Eleusinian Gate

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: In Heracles final task of the Twelve Labors (Dodekathlos), he was charged with capturing Cerberus, the three headed guardian dog of the Underworld. To accomplish this, he underwent the Eleusinian mysteries, one of which allowed him to enter the Underworld while still mortal. Like Heracles, the necromancer may use this ritual to enter the land of the dead physically, without being trapped there by the canine guardian of the Underworld. The ritual consists of the dedication of two doors with blood, one the entrance to the Underworld and the other the exit.
While he sojourns in the nether world physically, the vampiric necromancer is partially protected by the Curse of Caine; but he is still bound by the metaphysical laws of the Underworld. The downside of this transitory state is that he possesses only his normal number of health levels and can be injured like any other ghost. The upside is that he does not suffer wound penalties and may pass through solid objects or architecture with the sacrifice of a single health level; once he becomes insubstantial, he will remain so for a number of turns equal to his permanent Stamina rating.
Unfortunately, a vampire who wanders the Underworld physically faces the possibility of final death rather than torpor should he suffer too much damage. Blood is the other defining limitation of his stay in the ghost world, for the vampire’s only supply of sustenance is what he brought with him on his journey; this ritual does not grant him the ability to feed on the essence of the dead and when his stores of blood are depleted, he is consumed by Oblivion. A vampire who dies in the Underworld is gone forever, beyond even the reach of other necromancers.
Origin: The Eleusinian Mystery Cult
Ingredients: Two (2) points of blood and two (2) different doorways.
Casting: The caster must invoke two gods in Greek and make two sacrifices of blood. The first sacrifice of blood is to honor Athena, when the necromancer enchants her gate into the Underworld. The second sacrifice of blood must be made at the end of the necromancer’s journey and is dedicated to the god Hermes when the caster enchants his return gate to the lands of the living.
System: The roll is Intelligence + Rituals = difficulty six (6) and it is a pass / fail ritual. It takes fifteen (15) minutes to cast each gateway and transit to and from the Shadowlands is instantaneous; but these gates can only be used to enter or exit the Underworld from the Shadowlands.
Reference: The Path of Ash’s level four power “Ex Nihilo”, pg.164-165 of Vampire the Masquerade.