KW 12: A Compilation of the Secrets of Witchery
A Ritual, and the Hierarchy of the Witch
Ritual
Acolyte females (and males?) can give "birth", creating "new life" (homonculi?). The process may be painful, and the spawn is "terrible to behold" (physically horrible, it seems). It exists for some time, though whether it is immortal or everlasting is unclear. Speculation: A "Mother" and "Father" are present for the birth, though whether this is meant purely in the hierarchical (1) sense or whether any female and male can mock these roles is unknown. (2)
Notes:
(1) By hierarchical, I'm referring to the manner in which Crones organize themselves. See below.
(2) Alistair Bolton is eager to see this through and was the source of this information.
Acolyte Hierarchy
After embrace, a female witch is called a Maiden. She remains one until she kills. She is watched and protected, considered steadfast and pure. If she remains a Maiden long into her requiem, she is seen as a paragon of strength because she always took the hard path.
A Maiden who kills becomes a Whore or Scarlet Woman. Rebel, independent, and free. (1)
A Whore may become a Mother. Nurture, care, guidance. She is concerned for her covenant mates and encourages them. (2)
A female who is too old to subsist on mortal blood is a Crone. Death, end of cycle. She cares for her circle by rooting out heresy and dealing with enemies.
A new male witch is a Fool. Chaos and trickery, to counter the Maiden. If he stays a fool for a long time, he can learn from his mistakes and tricks and become wise and highly valued.
A Fool who kills becomes a Hero, though this term is not romantic and implies darkness and confusion. Wisdom, valor, and strength.
A Hero may become a Father. Responsibility, ruler, strict and harsh, countering the Mother's care. Challenge, not guidance. Structure and foundation. (3)
A male who feeds only on Kindred vitae is a Hermit. His domain is information. He "watches from outside" and answers the questions of those who come to him. It is unclear what "outside" means. (4)
(1) Desirae is a Whore? This is speculation.
(2) Isabel was a Mother.
(3) Alistair is a Father.
(4) Isabel was the source of this information.
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Cruac, Its Nature, Its Rituals, and A Perspective
The Nature of Cruac Witchery
Pagans are brutal Kindred. They believe in blood sacrifice and magic they claim comes from gods older than the universe itself. There is no uniformity of belief, unlike the creeds of the Lancea Sanctum. The only common thing among acolytes would be the fact that they spill blood when they pray.
Cruac does, in fact, require the spilling of blood, and, it must be the witch's vitae.
Cruac, in and of itself, does not degenerate the Kindred who uses it, but it sometimes requires cruelty to cast. Acolytes may sacrifice something precious to their gods. What lengths an Acolyte will go to in order to please their gods varies widely. They will kill to gain favor from their gods, or do other deeds of envy and greed, and it is these deeds which corrupt the Acolyte. An example would be slaughtering a church-full of innocents to collect their blood for a chalice.
Crone retainers are referred to as Votaries. They are servants who aid in the witch's practice. Typically, they are not killed because they are useful.
Rituals
"Most rituals performed are for protection of some kind. The things you already know are most of what I know as well. I never knew the magic beyond it's most basic levels."
• Cheval
This ritual allows the witch to spy by "spiritually" following someone around for a period of time usually lasting only a night or so.
• Touch of the Morrigan
This brutal ritual involves the witch burning others with her touch. It is like being struck by lightning in terms of the damage and pain.
• Unnamed Rituals
* Rituals for instilling "will" into the witch, for when she is utterly exhausted. "It requires an understanding of adversity, and confidence within it."
* Rituals to inflict a Kindred with a false feeling of starvation.
A Perspective
"Acolytes believe in the Crone whom they call the mother of all things, and 'the Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega,' just as God calls himself in Revelations. So why must Pagans believe erroneously in ancestors instead of in God Himself? The one true God. Pagans only call themselves Pagan because they want to be wild. I believed in those many gods. I shed my blood and murdered God's precious creatures to give thanks to those gods. Took from one man to give to another, as it were. The magic didn't [did? Source later contradicts him/herself] ] stop working once I started believing in them as ancestors rather than gods. I felt lied to, like it was all a sham. They believe in their gods as strongly and faithfully as you do."
"I couldn't practice anymore once I stopped truly believing that my ancestors were capable of blessing me with anything. You must believe with your whole being that they're real in order to effectively practice Cruac. It's not a half-belief, or a maybe. It has to be as real to an Acolyte as you and I sitting beside each other. When you stop believing in anything, it stops becoming true. The faithless would be surprised by how much of our capabilities come from simple faith that it is."
"It is godless what they do. But you could argue that everything we are able to do is a gift from God. Maybe it's from Satan that Acolytes draw their power."
"I don't consider [my requiem] a waste. It brought me to this. And I happen to believe it was all part of God's plan for me. Sometimes we can't see what is in front of our eyes. We have to go the long way around to get back to the center."
Ritual
Acolyte females (and males?) can give "birth", creating "new life" (homonculi?). The process may be painful, and the spawn is "terrible to behold" (physically horrible, it seems). It exists for some time, though whether it is immortal or everlasting is unclear. Speculation: A "Mother" and "Father" are present for the birth, though whether this is meant purely in the hierarchical (1) sense or whether any female and male can mock these roles is unknown. (2)
Notes:
(1) By hierarchical, I'm referring to the manner in which Crones organize themselves. See below.
(2) Alistair Bolton is eager to see this through and was the source of this information.
Acolyte Hierarchy
After embrace, a female witch is called a Maiden. She remains one until she kills. She is watched and protected, considered steadfast and pure. If she remains a Maiden long into her requiem, she is seen as a paragon of strength because she always took the hard path.
A Maiden who kills becomes a Whore or Scarlet Woman. Rebel, independent, and free. (1)
A Whore may become a Mother. Nurture, care, guidance. She is concerned for her covenant mates and encourages them. (2)
A female who is too old to subsist on mortal blood is a Crone. Death, end of cycle. She cares for her circle by rooting out heresy and dealing with enemies.
A new male witch is a Fool. Chaos and trickery, to counter the Maiden. If he stays a fool for a long time, he can learn from his mistakes and tricks and become wise and highly valued.
A Fool who kills becomes a Hero, though this term is not romantic and implies darkness and confusion. Wisdom, valor, and strength.
A Hero may become a Father. Responsibility, ruler, strict and harsh, countering the Mother's care. Challenge, not guidance. Structure and foundation. (3)
A male who feeds only on Kindred vitae is a Hermit. His domain is information. He "watches from outside" and answers the questions of those who come to him. It is unclear what "outside" means. (4)
(1) Desirae is a Whore? This is speculation.
(2) Isabel was a Mother.
(3) Alistair is a Father.
(4) Isabel was the source of this information.
_________________________________________________
Cruac, Its Nature, Its Rituals, and A Perspective
The Nature of Cruac Witchery
Pagans are brutal Kindred. They believe in blood sacrifice and magic they claim comes from gods older than the universe itself. There is no uniformity of belief, unlike the creeds of the Lancea Sanctum. The only common thing among acolytes would be the fact that they spill blood when they pray.
Cruac does, in fact, require the spilling of blood, and, it must be the witch's vitae.
Cruac, in and of itself, does not degenerate the Kindred who uses it, but it sometimes requires cruelty to cast. Acolytes may sacrifice something precious to their gods. What lengths an Acolyte will go to in order to please their gods varies widely. They will kill to gain favor from their gods, or do other deeds of envy and greed, and it is these deeds which corrupt the Acolyte. An example would be slaughtering a church-full of innocents to collect their blood for a chalice.
Crone retainers are referred to as Votaries. They are servants who aid in the witch's practice. Typically, they are not killed because they are useful.
Rituals
"Most rituals performed are for protection of some kind. The things you already know are most of what I know as well. I never knew the magic beyond it's most basic levels."
• Cheval
This ritual allows the witch to spy by "spiritually" following someone around for a period of time usually lasting only a night or so.
• Touch of the Morrigan
This brutal ritual involves the witch burning others with her touch. It is like being struck by lightning in terms of the damage and pain.
• Unnamed Rituals
* Rituals for instilling "will" into the witch, for when she is utterly exhausted. "It requires an understanding of adversity, and confidence within it."
* Rituals to inflict a Kindred with a false feeling of starvation.
A Perspective
"Acolytes believe in the Crone whom they call the mother of all things, and 'the Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega,' just as God calls himself in Revelations. So why must Pagans believe erroneously in ancestors instead of in God Himself? The one true God. Pagans only call themselves Pagan because they want to be wild. I believed in those many gods. I shed my blood and murdered God's precious creatures to give thanks to those gods. Took from one man to give to another, as it were. The magic didn't [did? Source later contradicts him/herself] ] stop working once I started believing in them as ancestors rather than gods. I felt lied to, like it was all a sham. They believe in their gods as strongly and faithfully as you do."
"I couldn't practice anymore once I stopped truly believing that my ancestors were capable of blessing me with anything. You must believe with your whole being that they're real in order to effectively practice Cruac. It's not a half-belief, or a maybe. It has to be as real to an Acolyte as you and I sitting beside each other. When you stop believing in anything, it stops becoming true. The faithless would be surprised by how much of our capabilities come from simple faith that it is."
"It is godless what they do. But you could argue that everything we are able to do is a gift from God. Maybe it's from Satan that Acolytes draw their power."
"I don't consider [my requiem] a waste. It brought me to this. And I happen to believe it was all part of God's plan for me. Sometimes we can't see what is in front of our eyes. We have to go the long way around to get back to the center."