Tears of the Heliades

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: This ritual creates a magical amulet in the form of jewelry, that can heal the most grevious wounds; only an individual who knows the secret gestures or phrases can unleash the healing power of the amber jewelry. The amber amulet is actually a battery for life-force and must be charged by a necromancer versed in the following ritual; the ritual requires a piece of polished amber with an ancient insect trapped within it. Mineral amber as a key ingredient, is based on its four thousand year history of use in the medicial arts, the ancient insect entombed within serves as the biological battery and mystical focus of this ritual. The process behind this ritual is the transfer of life-force from a human being into the amulet, which is accomplished using enervation, and resulting in the expiration of the subject. The ethos of the ritual is based on the Greco-Roman mythos of justifiable human sacrifice by a divine power.
Origin: Benesj the Black
Ingredients: mineral amber
Casting: The necromancer begins the ritual with an invocation of Zeus as king of the gods and protector of the world. He then fills a pool or tub with fresh "running" water and blesses it as the river Eridanos (another river of the Underworld). Then a passive sacrifice is brought into the room, a piece of jewelry made from the mineral amber is given to him as a token of immortality and he is thereafter referred to as Phaethon. Phaethon is then led to the River Eridanos and partially submerged; through seven ritual invocations the myth of Phaethon and his sacrifice by Zeus are reiterated with growing emphasis until it reaches a crescendo and the ritual reaches its climax with the death of Phaethon.
System: The player rolls Intelligence + Rituals = difficulty eight (8); the ritual takes two hours to cast. If successful, all of the mortal's life-force as measured by health levels are drained into a single tear, the caster must then 'seal' the amulet with a with a point of will-power and assign a command phrase or gesture to unlock the sealed life-force to heal themselves. A failed roll is just a waste of time, willpower and human life; while a botch results in the apparent successful creation of a tear, which upon activation, drains its user of seven (7) levels of life-force.
Reference: The wraithly Arcanoi of Usury and its fifth rank power called "Investment" served as the inspiration for this ritual; This ritual was formerly called: ‘Distillate of Life.' Wraith the Oblivion, core rulebook, pg.160 - 161.