Oracle of Python Slain

The Necromantic Library of Phineus -x- Level One Rituals -x- Level Two Rituals -x- Level Three Rituals -x- Level Four Rituals -x- Level Five Rituals

Description: "Oracle of Python Slain" is a meta-magic ritual that reveals and traces the residue of necromancy found on a person, place or item to its source, thus allowing necromancers to track other sorcerers through the residue of their own workings. In essence, the necromancer summons forth barrow-flame and uses it to ignite the other sorcerers’ mystical residue and then simply follows the burning trail back to its source.
Origin: Created jointly by Benesj Cherno and Brian O'Reilly
Ingredients: A lead rod (in western mysticism, lead is the metal of death), salt (for the alchemical principle of clarity), a dried firefly (for phosphorescence) and a drop of the caster’s blood (the catalyst).
Casting: The necromancer invokes a god of magic (Hekate for Benesj and Arawn for Brian) for aid in tracking another sorcerer and sheds a few drops of blood (1 blood point) upon the place where another sorcerer cast his magic. He then sprinkles the salt and dried fireflies over the area and strikes the earth three times with a lead rod shaped like a serpent.
System: The player rolls Intelligence + Rituals at a difficulty of seven (7). Success allows the necromancer to follow the other sorcerer to his current location. The spell only lasts for one night, but multiple successes can be used to allow a number of other individuals to follow the trail with the necromancer; alternately, additional successes can be used to pierce sorcerous obfuscations. Unlike the thaumaturgic ritual known as 'Track the Transgressor', this ritual can be used to track any form of sorcery, be it necromancy, thaumaturgy or true magick.
Reference: Track Transgressor (level 3 ritual of Tremere Thaumaturgy) found on pg.95 of Blood Magic – Secrets of Thaumaturgy. (Brian & I researched this ritual together)