CaernBuilding

Rite of Caern Building (Level 5)

This powerful rite actually creates a permanent caern by drawing the spirit world and the physical world closer together. Simply reciting the rite draws the attention of the Wyrm's servitors, and actually performing the rite has been known to prove fatal. Only the most powerful and wise mystics dare lead such an undertaking.

A powerful Theurge is almost always selected to perform this most sacred of rites. Many Garou must channel their energy through a powerful leader to have even a hope of success. Whole packs have been known to die in agony of failed attempts.

Once the physical focus for the heart of the caern is chosen, the area must be cleansed of all taint in preparation for its transformation. All Garou participating in the rite must undergo a Rite of Cleansing. The ritemaster performs a series of minor rituals, meditation and other physical preliminaries to prepare for her awesome task.

The sept must post sentries (very often the players' characters), for servants of the Wyrm almost invariably attempt to disrupt such a great rite. Only the mightiest warriors are chosen for such an assignment, and their protection is critical to the success of the rite. The leader of the rite is helpless while he chants a long litany of verses designed to draw a great spirit into the prepared caern. Although it is possible to create a specific type of caern, most leaders leave this choice to Gaia and accept whatever caern she grants the sept.

The rite must be performed between the hours of sunset and sunrise during the waxing of the moon. Only the Black Spiral Dancers create caerns during the moon's waning.

System: The rite requires an extended roll of Wits+Rituals, although the leader may use only as many dice as she has Gnosis. The difficulty begins at 8, and it is modified downward by one for every five Garou participating and spending Gnosis over and above the 13 necessary participants, and 40 successes are required. Only one roll can be attempted per hour of the ritual.

Because an enormous amount of Gnosis is needed to create a new caern, a minimum of 13 Garou, one for each moon of the year, must participate in this rite. Regardless of the number of Garou aiding her, the ritemaster can channel such a powerful stream of Gnosis through her system only once per hour. The rite must be performed at night. Therefore, the ritemaster has only eight rolls (one per hour) in which to accomplish her task in most places and at most times of the year.

This limit makes success fairly unlikely. If indeed, the rite does fail, all involved suffer five wounds. These wounds are not aggravated, but they are very painful, and they always leave small teardrop-shaped scars scattered across the Garou's body. Such scars are considered marks of bravery, and these "tears of Gaia" are often highlighted by tattoos or paint and worn with pride by the Garou. The Garou say the scars are the result of Gaia crying out for her children's pain.

Once the leader scores the required number of successes, all those involved in the rite must contribute Gnosis points — 100 are needed. If the total Gnosis available is not 100, all those participating begin to suffer aggravated wounds. Each wound counts as three more Gnosis points toward the total.

Botches during this rite are particularly deadly. All characters involved suffer seven health levels of damage, which means that even a Garou previously at full health becomes Incapacitated. Those Garou reduced to below Incapacitated suffer severe Battle Scars (see pp. 189-190).

If the minimum number of successes is rolled (40), the caern is ranked Level One. The Gauntlet of such an area is 4, and the spirits bound into the caern will grant powers approximately equal to Level One Gifts. Every five additional successes raise the level of the caern by one, correspondingly raising the magnitude of the powers the caern grants. At Level Three, the Gauntlet of the area is 3, while at Level Five, it is but 2. Immediately upon the rite's successful completion, the ritemaster must sacrifice a number of permanent Gnosis points equal to the level of the caern.

If a player's character should somehow assume the role of ritemaster and succeed, she receives three points of Glory Renown, five points of Honor Renown and seven points of Wisdom Renown. Anyone else participating in the rite receives five points of Glory Renown and three points of Honor Renown. This task is a legendary one that deserves a suitable reward.