Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 22, 2016 21:09:09 GMT
Wanga: The Flow Of Ashe
Followers Of Set
Followers Of Set
Except for the path known as The Flow Of Ashé, Wanga paths require the expenditure of blood for activation. In addition, any time Wanga is invoked, be it a path or ritual, the wangateur must call upon the spirit appropriate to the intended effect. For instance, a wangateur invoking Lure of Flames might call on Chango, Alternatively, were she attempting to call upon the Path of Weather Control, she might invoke Agarou Tonerre, aloa of thunder.
In addition, Wanga possesses its own unique wet of tools, components and ritualistic items that must often be present for the magic to work. Not every ritual involves all of these tools, but the vast majority of them require at least a few. Listed below are the more common of Wanga's tools, once again, a bit of research on the players' part will turn up a wealth of additional material.
Asson: Used primarily in voudoun. This is a rattle wielded by the houngan or mambo, and is considered a magical and sacred object. It is normally constructed out of a gourd to which has been affixed a wooden handle, and is often decorated with such esoteric items as snake bones and bits of coral.
Ekwele: From the Santerfa faith, this is a thin chain measuring about 50 inches in length, and broken at regular intervals by one-and-a-half inch disks made from a tortoise shell. It is used in the practice of Ifa, a form of divination.
Ese: Also from Santerfa, the Ese are poetic verses used in the interpretation of Ifa. Babalawos often have hundreds of these committed to memory.
Farine: This flour used to trace the veves utilized in voudoun rituals.
Gris-gris: A gris-gris is a charm, talisman or any other small magic item. Many of the faiths refer to such charms as wangas; gris-gris is the voudoun equivalent.
Hounfour: A temple or structure used for ceremonies to the god of voudoun.
Kisengue: A human shinbone wrapped in black rags, this is a common component of Palo Mayombe ceremonies.
Ngana: A large iron cauldron filled with graveyard earth, bones, and sticks and other disturbing ingredients. It is one of the most important components of Palo Mayombe. (This term also refers to a priest or shaman of certain African religions, though it is never used in that context here.)
Peristyle: An open courtyard in which voudoun ceremonies are held. There is often, but not always, a hounfour located on the property.
Poteau Mitan: The pole that stands at the center of peristyle or hounfour. It is often carved or decorated, and represents the center of the universe and its connection with the spirit world. All dancing during the ceremony revolves around the poteau mitan.
Veve: Common to many of the Afro-Caribean faiths but most prevalent in voudoun, this is a symbolic design representing one of the Ioa (or other spirit). Veves are used as the focus of rituals, and serve as a temporary altar when a more permanent construct is unavailable. Although they can be found written or inscribed on all manner of surfaces, they are most commonly constructed by pouring flour on the ground during rituals.
The Flow of Ashe is unusual even among sorcery Paths in that it does not cost blood to use. Indeed, its purpose is to prevent the wangateur from requiring the use of vitae in other contexts. Derived from Yoruban herbalism, the Flow of Ashe may more accurately be described as a series of rituals which must be learned sequentially. Each ritual produces an herbal mixture which, if used properly, can take the place of blood under different circumstances. The Willpower roll is made when the blood point would normally be spent. If it fails, the vampire loses two points of blood instead of the one he would have spent had he skipped the ritual altogether. Normally, the ingredients must be mixed and then the mixture used on the next turn, but Gift of Ashe overcomes that limitation. More importantly, if circumstances allow for it, many of these mixtures may even be used on others besides the wangateur.
Setite Sorcery botches, regardless of school, cause the sorcerer to acquire an intense photophobia. When exposed to extremely bright lights, the sorcerer must roll for Rötschreck against a difficulty of (4 + the sorcerer's Path rating). Setite lector-priests do not suffer this effect. [Rites Of The Blood - Page 132]
Social Responsibilities
Kindred or kine, you cannot just wake up one morning (or evening) and decide, "Today, I will become a houngan (or tata)." As with any position of authority in any other religion, it takes years of learning and initiation to become a priest of voudoun, Santeria. Palo Mayombe or any of the Wanga-practicing faiths. Many are the steps between a simple practitioner and a recognized master of mysteries.
It is relatively uncommon for a Kindred follower of an Afro-Caribbean religion to learn the secrets of Wanga without being initiated as a priest of the religion. Remember, Wanga is much a religious system as a form of Thaumaturgy, and like any religious secret, it is rarely taught to those who have not gone through the proper steps and initiations.
What does this mean for your Kindred wangateur? For stargers, it can mean years - often as much as a decade or two - to reach this level of initiation.
Houngans and mambos, santeros and santeras, babalawos, tatas and yayas - they're all religious leaders, which means they have certain social obligations demanded of them by their community and by their own beliefs. In communities where these religions are the norm, the local priest is expected to lead ceremonies on a regular - sometimes weekly if not daily - basis. Many in his community seek his aid, his advice, even his powers of divination. He is expected to his magics to help those around him, to protect them from evil spirits and the influence of malice, or evil spells.
This can cause real problems for those of the vampiric persuasion. Leaving aside the fact that most such events, petitions and requests come during the hours of daylight, bear in mind that such a character is constantly standing on the very edge of the Masquerade. Even if you've managed to explain away your nocturnal leanings, what happens if you frenzy in the midst of a ceremony? Many such ceremonies involve the spilling of blood (albeit animal blood). Between the scent of vitae, the pounding drums, the pulsating pass of humanity dancing their ritual dances - the situation is absolutely ripe with disastrous potential.
There are cultures in which the use of magic isn't inherently a Masquerade breach, where magic is almost common - but most Western princes aren't going to see it like that. You can argue all you want that it wasn't really breaking the Masquerade to use Thaumaturgy in front of witnesses because they were expecting you to do magic, but the local sheriff or archon is still likely to stake first and decide later if she should bother asking questions.
At the same time, such a position of authority offers its own advantages. Herd, Allies, Contacts, even a few dots of Fame or Influence, are all easily justifiable - if not mandatory - for such an exalted post. Your position as a religious leader places all sorts of demands on you, but it opens up an equally large host of opportunities. Don't hesitate to make the most of them.
Some few wangateurs do not bear these responsibilities. Perhaps they have left such concerns behind them after years of practice, or perhaps they serve the spirits in some other capacity. The Storyteller should not feel obliged to include these social aspects if they're going to negatively impact the story.
Ritual Practice
Wanga is often a group activity. Although most of its rituals can be performed alone, they prove easier and more effective when cast as part of a ceremony involving numerous participants. Only the primary caster need follow the steps of the ritual itself; all others are involved primarily in the drumming, singing and dancing common to these religious. These other participants need not be wangateurs, or even Kindred, but they must be true believers in an Afro-Caribbean faith, they must be willing participants (no Dominated dancers, though thralls subjected to blood bonds are common among certain less-savory wangateurs), and they must know the true purpose of the ritual. If the number of participants is at least twice the level of the ritual, the difficulty of the Intelligence + Occult roll is reduced by 1.
Not the downside to this: Rituals invoked this way take substantially longer to cast. Although the standard casting time for a ritual is five minutes per level, the casting time for Wanga rituals that are cloaked in these ceremonies is half an hour per level. Of course, nothing forces the wangateur to make use of other participants if she's in a hurry.
[ 1 ] Touch Of Life ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
The wangateur may ingest a special mixture of herbs and powders in lieu of expending blood when trying to imitate the characteristics of the living. The effect lasts for one scene. The wangateur may ingest this mixture for himself or provide it to another Kindred (but not a mortal) who must swallow the mixture during that scene. In the latter case, the wangateur decides which aspect of the living the other Kindred will imitated.
[ 2 ] Strength Of Root And Stone ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
The wangateur may inhale a mixture of herbs and powders through the nose instead of expending blood when trying to augment a Physical Attribute. The effect is the same as if the vampire had spent one point of blood to improve a Physical Attribute. The effect lasts for one scene. The wangateur may use this mixture himself or provide it for another (including a mortal). If it is to be used by another, the wangateur decides which Attribute is to be augmented when the mixture is prepared.
[ 3 ] Breath Of Life ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
The wangateur may use a mixture of herbs and powders in place of blood when trying to heal herself. The specific mixture produces a paste which the wangateur must physically smear on the area to be healed. The effect is the same as if the vampire had spent one point of blood to repair physical damage. This power cannot be used to heal aggravated damage, only bashing or lethal. The wangateur may use this mixture for himself or for another (including a mortal).
[ 4 ] Favor Of The Orishas ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
The wangateur may use a mixture of herbs and powders in order to fuel any Discipline (including blood magic) that requires exactly one point of blood to function. This formula also requires a small quantity of blood to function, but it need not come from the wangateur and, in fact, can come from an enemy (human or Kindred) who has shed blood nearby. The wangateur may only use this mixture on herself and must make a superficial cut on her arm and then rub the mixture into the open wound.
[ 5 ] Gift Of Ashe ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
The wangateur may now create mixtures using the first three levels of this path which will maintain their efficacy for an entire night rather than just one turn or scene. Furthermore, the wangateur can maintain a number of mixtures up to his Intelligence simultaneously. Thus, he can provide the mixtures to allies and no longer needs to be nearby in order to provide the appropriate benefits - he can simply give the mixture to an ally and send her on her way.
