Rite of Sorcerous Shield
(This is a pre-Visceratika Gargoyle ritual)
Gargoyles in the service of the Tremere frequently find themselves subject to hostile magics, from wizards of various other clans. The Tremere do not know much about how other clans' sorcery works - except that it functions somewhat differently than Thaumaturgy - but they can protect their servants against the worst ravages of enemy magic using this servants against the worst ravages of enemy magic using this ritual. The rite enchants a Gargoyle's essence with the patterns of Hermetic blood magic in the forms the Tremere use to defend themselves against foreign magics. In so doing, they similarly protect the Gargoyle subject of this ritual.
System: Only one Gargoyle at a time can be under the protection of the Rite of Sorcerous Shield by a given Tremere. Performing it takes about an hour, and generally requires that a silver torc or necklace be placed on the Gargoyle subject. Like the other rites in this section, Rite of Sorcerous Shield only works on Gargoyles. If the ritual is successful, the Gargoyle is protected from non-Tremere magics (koldun, Assamite sorcery, or Setite sorcery, as well as mortal magic) for a period of one month; the character gains two dice on all rolls made to directly resist the effects of such magic. The rite cannot protect the Gargoyle against secondary effects of enemy sorcery - for instance, if a small spell of fire sets a barn alight, the ritual does not protect against that inferno, though it would protect against the initial fire.
When the rite's duration ends, the silver necklace or torc used as its focus dissolves into an acrid mist. The rite cannot be transferred to another individual even if the necklace is removed; removing the necklace takes the enchantment off of the character, but the calendar continues to run. The necklace dissolves after a month whether it is worn or not.
