids can perform, theoretically even a mortal who never met a member of the a tribe could be a practitioner. It is named not because the power welded comes from the Tribe, it does not, but because it is a mortals own power accessed through methods designed to work well with what a Lahmasu gains from the Tribe, and because it is a mortals power as seen through the culture of the Tribe.

As a Thaumaturge Tradition Tribal Sorcery has the following traits:

Strength: A Tribal Sorcerer can spend one Ichor to gain 9again while performing a ritual. This only applies to one roll in an extended action, but multiple points of Ichor can be spent for multiple rolls
Weakness: A Tribal Sorcerer has a -1 penalty to resist (but not to gain) a Derangement.
Defining ritual: Weather Control.
Path Rituals: Astral Sight (this functions identically to See Spirits, but only detects projecting psychics or astral entities.) Curse of Ill-Fortune, Dream-Travel, Enchantment, Invocation (Rift Creatures), Luck Magic, Psychic Projection, Sacrifice (Rift Creates) Scrying, See Auras, Visionary Trances.

Tribal Sorcery is most commonly practised by the Heqen and the Mahhu. The Heqen often formalise and share their knowledge, while the Mahhu are secretive and intuitive but occasionally produce a genius who's sorcery is peerless. The Gugal are not naturally inclined to sorcery but occasionally gather in large enough numbers to support professional sorcerers; they favour formal techniques that can be passed to the next generation. Like the Mahhu the Hemitheos occasionally produce a genius at sorcery, but unlike the Mahhu sorcery is rarely practised by the rest of the strain. The Abuu, Gibborim and Pelopsids are the least likely to practice sorcery.

Sample Rituals

Call the Leviathan (O)

Leviathans have powerful Channels that let them keep track and communicate with their Cult over vast distances. Sometimes its useful if the Cult can call back, this ritual allows a Cult to contact their god, to inform or beg her aid.

Sacrifice: A Cultist uses drugs to enter a suggestible state of mind. They will become the mouthpiece of their god. Typically the Cultist will suffer fevers (2 bashing damage) and a nightmares (one willpower point) for the duration of the ritual but barring frequent uses there are no long term effects.

Effigy: A Cultist uses meditation, massage or hypnotherapy to enter the right state of mind. They still suffer nightmares but not the fever and repeated uses of this ritual are not risky. Some find it gets easier with practice.

Aspicous Portents: Flood Tide and Mercury

Ominous Portents: Ebb Tide and Mars

Sample acts: The cultist meditates on a personal possession of the Leviathan. The cultist breaths deeply from a object that carries the Leviathans scent. The Cult burn or throw small bribes into a pool. The Cult spend time treating a cultist as though she was the Leviathan, such as by feeding her the Leviathan's favourite foods.

Roll: Zeal

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan is dreaming (+1). The Leviathan possesses Eye of the Watchful Deity (+2). The Leviathan possesses Anointing the Prophet (+1). The Leviathan possesses Besieging the Tower of Will (+2). The mouthpiece has a mild derangement (+1). The mouthpiece has a sever Derangement (+3).

Dramatic Failure: The Cultist makes contact with some other psychic being who may be hostile and now aware of the Cult or perhaps the Tempest itself which doubles the negative effects of this ritual.

Failure: The effort is wasted.

Success: The Cult makes contact with the Leviathan. The connection remains open for as long as the Leviathan wishes and allows two way communication with the cultist in a trace Serving as both mouth and ears. Splitting focus levels a general -3 penalty but the Leviathan may put the Cult “on hold”. Exceptionally long connections may cause additional problems for the cultist serving as the link.

Exceptional Success: No additional benefit.

Divining Ritual (O)

In order to attain one's goals, it is important to first know where your desired target is. This ritual enables a leviathan to find whatever it is they are looking for, whether it is the mortal investigator who was spying on them or ruins left by an ancestor's psyche within the rift. This ritual normally requires a name or object to use as a focus, a Leviathan can search for something general but this is limited to well known information.

Sacrifice: A bowl of water mixed with the blood and bones of a freshly killed fish.

Effigy: A bowl of water mixed with twigs floating on the surface.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Jupiter

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Saturn

Sample Acts: The Leviathan meditates on the bowl while the rest of the cult chants, the Leviathan leads the cult in a chant praying for guidance before looking into the bowl, the cult meditates on an image of whatever it is the Leviathan seeks while the Leviathan himself stares into the bowl. The Leviathan interprets bones thrown or blood splattered onto a map.

Roll: Sheol+Zeal

Dramatic Failure: Rather than the Leviathan getting any information on their target, the target (or someone related to it in the case of an inanimate object) gets a sudden flash of insight that something is stalking them. A Leviathan looking for a rift artifact recovered by an archeologist may find that security on the warehouse where it is being kept has been tightened due to suspicion that a burglar will rob the place, for example.

Failure: The Leviathan gains no insight into the location of whatever they are looking for.

Success: The Leviathan knows exactly where the object of their desire is at the time of the ritual, and where it will be for a period of hours equal to the number of successes rolled.

Exceptional Success: In addition to knowing where the target is, the Leviathan learns something useful about the target, such as the fact that an artifact they are looking for is actually just a fake or that the Marduk operative they are looking for is currently with other members of his cell.

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan has the Oroborus' Kin Ancestral Channel (+2), The Leviathan has detailed knowledge of the target (+1), The target object used to belong to the Leviathan or the target person is one of the Leviathan's Beloved (+2), The Leviathan lacks any significant knowledge of their target, such as looking for "the man I glimpsed in the shadows spying on me yesterday" (-1), The Leviathan is looking for something general such as trying a skilled lawyer to recruit into their cult (-2). The Leviathan is looking for something currently in a Temple (-1 per dot of Security). The Leviathan is looking for something lost for decades (-1 per 10 years lost).

Rouse the Faithful (O)

While a Leviathan can always expect their cultists to worship or fight loyally, sometimes this isn't enough. Perhaps the cult is full of green members who don't have the faith necessary to carry out some of the darker rituals, or perhaps they simply don't have practical experience at kidnapping or murder. Regardless of the shortcomings of your cult, they can be overcome with sufficient faith. This ritual acts to increase the fanaticism of your cult temporarily, binding them in collective guilt and loyalty so they will fight all that much harder in your name.

Sacrifice: An enemy or failed cultist is publicly beaten, flogged or otherwise "made an example off".

Effigy: The Leviathan slowly destroys a representation of an enemy while whipping the cult into righteous anger.

Aspicous Portents: Flood Tide and Venus

Ominous Portents: Ebb Tide and Saturn

Sample acts: The Leviathan hosts mock combat to get the adrenaline flowing. The Leviathan leads the cult in a series of prayers to the Progenitors lasting a full day. The Leviathan preaches the inherent inferiority of unbelivers. The Leviathan leads their cult in a complex ceremony said to grant divine favour to the cultists.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan has the Hunter’s Terrible Beauty Channel (+2), The cult completed their last task with an exceptional success (+2) The Leviathan is greatly liked by their cult (+1), The Leviathan is greatly feared by their cult (+1), The cult failed in their last task (-1), The cult exceptionally failed their last task (-2), The cult lost a dot in either numbers or a temporary dot in zeal as a result of a failure in their last task (-2), The cult lost both a dot in numbers and a temporary dot in Zeal as the result of a failure in their last task (-3).

Dramatic Failure: The cultists are left either demoralized or complacent after your preaching. The next task you order them to undertake is made at a -3 penalty; if you order them to worship you next, you receive Ichor equal to your cult's Zeal-3.

Failure: You efforts may invigorate the cultists temporarily, but you fail to truly increase the depth of their fanaticism.

Success: Your supernatural hold over the minds of your cultists is increased. For the next task you order your cult to undertake, you gain additional dice equal to the number of successes scored in this ritual. If you do not undertake another task within the next week, the effects of this ritual are lost. For as long as the Cult possesses this bonus they gain a mild Derangement to represent fanatical zeal, Narcissism and Vocalisation are common, feelings of guilt may cause Suspicion as the cultist feels everyone knows what happened at the last meeting.

Exceptional Success: No additional benefits beyond gaining an even greater bonus to the next task you attempt.

Divine Mandate of Judgement (OO)

This ritual enables the Leviathan lay a curse of vengeance on any Wake-vulnerable target that renders them vulnerable to the Leviathan's wrath.

Sacrifice: The Leviathan repeatedly scars himself. With each scar he names a crime committed by the accused and swears vengeance. These crimes can be anything provided the Leviathan genuinely believes they deserve punishment. Scarification causes two dots of Lethal damage which under normal circumstances will not heal for as long as the ritual is active. Supernatural healing can be used but this breaks the oath: For the remainder of the Ritual's duration both bonuses and penalties are reversed and the victim becomes immune to the Wake. The accused will still subconsciously recognise that the Leviathan is at a disadvantage, this does not override common sense.

Effigy: The Leviathan tightly binds knotted ropes, jewellery, or some other mnemonic to her body. If the mnemonic is removed for more than Composure turns this will break the oath.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Mars

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Pluto

Sample acts: A defence attorney defends the accused but is defeated. The Leviathan makes reference to coded laws, either national laws or those of his cult. Witnesses are called to testify before the congregation.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal.

Suggested Modifiers: The accused committed an actual crime such as theft (+1). A serious crime such as rape or murder (+2). An unforgivable crime such as murdering a baby (+4). The accused is a Beloved who betrayed the Leviathan or broke the laws of her cult (+2). Only the Leviathan could consider the crime worthy of punishment “She insulted me!” (-1). Even other Leviathans would consider the crime incredibly petty “He cut me off in traffic!” (-2). The accused is a police officer, judge or other servant of the law (-1). The Leviathan is a Tanninim (+1).

Dramatic Failure: The Ritual rebounds onto the Leviathan, he is considered to have broken the oath with successes equal to Zeal.

Failure: Nothing happens.

Success: The Leviathan receives a bonus equal to her Successes for physical attacks against the accused and any opposed rolls made by the accused to hide or flee from the Leviathan are penalised by Successes. This lasts a week. While under the rituals effects the accused feels a constant scene of dread while under the Leviathan's Wake and instinctively recognizes that the Leviathan is attempting to kill them though they might doubt their instincts if the Leviathan does nothing hostile.

Exceptional Success: No additional benefit above a very potent effect.

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 Attribte 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.

Aspicous 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

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.

Face-Stealing Ritual (OO)

Using this ritual, a Leviathan can turn into a perfect duplicate of anyone they choose, enabling them to impersonate key figures to advance their cause.

Sacrifice: The Leviathan must devour the person who they wish to imitate. For Leviathans with more discerning pallets, the sacrifice can be cooked or seasoned first.

Effigy: The Leviathan devours an effigy of a human with an image of the target attached. A man made out of sausages adorned with a photograph of the victim, for example. Yes, you have to eat the photograph as well.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Pluto

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Mars

Sample Acts: Devouring the screaming victim whole while the cult chants, Having a cannibal feast where the Leviathan and members of the cult eat the victim together, Having the cooked flesh of the victim served to the Leviathan one piece at a time by the cult in a mockery of an extravagant dinner. The Leviathan adorns the victim's personal possessions or identification.

Roll: Zeal+Sheol

Dramatic Failure: The ritual distorts the Leviathan's features into a bizarre mix of traits from both his normal form and the victims form, such as having one of the victims eyes growing sideways on his forehead while a twisted, deformed arm dangles from his chest. For the next week, the Leviathan is obviously inhuman to all observers regardless of what Depth he is in.

Failure: The Leviathan looks the same as always.

Success: For the next week, the Leviathan looks perfectly identical to the victim while in Depth 0, granting +3 dice to disguise rolls (which increases to +5 if you also devoured the victim's memory with the Assimilation adaptation of Besieging the Tower of Will). In all other depths, the Leviathan retains their normal form. During this time, you cannot return to your normal depth 0 human form.

Exceptional Success: In addition to taking the victim's form, your body remains flexible enough to transform back to your normal shape. For the next week, you may switch between your normal appearance and the appearance of the victim while in depth 0 as a reflexive action.

Suggested Modifiers: You possess the No Mysteries of the Flesh Descendant Channel (+2), The victim looked fairly similar to the Leviathan (+1), The Leviathan's vice is gluttony (+1), The victim was a different sex than the Leviathan (-1), The victim looked absolutely nothing like the Leviathan at all (-1), The victim's normal size was different than the Leviathan's normal depth 0 size (-2, -3 if they were 2 points away from the Leviathan's base size.)

Chimera Ritual (OOO)

This particularly hideous ritual allows a Leviathan to turn a willing, or unwilling, mortal into a Lemashu. In the past this has been used to create armies of slathering Hybrids, to create more subjects for breeding programs (A venture doomed to failure. Hybrids created by this ritual birth children with horrible genetic defects but Tiamat's blood runs no thicker in their veins than it would had their parent not undergone this ritual.) Most horribly this ritual has been used to break the body and minds of those who displeased the Leviathan.

Forcing an unwilling mortal through this Ritual is a Tranquility 4 Disruption. Cultists will unflinchingly agree at Zeal 4 but remember that Beloved are considered unable to give proper consent no matter how willing they claim to be.

Sacrifice: The mortal who will become a Lemashu is the Sacrifice. They must take Ichor equal to their Stamina. The victim requires Zeal 4, other participants require Zeal 3.

Effigy: None, the sacrifice is the entire point.

Aspicous Portents: Ebb Tide and Pluto

Ominous Portents: Flood Tide and Neptune

Sample acts: The mortal destroys or gives away something representing their old life. The mortal adorns body paint or costumes so they resemble a Hybrid. Lemashu take the mortal from a group of mortals and walk him to the alter. The mortal shares a meal or some other domestic scene with Lemashu.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal extended. Mortals may resist with Stamina alone.

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan possesses Everflowing Fetid Growth (+2). The victim comes from a family closely marked by the Tribe (+1). The victim has little or no Tribe ancestry (-1). The Victim has Iron Stamina (-1 per dot). The Victim has Natural Immunity (-2).

Dramatic Failure: The mortal perishes, their corpse shows hideous mutations and may have to be discreetly disposed.

Failure or the Mortal wins the roll: The mortal takes lethal damage equal to the Leviathan's Sheol as their body violently rejects the ritual.

Success: The mortal gains the Lemaushu template appropriate to the Leviathan's Strain with it's appropriate Mutation and two additional dots of Mutations per Success assigned by the Storyteller. If the mortal was not Beloved they immediately become so although the mental strain causes a sever Derangement that lasts until they loose Beloved status. On rare occasions this rituals has been known to result in an Ahab, even if performed on a Beloved (actual Ahabs always remain an Ahab).

If the Lemashu's final Depth is low enough that their maximum Intelligence is lower than their current Intelligence then the Hybrid gains a permanent sever Derangement and looses two dots of Morality for every dot of Intelligence lost to represent catastrophic mental damage.

Some Leviathans have tried to use this Ritual on Atolls, perhaps thinking that a since a Hybrid Atoll would be separate from mortal society they would be forced to seek the company of the Tribe. This never works: Firstly Atolls have a much easier time resisting the ritual: They roll Stamina + Resolve + Morality. Secondly if the Ritual does succeed the Atoll immediately falls into a permanent vegetative state. Neither medical science or the Tribe's powers can hope to revive him. At the Storyteller's discretion other supernatural abilities might work, this requires moving the Atoll's mind to another body or removing the Hybrid template. For all intents and purposes assume the Leviathan has just killed an Atoll and must suffer all the repercussions that entails.

Exceptional Success: The Leviathan may choose where to apply half the new Aspect dots, the other half are chosen by the Storyteller.

Creating the Lesser God (OOO)

Leviathans do not just beget Leviathans, or even mortals or the half-mortal Hybrids. A Leviathan with the correct skills and knowledge can follow Tiamat's footsteps and birth monsters of their own. With this Ritual, a Leviathan's Cult can call forth one of those creatures known as “offshoots”

Sacrifice: A Cultist ritually scars himself and is thrown into a body of water large enough to completely submerge him.

Effigy: An animal no smaller then the offshoot being summoned is ritually scared and thrown into a body of water large enough to completely submerge it.

Aspicous Portents: Ebb Tide and Pluto

Ominous Portents: Flood Tide and Saturn

Sample acts: The cultist carves the features of the offshoot they want to become into their flesh. The cultist acts like the offshoot they want to become. Cultists chant about the virtues of inhumanity.

Roll: Zeal

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan is dreaming (+1). The Leviathan possesses the Creator of Life Adaptation (+1). The Leviathan possesses the Craftsman of Life Adaptation (+1). The Leviathan possesses Everflowing Fetid Growth (+2). The Cultist has a mild derangement (+1). The Cultist has a severe Derangement (+3) The Leviathan lacks Womb of Terrors (-3).

Dramatic Failure: The sacrifice's body tears itself apart and dissolves away.

Failure: The effort is wasted.

Success: The Leviathan is contacted and may spend 1 ichor + the degree of offshoot being summoned. If done so, over the next round the sacrifice’s body unravels at the sites of the scars as a first or second-degree offshoot is birthed from its remains. The Leviathan may create a new offshoot when this Ritual is being preformed, but doing so levies a -2 penalty to the roll. This offshoot is not added to the Leviathan's normal collection of offshoots. A Cultist transformed in this way keeps his Mental and Social attributes, skills, and merits. A transformed Cultist cannot regain Morality if lost, as in a fundamental way, they are no longer human. Every day the Cultist takes one point of aggravated damage until they dissolve into a pool of blood and seawater. An offshoot spawned from an Effigy lasts for a scene before dissolving away.

Exceptional Success: As a normal success, except a Cultist only takes a point of aggravated damage every other day. An Effigy survives as a Cultist would on a normal success.

Ritual of the Sacred Triangle (OOO)

Every year people slip through the Gatewaters and into the Rift, every few years an entire ship or airplane is drawn down into those tempestuous waters and sometimes it's no accident. When a Leviathan wishes to sink a ship without personal combat or draw it away from any witnesses they may call the Rift to rise up and drag entire vessels into the abyss.

Sacrifice: A Beloved must be near or on the target, a second Beloved linked by blood is then held under water and violently killed, mimicking the violence of the tempest.

Effigy: The second is held underwater and beaten, nothing more than mild bruising is required.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Uranus

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Jupiter

Sample Acts: Jars of water from the Rift are left on the target. The Sacrifice is drowned within the rift itself. A “map” of the Rift is overlayed onto a map of the Shore and the ritual is modified for the target's position.

Roll: Zeal + Sheol extended.

Dramatic Failure: The ritual chamber is pulled into the Rift. The Leviathan will have to act fast to protect her Cult from the Tempest or just drowning.

Failure: The Ritual fails to take effect.

Success: The Cult makes progress on the Ritual, when Successes equal the target's Size it is pulled into the Shallows. Generally speaking humans will quickly drown. Ships might remain intact if they don't land in a rough part of the tempest but they'll be inoperable. If they are not destroyed by the Tempest submarines remain functional but excepting downright implausible luck leading them to a large Gatewater they're trapped in the Rift.

Exceptional Success: Not only does the Cult make significant progress, if the Ritual is completed the target will arrive in a convenient part of the Rift.

Suggested Modifiers: Natural Gatewater present (+2). Naturally calm waters (-1). The Sacrifice and the anchor are related only by a blood brothers deceleration (-1), they're blood family (+0), siblings (+1), fraternal twins (+2), identical twins (+4), the target is out of sight of land (+1), the target is near significant amounts of land (-1), the target is docked at land (-4), The target is in a Gatewater (+2).

Plague Ritual (OOO)

Through this ritual, the Leviathan inflicts a supernatural plague upon an unfortunate target causing them to wither and, potentially, die over the course of just a few days. This ritual can effect supernatural beings if they are still susceptible to disease.

Sacrifice: The ritual sacrifice of a human suffering from a significant or terminal illness. If a suitably diseased human cannot be found, the ritual will also function by fatally poisoning a human and sacrificing them before the poison runs its course.

Effigy: Ritual chanting while the cult circles a human suffering from an illness or non-fatal poisoning. Poisoning a member of your own cult is an acceptable way of getting this effigy, though doing so would be a tranquility 5 disruption.

Aspicous Portents: Ebb Tide and Saturn

Ominous Portents: Flood Tide and Venus

Sample Acts: Blood or vomit from the sacrifice (or effigy) is splashed across an image of the target, the cult carries out the ritual dressed as plague doctors, efforts are made to aggravate the symptoms of the sacrifice's illness through drugs or other means prior to their death.

Roll: Zeal+Sheol vs the victims Stamina+Supernatural Power trait.

Dramatic Failure: The illness is completely wiped out by the victim's immune system. Further, exposure to this disease has left the victim's immune system highly active, giving them +3 to rolls to resist diseases for an entire month.

Failure: The disease fails to cause the victim any health problems.

Success: The victim contracts a serious illness which will severally limit their ability to act but is not usually life threatening. Though the cause is supernatural the illness itself is a normal disease for the region and responds as normal to medical treatment. See WoD Core p176 for rules on Disease.

Exceptional Success: The victim contracts an illness which while treatable has a good chance of being fatal without treatment.

Suggested Modifiers: The victim was already suffering from a very dangerous disease, such as drug-resistant tuberculosis (+3) The Leviathan has the Toad's Curse ancestral channel (+2), The victim was already suffering from a moderately severe illness such as the flu (+2), The victim was already suffering from a minor illness, such as a cold (+1), The victim lives and works in a very clean, sterile environment (-1), You used a poisoned sacrifice/effigy rather than one suffering from an actual illness (-1), The victim has the Natural Immunity merit (-2)

Isolation Ritual (OOO)

The Leviathan is insidious, it can worm its way into the heart of a community. Spreading its tendrils and cults into institutions and bind leaders to itself in madness and worship. Many among the tribe find that ease of travel makes it harder to take over. People travelling away leave the Wake's grip behind, changes that seemed subtle one by one become obvious warnings to a fresh pair of eyes from out of town.

When a Leviathan wishes to isolate a community they turn to this ritual and call down a wall of fog that saps the strength of any who wish to leave. Those left within are isolated pray for the Leviathan and it's cult.

Sacrifice: A victim must be bound or caged and kept at exhaustion through sleep deprivation or drugs. Most Cults planning for an extended fog use drugs.

Effigy: Any form of doll, mannequin or similar object can serve in place of a victim.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Saturn

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Mercuary

Sample acts: The victim is some form of escapee, a runaway or escaped convict. The victim frequently travels, a trucker or sailor. The victim is kept cold. The victim is surrounded by danger real or symbolised.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal.

Suggested Modifiers: Naturally isolated geography (+1). Naturally insular community (+1). Open geography (-1). Frequent travel (-1). Lots of water in the surrounding area (+1). Natural fog is present where needed (+2).

Dramatic Failure: The ritual produces the opposite effect. A psychic shock-wave spreads out clearing the weather. Mortals who feel it may be scared into leaving.

Failure: Nothing Happens.

Success: A hollow dome of fog forms with a radius of one mile per success. Less if the player chooses. Wake vulnerable people trying to pass through must succeed on a Resolve + Stamina roll with a penalty equal to the Leviathan's successes. On a failure they must turn back or collapse from exhaustion. The penalty decreases by one a day starting from the moment the victim is removed from the cage (effigies get one free day before the fog starts to fade) or recovers their strength with the fog dissipating at zero. If the Cult is performing a task at the temple such as guarding it this may be extended to include maintaining the ritual at no cost.

The barrier is not unbeatable. It can be bypassed by tunnelling underneath or with vehicle that will keep moving after the driver collapses (a risky strategy). While radio waves cannot penetrate the fog a signal travelling by wire can. To truly isolate a town may require that the Leviathan and her cult dig up cables.

Exceptional Success: No extra benefit apart from an unusually strong barrier.

Ritual of Sacred Ground (OOOO)

Through this ritual, a Leviathan folds reality in on itself, reshaping a location into a natural maze of obscene geometries. This ritual is commonly used to increase the size and defenses of a temple or other key location.

Sacrifice: You and your cult stalking a human through the location you wish to enhance with this ritual and eventually killing them. The human cannot have any knowledge of the layout of the target area in advance; they must be effectively lost while you stalk them. Note that in order for a victim to be able to become effectively "lost" in your temple, it must have at least 3 dots in size.

Effigy: Completing the ritual without the death of the human used as a sacrifice. You may incapacitate them and have them removed, or simply let them find their way out on their own.

Aspicous Portents: Flood Tide and Uranus

Ominous Portents: Ebb Tide and Mercury

Sample Acts: Efforts to encourage as much fear and confusion into the sacrifice as possible as they run, Having extensive work done on the area in advance to make it more "maze-like", Using mechanisms to actively change areas the sacrifice has already been through such as having a sliding wall mechanism that conceals a door that the victim used the last time they were in the room.

Roll: Zeal+Sheol with a target of Temple Size. For locations other than a Temple use equivalent sizes.

Dramatic Failure: For the duration of the story, the ritual's effect takes hold in the opposite way it was intended. If this ritual was used on your Temple, consider it's size and security both one dot lower due to the compact and straightforward access routes throughout the altered temple. If this effect was used on a location other than your temple, such as a swamp, all people passing through the area do so twice as fast as normal and get +3 on survival rolls to navigate the area.

Failure: Reality proves resistant to your efforts to distort it and does not change in any way.

Success: You have successfully distorted reality for as long as the area remains in use by the Leviathan, this requires around 20 hours per month. If this ritual was used on your temple, gain 1 additional dot in both Size and Security (maximum of 5), representing a greatly increased amount of room in the temple and a series of confusing hallways making it nearly impossible for an intruder to navigate. If the target area was not your temple, the area takes twice as long to traverse (as it effectively becomes twice as large) and rolls to find your way through the area are at -2. In either case, individuals in the affected area may roll Wits+Survival or Wits+Science to realize that there is something strange about the location's layout.

Exceptional Success: Reality bends with exceptional ease at your touch. For the duration of the story, gain 2 additional dots to both size and security if this ritual was used on your temple. If this ritual was not used on your temple, the affected location takes 3 times as long to pass through and rolls to navigate the area are at -5 due to the alien and maze-like nature of the area.

Suggested Modifiers: The location you are modifying was already a literal maze (+3), You possess the Rain-Dance of the Tempest Ancestral Channel (+2), The area you are modifying was already difficult to navigate, such a dense forest or swamp (+1), The area you are modifying has a very straightforward design, such as an apartment building (-1), The area you are modifying is a wide-open plain, such as the surface of the ocean, or an airport runway (-3).

Calling Forth the Avatar (OOOO)

Sometimes a Leviathan's Cult needs her when she is in some distant place. Leviathans who know this Ritual can come to their Cult's aid.

Sacrifice: Your Cult captures a mortal or supernatural creature related to their difficulties and ritually kills and arranges their organs into pattern sacred to the Leviathan.

Effigy: Personal pleas written in the blood of each Cultist (causing at least one point of lethal damage) along the edges of a pattern sacred to the Leviathan.

Aspicous Portents: Ebb Tide and Venus

Ominous Portents: Flood Tide and Saturn

Sample acts: The cultists lead prayer sessions begging their patron for intersession. The cult performs a ritual symbolizing their troubles. The cult burns offerings of food to the Leviathan and scatter it around the sight of the Ritual.

Roll: Zeal

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan is dreaming (+1). The Leviathan possesses the Creator of Life Adaptation (+1). The Leviathan possesses the Sculptor of Life Adaptation (+1). The Leviathan possesses the Hone champion Adaptation (+2). The Leviathan possesses The Hydra's Rebirth (+2). The Leviathan lacks Womb of Terrors (-3). The Leviathan lacks the Dread Champion Adaptation (-2).

Dramatic Failure: The Ritual summons a savage and feral beast, most often from the Depths.

Failure: The effort is wasted.

Success: The Leviathan is contacted and may spend 5 ichor to create a third-stage offshoot at the site of the Ritual and possess it as per Dread Champion. If the Leviathan possesses the Hone Champion Adaptation, it functions as normal. The Leviathan may create a new offshoot when this Ritual is being preformed, but doing so levies a -2 penalty to the roll. This offshoot is not added to the Leviathan's normal collection of offshoots.

Exceptional Success: None except the extra successes for the Hone Champion Adaptation.

Traversing the Waves (OOOO)

The rift is a claustrophobic dangerous place, wrecked by the Tempest and patrolled by ancient instincts and neurosis. Even to a Leviathan it is not the safest way to travel but this Ritual can change that. By rapidly skimming between the Rift and the Shore a Leviathan can travel outside the limits of geometry circumventing the globe in the blinking of an eye.

This Ritual is limited to travelling between two points connected by navigable water. In this context navigable is defined as unbroken water deep and wide enough for the boat to safely travel. Locks, tidal dams (when closed) and other such features will block the Ritual. Generally a Leviathan with this ritual can reliably move from between any two points connected to the ocean but has more trouble inland. If in doubt it's best to think what leads to interesting stories rather than get out maps of the local waterways.

Sacrifice: Performing this Ritual is easiest with a counterweight. Something with strong ties to the Shore to balance the Leviathan's tie's to the Rift. Any human will do nicely, just one thing. Acting as a counterweight gives the sacrifice a front row seat to the desecration of natural geometry. If she fails on a Resolve roll she will gain a permanent mild derangement or upgrade an existing mild derangement to severe (for their own part Leviathans are safe, moving between the Rift and Shore is natural for the Tribe). Because this leaves permanent damage treat it as serious torture for purposes such as calculating the required Zeal. Traditionally the Sacrifice was nailed to the ship as a figurehead but this is not necessary.

Effigy: The Leviathan performs this Ritual without a counterweight.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Jupiter

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Neptune

Sample Acts: The journey begins or ends in a storm. The ship is sent underwater to symbolise entering the Rift, since most Leviathan's don't own a submarine capsizing can be used insead, the ship will right itself if the ritual succeeds.

Roll: Sheol+Zeal

Dramatic Failure: The ship is thrown wildly off course and probably smashed to splinters. It might end up deep in the Rift or grounded in a desert but it's almost certainly far from where the Leviathan wanted to be.

Failure: The Ritual doesn’t take effect. Unless you symbolically capsized your boat or did something similar there is no negative effect.

Success: The Ritual secedes and the Leviathan's speed is increased immeasurably. This ritual dosn't provide true instantaneous travel but it's fast enough that you can arrive anywhere on Earth within a few minuets.

Exceptional Success: No further benefit.

Suggested Modifiers: Stormy Weather (+1). Using this ritual while swimming rather than sailing (-3 due to split focus, the ritual would have to be performed on the Leviathan's back so a A Mountain Walked will be required.). Tranquillity 6+ (+1). Tranquillity 4- (-1).

Ritual of Transference (OOOO)

Leviathans and their cultists often end up in dangerous situations, where they can be afflicted with all sorts of diseases or wounds. While in most cases, these things will go away on their own given enough time, sometimes a Leviathan does not want to wait or wishes to reward particularly loyal cultist who received grievous wounds fighting in the name of their lord. Through this ritual, the ailments of one person are transferred onto another, presumably less important, individual. The beneficiary must consent to this ritual for it to have any effect, though the scapegoat can most certainly be unwilling.

Sacrifice: A human scapegoat to transfer wounds and/or diseases onto.

Effigy: An animal scapegoat to transfer wounds and/or diseases onto.

Aspicous Portents: Flood Tide and Uranus

Ominous Portents: Ebb Tide and Venus

Sample acts: The Leviathan or the cultists inflict wounds on the victim mirroring those possessed by the beneficiary of this ritual. The cult burns a series of brands into the flesh of the victim representing the various ailments possessed by the beneficiary. A blood transfusion from the beneficiary to the scapegoat.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal

Suggested Modifiers: The scapegoat is willing (+3), The scapegoat is in perfect health (+1), The ritual is only attempting to transfer wounds (+1) The scapegoat is already badly wounded if wounds are to be transferred (-1), The scapegoat is already sick, if illness is to transferred (-1), The scapegoat is already badly wounded (at least half of their health boxes filled), if wounds are to be transferred (-1), The scapegoat has the Natural Immunity merit, if disease is to be transferred (-2), The scapegoat is already cursed, if a curse is to be transferred (-2)

Dramatic Failure: Rather than transferring any ailments, you instead intensify them. You receive all of the following negative effects that apply: If you were transferring wounds, one of your wounds is upgraded to aggravated damage (if all your wounds are already aggravated, you take an additional point of aggravated damage). If you were transferring a disease than you aggravate the disease resulting in it's negative effects intensifying.

Failure: The ritual fails to have any effect, beyond any potential damage from the torture you may have inflicted on the sacrifice/effigy.

Success: The beneficiary recovers their health, at the cost of that of the scapegoat. For each success rolled, you may transfer one curse or illness or 4 dots of bashing damage, 2 dots of lethal damage, 2 dots of bashing and 1 dot of lethal damage, or 1 dot of aggravated damage. No more wounds may be transferred to the scapegoat than the exact amount that will kill them. Genetic disorders and supernatural templates may not be transferred with this ritual.

Exceptional Success: In addition to ridding themselves of a great number of ailments, the beneficiary feels particularly invigorated after the ritual. For the rest of the day, all physical rolls made by the beneficiary are at +1.

Birth Control Ritual (OOOOO)

The Tribe have long sought a way to reliably birth pure humans or full blooded Leviathans. So far they've failed and this represents one of the many Rituals used in the attempt. It's important to remember that this ritual actually does work, a child born after this ritual really is more likely to emerge as a Leviathan (or be truly human, it depends which Ritual we are talking about), it's just that the more likely doesn't actually mean likely. Perhaps a family which regularly uses this ritual will see a full Leviathan emerge around once in 45 generations rather than 50.

If used for purely practical ends this ritual is only really suitable for characters whose goals stretch across centuries, anyone else is unlikely to see any return for their efforts. A loving parent who wishes to spare their child from the horrors of Leviathan life (or share it's glory) may use this Ritual. If this parent is a player character it could raise a dilemma: This ritual costs experience points and effort yet has no mechanical bonus. Spending experience and effort on a Ritual with an uncertain payoff is exactly what the Leviathan is doing in character but depending on the player it might not make for fun gaming. The Storyteller should consider offering discount, some form of reward for good role playing or even letting the Ritual work. Even in the World of Darkness, sometimes you get a miracle.

Sacrifice: Either parent must undergo some form of body modification to become closer to the desired child. This causes 5 Lethal Damage and counts as serious torture. If a skilled doctor is on hand this is no longer considered torture. The Doctor may roll Dexterity + Medicine, each success downgrades one Lethal Damage to Bashing.

Effigy: The parent uses cosmetics and costumes instead to appear closer to the desired child.

Aspicous Portents: Low Tide and Venus (When hoping for a human), High Tide and Venus (When hoping for a Leviathan)

Ominous Portents: High Tide and Pluto (When hoping for a human) Low Tide and Mercury (When hoping for a Leviathan)

Sample acts: The parents choose a name for the child only appropriate to a human or Leviathan. Cultists provide gifts to the unborn child only appropriate to a human or Leviathan. A “seer” or “prophet” undergoes or fakes a trance then pronounces good news.

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan is of Bahamut's Strain (+1). The Leviathan is of Dagon's Strain (-1). The Leviathan possess No Mysteries of the Flesh (+1). Both parents undergo the ritual (+2). The child was created with Incubation of the Second Self (-2 due to a lack of genetic diversity).

Hidden Divinity Ritual (OOOOO)

Many Leviathans never come to terms with the Wake. For good reason, so long as he possesses the Wake a Leviathan can never deal with humanity as an equal, voices hush and none meet his eyes. Then there are the Beloved, simply by spending their days together an innocent being may never be sane again and the Leviathan is forever more responsible for their Beloved's actions and wellbeing.

Sometimes the Tribe seek to escape the Wake, it's not easy, it requires great sacrifice but it can be done. While escaping from the Wake, just looking a stranger in the eye, can be a morally and emotionally uplifting experience for the human part of a Leviathan rejecting her divine aspect for too long can disrupt the delicate balance of a Leviathans mind.

Sacrifice: The Leviathans heritage came from the Tempest and back to the Tempest it must go. To perform this ritual the Leviathan must sacrifice Ichor. At least four points per dot of Sheol to suppress. Alone this would be fine but transporting Ichor to the Rift requires a vessel: A living being that can hold the Divine Ichor in it's veins.

First the Leviathan must transfer Ichor into Hybrids (other Leviathans could be used, with difficulty) by using the Birthright of Fecundity. Because Hybrids are limited in how much Ichor they can hold this ritual usually requires mass sacrifice. Once the Leviathans Ichor is stored in Hybrids they must be killed in a matter which neither spills nor pollutes their blood, strangulation or smothering is favoured. Finally the sacrifice is sent into the Rift. If the Ritual succeeds the Leviathans Divinity will go with them.

Effigy: The Sacrifices are sent into the Rift alive. They may be brought back at any time but this ends the Rituals effects immediately. Even near the surface the Rift is a dangerous place and to perform this ritual without sending hybrids off to their deaths requires extensive preparations. A Doldrum must be secured, provisions provided and the Hybrids must be trained and able to survive the Rift. At the very least gills are required.

Aspicous Portents: Low Tide and Mercury

Ominous Portents: How Tide and Mars

Sample Acts: Allowing a priest of the cult to lead the ritual with the Leviathan taking a role no greater than that of a normal cultist. As the Leviathan transfers Ichor the Sacrifices take over his role in the ritual. A cultist playing the part of the government welcomes the Leviathan with citizenship or a mundane part of everyday life like tax forms. The Sacrifices are wrapped with lead weights to carry gold and gifts along with the Leviathans divinity to the bottom of the Rift.

Roll: Zeal+Sheol, sending the sacrifices into the rift is included in this roll.

Dramatic Failure: The Leviathans divine nature surges out of control. For the next week the Leviathans Vice can only be satisfied alongside worship and dominance of lesser beings. A Glutton cannot simply eat, his cultists must prepare food for him with terrible punishments should they not satisfy. A Prideful Leviathan seeks self affirmation in Cultists suffering to prove that they are worthy of serving him.

Failure: The divine blood refuses to be suppressed and the Leviathan's wake remains as strong as ever.

Success: For a duration chosen at the time of the ritual's completion, up to one month, the Leviathan's Sheol is considered to be decreased by Successes. The maximum decrease is limited by the amount of Ichor sacrificed. The Leviathan's effective Sheol is used in place of their actual Sheol for focusing the Wake, the size of the Wake and creating Beloved. If reduced to Sheol 0 the Leviathan has no Wake. If the Leviathan ever acquires more Ichor than their effective Sheol would allow their effective Sheol increases by one, Sheol 0 allows only a single point of Ichor. Ichor may be spent on nothing as a reflexive action to prevent overfilling. Each month spent under the effects of this Ritual is a Tranquility 6 disruption, each week spent under the effects of this ritual is a Tranquility 8 disruption, and each day spent under the effects of this ritual is a Tranquility 10 disruption.

Exceptional Success: The Leviathan may treat the number of successes as one higher and the amount of Ichor sacrificed as four higher (if this means they have too much Ichor they may immediately spend it on nothing).

Suggested Modifiers: You have not left Depth 0 for a full month prior to the ritual (+3), You have not left Depth 0 for two weeks prior to the ritual (+2), You have not left Depth 0 for one week prior to the ritual (+1), You were in Depth greater than 2 during the last week (-1), You were in Apotheosis form somtime during the last month (-2), You were in Apotheosis form some time during the past week (-3). Deep Wake (-1), Muted Wake (+1).

The Tenth Plague (OOOOO)

A Leviathan is a divine being. It does not bargain with kings or presidents, no it merely states it's wishes and woe befalls entire nations who refuse it's divine mandate.

This Ritual has no Sacrifice or Effigy, it's results are a sacrifice of epic proportions. To perform this ritual the Leviathan chooses one Beloved as an envoy and sends them to make demands of a leader of man. These demands may be so heinous or self defeating that no sane human will willingly agree but it must be feasible to accomplish then.

Accompanying the demands must be a dire threat. This takes the form of who will die: The elderly, the young, the clergy. Providing it won't kill more than half the population it's entirely at the Leviathan's desecration.

From the moment the demands are spoken the leader will immediately be aware that this is not an idle threat but backed by a terrifying supernatural force. From this point she has ten days. The first and most obvious solution is to give into the Leviathan's demands, this ends the looming doom. Most people aren’t aware there are is a second solution: Kill the Leviathan. Leviathan's with the Dread Return Adaptation must be killed fully but those able to return through the Depth 6 iteration of Incubation of the Second Self need only be killed once. If neither of these are done then everyone who is politically or personally under the jurisdiction of the leader and matches the set criteria rolls Stamina, if they cannot match the Leviathan's successes on this ritual they die.

Supernatural beings can be affected by this ritual but three strict criteria must be met: Firstly the leader must be a supernatural being with the same template. Secondly any supernatural being with a higher Supernatural Advantage than the leader won't be affected by this Ritual. Finally the leader must be Wake Vulnerable. Supernatural beings defend with Stamina + Supernatural Advantage.

A Leviathan using this ritual should take care, for the ten days it is active his Wake becomes more noticeable if not actually more powerful. Anyone sensitive to the Wake, such as an Ahab, in the area targeted by the Leviathan's curse is immediately aware that something big is happening.

Aspicous Portents: High Tide and Mars

Ominous Portents: Low Tide and Mercury

Sample acts: The Leviathan justifies this ritual as retaliation for communal crimes. The demands are spoken every day for the ten days. The Leviathan's followers visibly separate themselves from the targeted community by marking their homes or clothing.

Roll: Sheol + Zeal.

Suggested Modifiers: The Leviathan's Cult has a significant religious presence in the affected area (+1). A major presence (+2). No more than a few disorganised Beloved (-1). The leader does not have his people's interest's at heart (-2). The leader is a puppet of a supernatural or foreign power inimical to her people (-4). The leader is a puppet of the Leviathan before or at any point during the Ritual (automatic failure). The Leviathan possesses the Anointing the Prophet Adaptation (+1).

Dramatic Failure: The titanic and devastating energies are unleashed upon the cult and the Leviathan itself. Loose a dot of both Sheol and Cult Numbers then fill the Leviathan's health track with Aggravated damage except for the last box which is filled with Bashing damage.

Failure: Nothing happens. Anyone sensitive to the Wake feels that a huge event was building but failed to amount to anything.

Success: The Ritual is primed. The Leviathan has twenty four hours for a Beloved to reach a leader or else the ritual is wasted.

Exceptional Success: The Leviathan's exceptional attunement to their Ritual allows them to treat the slaughter as a monumental sacrifice to them self. Should things progress to death the Leviathan regains one point of Ichor for every person dead, for simplicity just refill the entire Ichor pool.

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LeviathanTempest:RitualsDevelopmentPage

Contents

Rituals

Sidebar: Know Your Limits

Eldritch Lore (O to OOOOO)

Vestiges

Awareness

Elements

Fecundity

Might

Predation

Sanctity

Vitality

Codified and Improvised Rituals

Step One: Ritual

Area of Effect

Number of Targets

Duration

Range

Knowledge

Potency

Step Two: Worship

Task Points

Sacrileges

Portents

Sidebar: Increasing the power of Portents (Optional Rule)

Sidebar: Signs and Symbols

Step Three: Divinity

Rituals Without Leviathans

Sidebar: Tribal Sorcery

Sample Rituals

Call the Leviathan (O)

Divining Ritual (O)

Rouse the Faithful (O)

Divine Mandate of Judgement (OO)

Drowning Ritual (OO)

Face-Stealing Ritual (OO)

Chimera Ritual (OOO)

Creating the Lesser God (OOO)

Ritual of the Sacred Triangle (OOO)

Plague Ritual (OOO)

Isolation Ritual (OOO)

Ritual of Sacred Ground (OOOO)

Calling Forth the Avatar (OOOO)

Traversing the Waves (OOOO)

Ritual of Transference (OOOO)

Birth Control Ritual (OOOOO)

Hidden Divinity Ritual (OOOOO)

The Tenth Plague (OOOOO)

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