Ephesia Grammata

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: Askion - Kataskion - Lix - Tetrax - Damnameneus - Aision

For nearly three thousand years, these six words of power have served as a magical mantra against daemonic possession. According to Plutarch, ancient magicians instructed victims of spiritual possession to recite the Ephesia Grammata. The Ephesian words have been reliably dated to have originated before the fifth century B.C.E. According to a number of ancient sources their name derives from their being inscribed on the cult image of Artemis in Ephesus, Anatolia.

The exact meaning of these voces magica (magical words) remains an unanswered question. Interpretations vary, but they bear similarity to the mantras of Buddhism and Hinduism. They may be meaningless but potent to protect those who can speak them correctly; their power resides in their sound, so that they are ineffective if mispronounced.

The current theory among modern necromancers is that these six words of power are actually the names of six ancient and powerful Underworld daemons. Why they were inscribed in Artemis' temple is unknown, but there are two possibilities. The more popular is that they are six Underworld servants of Artemis, but the more likely possibility is that their names were inscribed upon Artemis' statute to enslave them to her and thus ensure their evil power might be turned to a good end. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, their continued and unbroken use for three thousand years ascribes to them a legitimacy of efficacy that modern necromancers cannot afford to ignore. For this reason, they remain a mainstay of western necromantic exorcism and are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

The Ephesia Grammata may be used in a variety of ways. The necromancer may speak the words individually as a counter to certain wraithly Arcanoi. The words may be combined in certain secret combinations as an exorcism against a wraith that has taken possession of a item or they can be used to exorcise a victim of wraithly possession.

Origin: This ritual is Benesj Cherno's personal variant of an ancient and widespread occult practice.
Ingredients: Amaranth & Asphodel flowers petals, a willow branch, grave soil, a graveyard & a statue of a female deity.
Casting: The vampire may use this ritual as a personal protection versus against wraithly possession, in that case the necromancer must sprinkle Amaranth leaves and grave soil in a circle about himself and chant the Ephesia Grammata.

If the necromancer seeks to drive out a wraith from an item, he must sprinkle grave soil and Asphodel petals over the item and chant the Ephesia Grammata continuously until the wraith leaves.

If the vampiric necromancer seeks to drive a possessing wraith from the body of a victim, he must take the victim to a local graveyard, bind the individual to the statue of a female deity and write the words of power on the base of the statue while chanting the Grammata and ceremonially thrashing the victim with a willow branch.

System: The player rolls Intelligence + Rituals at a difficulty of seven (7) if an in-clan caster or eight (8) if not gifted with necromancy. If the storyteller is using 'Wraith the Oblivion' as a source, then see page 135. This ritual halts and reverses the processes of attunement. Attunement is the process by which a wraith expends temporary willpower to ease the use of Arcanoi on a particular person, place or thing; once attuned the individual, item or place is called a consort. Attunement is most common with the Arcanoi of Embody, Inhabit and Puppetry, but may include any or all Arcanoi under the right circumstances. The number of times the wraith needs to manifest to, possess or successfully inhabit a consort varies based on how close the wraith and consort were when the wraith was alive. A complete stranger usually requires five (5+) or more successful Arcanoi usages and temporary willpower investments, while a friend might require three or less (3) and a lover only one (1).

Botching this ritual actually encourages and strengthens the possessing wraith and can lead to the necromancer becoming a victim of possession himself; in game terms, a botch actually aids a wraith in the process of 'Attunement'.

Failure simply wastes time and components and exposes the necromancer to wraithly attack.

The successful casting of this ritual acts as an extended and contested roll which removes the successes a wraith needs to effect the caster, an item or another victim. If used to neutralize a wraith's mind affecting Arcanoi while actively attempting to attune a victim, the necromancer must expend a temporary willpower point to ensure an instantaneous effect.

If used in all other ways, the necromancer must maintain his concentration with a willpower roll at a difficulty of seven (7) and use his ritual successes to counter or neutralize the wraith's successes at attunement.
Reference: Wraith: The Oblivion - sourcebook, the Wikipedia article on the 'Ephesia Grammata' and the website called: 'Postmodern Magic - The Art of Magic in the Information Age.
Notes: Though this ritual has been used for many years under its Egyptian equivalent, this is the first time that this Greek version has seen the light of day. I understand that this ritual may require some minor edits and that the storytellers have yet to approve it for play in the current iteration. - Bruce