Mokole Rites

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Ananasi Rites Bastet Rites Corax Rites Garou Rites

Gurahl Rites Nuwisha Rites Ratkin Rites Rokea Rites

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Sources: PGttCB 119, Mokole 89-95

Type	Roll	Difficulty
Accord	Cha + Rituals	7
Caern	Varies (max. Gnosis)	7
Death	Cha + Rituals	8 minus Rank
Mystic	Wits + Rituals	7
Punishment	Cha + Rituals	7
Renown	Cha + Rituals	6
Seasonal	Sta + Rituals	8 minus Caern Level
Astrological	See System
Minor	None	None

Mokole Rites

Level 1 Feed the Wallow Rite of the Illuminated Wallow Rite of the Nesting Mound Save Hatchling Shedding Hide

Level 2 Silence of the Oracles Last Communion

Level 3 Shed the Crocodile's Tears Rite of the Stone Rite of Sunreturn

Level 4 Boat of the Sun Burn the Library The Gator's Burrow Open Sun Bridge Walking in your Footsteps

Level 5 Rite of Anamnesis Bones of Time Citadel of the Dragon Rite of the Eidolon Rite of Lost Dreams Rite of the Sleeping Dragon

Rank 1

Feed the Wallow (Caern) - This rite takes a small amount of food and increases it to provide food for many.

System: The ritemaster blesses the food and divides it while performing the rite. The number of successes is the power by which the food is increased. A dinner for two would serve four if there were two successes, and sixteen if there were four successes.

(Mokole BB, p93)

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Feed the Wallow (Caern) - This rite is very similar to the Rite of the Opened Caern, save that Sun's light must fill the wallow with its blessing. For Midnight Suns, a night sky is appropriate to "illuminate" the wallow with darkness. Note that the ritemaster must please not only the spirits, but the sleeping elder, if there is one. The method for which these creatures can be bested varies from wallow to wallow. For example if the elder was a mancala player, playing a riotous game in the wallow's sands might illuminate a wallow of laughter, while an elder who had fought the Garou all her life might demand a much darker ritual...

System: As the Garou Caern Rite: Rite of the Opened Caern. - To open a caern, a character engages in a resisted, extended success test of Wits + Rituals (difficulty 7). The number of successes needed equals the caern's level.

The Character must overcome the caern spirit to prove herself worthy. The caern spirit uses its caern level as a dice pool. Its difficulty equals the character's Gnosis, while the number of successes needed equals the character's Willpower. The first one to garner the necessary number of successes wins.

If the character wins the test, she can add the caern's rating to her dice pool when performing actions appropriate to that caern's focus. If she loses, however, she takes wounds equal to the number of successes by which the caern beat her. A botch indicates that the wounds are aggravated. These physical and spiritual wounds are the result of a backlash of spiritual energy.

See Caern Mechanics(WW: Revised, p226) for a list of caern types, their powers, and the spirits that can be encountered near them.

(Werewolf:Revised p157, Mokole BB p93)

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Rite of the Nesting Mound (Caern) - This rite enables a mother to pile up earth and vegetation to create a protective nest for eggs. Although this is common behavior among crocodilians and monitors, the ritual version grants the eggs an extra measure of spiritual protection.

System: If performed properly, the rite keeps the eggs at optimum temperature until they hatch. The eggs will either hatch twice as quickly or twice as slowly, depending on how the mother performed the rite and built the mound; some mothers try using this rite to ensure a certain sun auspice for their children.

(Mokole BB, p93)

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Save Hatchling (Caern) - Over 90% of potential suchid Mokole and other reptiles die in their first year of life from disease and predation. This rite creates a link between parent and child, allowing the parent to know any one child's condition at any one time.

System: Once the rite is performed, the parent need only concentrate for a turn on the given hatchling and the child's relative condition (safe, in immediate danger, wounded, and so on) is revealed.

(Mokole BB, p93)

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Shedding Hide (Accord) - This rite may be performed alone or in groups. It is usually done once a year. The Mokole sheds her skin over a period of days or weeks, and at the same time sheds any Dissolver-taint accumulated through toxins or through contact with Dissolver-creatures.

System: The ritemaster rolls Charisma + Rituals as usual; the difficulty is 5 plus the number of times she has been Dissolver-tainted, such as by touching fomori or vampires, eating tainted food, speaking the words of the Dissolver, and so forth. The maximum difficulty is 9. The number of successes gained indicates the number of levels of Dissolver-taint that pass away. The Mokole will begin to itch horribly as the toxin works its way up to her skin. As she scratches, her skin peels off, revealing new skin beneath. Tattoos, scars or brands usually disappear during the shedding. This rite is highly refreshing to the celebrant.

(Mokole BB, p89)

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Level 2

Silence of the Oracles (Accord) - This merciful rite allows the ritemaster to protect a person from memories that would drive them mad. It is often used to protect survivors of torture, molestation, rape, or massacres. It allows the wounded person to live normally without going mad.

System: The ritemaster confers with the patient as she performs the rite. For each success, a memory may be sealed. The recipient will still know that his trauma occurred, but will not be injured by the memories and will be able to remember without pain. If the rite is used to aid a Derangement or Harano, the patient is allowed a scene of rational behavior for every success on the ritemaster's roll.

(Mokole BB, p90)

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Last Communion (Death) - This rite enables a Mokole adept to receive Mnesis from a comrade. The two Mokole must gaze into each others' eyes, and the giver of Mnesis will speak of a memory which he or she holds, or if unable to speak, will concentrate on it. She will then breathe out the memory, and the taker will breathe it in. Once the memory is passed, the dolor has no more access to it. This rite is often used on battlefields to preserve the Mnesis of the dying, and is the only reason that so much Mnesis survived the Wars of Rage. Many highly emotional scenes have centered on Last Communion.

System: Either the donor or the recipient can be the ritemaster for this rite. If the giver is unconscious or dead, the taker can breathe in her last breath, but the Mnesis transferred will usually be confused.

(Mokole BB, p90)

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Level 3

Shed the Crocodile's Tears (Death) - This rite shows a Mokole's contrition for killing a foe. The Mokole, before leaving a battlefield, weeps over the corpse of a fallen enemy (or friend). The length of time that she weeks depends on the depth of feeling involved.

System: The Mokole must expend a point of Gnosis as she enacts the rite. Success indicates that the spirit or wraith of the person involved will not seek revenge on the ritemaster. If the Mokole sacrifices a permanent point of Gnosis, then even the kin and allies of the fallen believe that the Mokole was not a crazed killer, but was only doing what was necessary.

(Mokole BB, p90)

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Rite of the Stone (Mystic) - This allows the Mokole to attach a mystical stone to his body. The stone can be a belly stone, giving strength, or a skull stone, giving wisdom. A belly stone must be heavy, smooth, and properly shaped - the search for the perfect stone can last a long time.

Skull stones (carbuncles, or "dragon stones") are much harder to find, as they must also be perfect, flawless jewels. The jewel must be cut by an artisan with stone-cutting skill, then heated to searing heat, such as in Sun's fire, in a forge or in volcanic heat. The stone is then burned into the Mokole's forehead, where it is visible in Archid form (in some Mokole, it is visible in Homid form as well).

System: During the rite, the Mokole must fill the stone with Gnosis by meditating in Sun's light (save that Gnosis goes into the stone instead of into the Mokole). The stone's maximum Gnosis is equal to the ritemaster's current Gnosis. The stone is then swallowed, if a belly stone, or branded into the forehead if a skull stone. In hunting or battle, the Mokole may spend the stone's Gnosis on a one-for-one basis; belly stones add to Strength for one scene, and skull stones may add to any Mental Attribute. Once the stone's Gnosis is expended, the stone is absorbed fully into the Mokole's body.

Garou who hunt Mokole sometimes seek these mystic stones and use them to store Gnosis. In addition, when an ancient Mokole dies, her stone can be passed to a younger Mokole without losing it's Gnosis. Mnesis records more powerful stones, and sleeping elders often have a mighty stone from a past age.

(Mokole BB, p91)

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Rite of Sunreturn (Seasonal) - Each winter solstice (December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, June 21 in the Southern), Sun is at his weakest. Darkness is strong as Gaia turns away from his heat and light. The Mokole usually gather at such times and perform the Rite of Sunreturn to strengthen him. The rite takes many forms among different streams: the Mokole-Membe light candles and give each other presents of cake and sweets baked in circular shapes. They keep watch all night long with songs and bonfires until Sun shows his face again. The Zhong Lung meditate, asking that the Wheel turn uninterrupted. The Makara, who call this festival Diwali, illuminate the night with lamps and burn incense to show Sun the way to come back. The Gumagan stage mock battles in which one party represents Sun and the other Darkness. Adepts among the Gumagan also enter the Dreamtime before Sunrise and face Sun's enemies, daring them to show their faces.

System: The ritemaster first oversees the preparations for the rite, which take different forms. She then participates (eating cakes, drinking rum, singing songs or similar activity) all night long. The rites difficulty is 7 for normal circumstances, 8 for a bleak winter. For each success, one of the celebrants gets one additional die to use once before the next winter solstice.

Failure means that Sun rises in a black cloud and the ritemaster loses her sun dice until she beholds her Sun sign again. A botch may be interpreted by the Storyteller to mean that Sun does not rise or that some other disaster befalls.

(Mokole BB, p93)

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Gumagan Rites

Level 1 Djunggawon The Oknanikilla Songs of the Dreamtime

Level 2 Into the Waterhole

Level 3

Level 4 Tjurunga

Level 5

Level 1

Djunggawon (Renown) - This rite of Renown is a rite of passage for Kinfolk and Gumagan. It takes place when they are young. The mob will assemble at a waterhole or sacred site. The men (for a boy) or women (for a girl) go off together. They then tell the child about the Gumagan and the spirits of the Dreamtime. The rite involves body art: painting, circumcision, or the removal of one tooth. For Kinfolk, this is the moment at which the adolescents become adults. The Gumagan usually pass from the ceremony to their great trance in which they dream their Archid form.

System: Men and women who bear the scars of this rite will be recognized by anyone else who is also initiated this way, and receive an extra die on Social rolls with any native people of Bandaiyan. Thereacter, they may learn the rituals and songs that they are in line to inherit from uncles, aunts, and other elders.

Suchids perform this rite as well, but the Mokole themselves initiate the young one by biting them.

(Mokole BB, p94)

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The Oknanikilla - The Gumagan, Australia's native Mokole, originated this rite and allowed their allies, the Bunyip, to share it. It is performed alone. The ritemaster, who must be a gravid female, makes a long journey along the "paths of the ancestors" (songlines) to an oknanikilla, a place where a totem has manifested. Usually this place will be a wallow, or it once was one. (Of course, many oknanikilla are now wallows of the egg-smashers). The totems give special favor to anyone born in their sacred sites.

System: After performing the rite, the mother-to-be spends one or more Gnosis points, and lays her eggs or gives birth on the site. She remains there until the eggs hatch (if suchid) or until she is able to walk after the birth (if homid). The number of Gnosis spent is the number of additional dice that the child may roll, when an adult, when trying to call the totem of the sacred place.

(Mokole BB, p94)

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Songs of the Dreamtime - This rite is associated with spirit songs. The ritemaster must sing the song for a place (such as a songline) or a thing (such as a tjurunga; see below). He is then able to use the songline to travel or read the memories of the ancestor, usually via the Gifts of the Gumagan.

System: The roll is Manipulation + Rituals, difficulty 6. However, to learn the rite, you must inherit the rite.

(Mokole BB, p94)

Rank 2

Into the Waterhole (Death) - This rite allows the soul of a dead person to be free. The body is disposed of by exposure, cremation or burial. The ritemaster then sings and dances and burns the dead person's possessions while calling their name. The soul passes on into a waterhole to be reborn, and does not haunt the living any more. Most souls welcome this rite. Some, frighteningly, do not...

System: Like other Rites of Death, the roll is Charisma + Rituals.

(Mokole BB, p94)

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Rank 4

Tjurunga - This Rite enables a Gumagan to put some of their Mnesis into a carved and painted board, a tjurunga. The Mnesis can be accessed by anyone who knows the spirit songs.

Gumagan mobs often trade tjurunga. This is a common way to establish alliances and unify the people. The hereditary owners of tjurunga are very choosy about whom they exchange them with, or at least they used to be. Tjurunga are exchanged across thousands of miles among mobs who know each other well.

There are said to be three tjurunga left which were made by the Bunyip before they perished. No one knows where these mystic spirit boards are located, but the Gumagan are looking for them. They hope to find them before the European Garou do.

System: The ritemaster must sacrifice a point of permanent Gnosis and carve and paint the board during the rite. The tjurunga is then stored in a sacred cave or other such place. Anyone seeking to read it must sing and make an Expression + Rituals roll, difficulty 7. The number of successes is the number of memories that emerge.

(Mokole BB, p94)

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Zhong Lung Rites

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5 Shedding Bones

Level 5

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.

System: As the rite is performed, the Zhong Lung must sacrifice a permanent point of Gnosis to grow a new bone for each bone expelled. For each point of Gnosis thus sacrificed (and each bone renewed), five years of physical age return to the ritemaster. The cast-off bones are valued by wu-magicians, herbalists, and paleontologists.

(Mokole BB, p95)