Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 22, 2016 21:12:11 GMT
Wanga Rituals
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.
Wangateurs have access to several rituals of "traditional" Thaumaturgy. These include many wards and other defensive rituals, divinations, various bone-related rituals and those that are designed to cause injury or consternation from a distance ("curse" rituals). In addition, Wanga has its own rich library of unique magics that call upon the spirits and the ashé around them.
To perform a ritual, a wangateur must wield an asson, an ekwele, a kisengue or other religious talisman, in addition to listed components. Wanga rituals require a roll of Intelligence + Occult versus difficulty of the ritual's level + 3 (maximum 9). A failure on this roll indicates that the magic has not been properly invoked; any required components are still consumed, and must be replaced if the caster wishes to try again. Botches indicate the orishas' displeasure and often pervert the intent of the ritual, causing an effect exactly opposed to that which was intended.
Many of the rituals draw upon components and practices taken from a specific religion (Voudoun, candomblé, etc). These are usable by any wangateur; if, however, a character is willing to dray only on one faith, she might have to make use of a modified variation of the ritual. Players should feel free (in fact, feel encouraged) to do some research in that direction if they're so inclined.
Some rituals, such as Grandfather's Gift, Ori Sight, and Shackles of Blood, call specifically upon ancestral spirits. The Ara Orun, while often generous and helpful, can also be malicious and cruel on whim. Any time such a ritual is attempted and failed, the Storyteller should secretly roll the caster's Charisma. If this roll fails or botches, the failed ritual bay be considered a botch, rather than a simple failure – at the Storyteller's discretion; the Ara Orun have proven exceptionally hostile this night.
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 ] Singing Charm ( XXX - Page X )
A small item is enchanted to send out a call that only the caster can hear. This "song" is audible for many miles, and the magician can always determine direction and approximate distance to the charm. On Sunday night, the caster slices off an earlobe, which is then placed in a pot or other metallic receptacle. To this is added one point of the caster's blood and the tongue of a bird. The entire mixture must be buried and the remains mixed with the ashes of a cremated corpse. This ash is then placed in a small leather or hide pouch (perhaps the size of an apricot), which must be sewn shut.
System: The Singing Charm can be heard by the wangateur as long as he is within a hundred miles, and the charm sings for a number of nights equal to three times his casting successes. During this time, the caster need merely concentrate to learn the subject's approximate direction and distance (direction is usually accurate within a few degrees, and distance within a few yards).
[ 2 ] Craft Garde ( XXX - Page X )
The caster creates gardes (also called paquets Congo), talismans designed to protect the bearer against hostile magics. The garde may look like nearly anything – a small leather pouch, a doll or bit of ornamental jewelry are all common forms. The caster mixes two points of her own blood with various powdered healing herbs (such as jurubeba), exactly nine drops of rum and some sample (hair, fingernail, etc.) from the intended recipient of the garde. The garde thus created will function only for that person. This ritual does not allow the caster to create a talisman to protect herself.
System: The garde functions for a number of nights equal to twice the caster's successes on her casting roll. It must be worn at all times to be effective, and must touch the bearer's skin. For the duration, any attempt to use blood magic rituals (but not paths) against the bearer has its difficulty increased by two (maximum 10).
[ 2 ] Craft Gris-Gris ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 166 )
Well-known to those familiar with Voudoun, a grisgris bag is a cursed item which inflicts pain and misery on the target. The wangateur must fill a bag with herbs, mineral powders, the finger bone of an infant, nine pinches of grave dirt, some item taken from the target, and two points of her own blood. The bag must then be hidden (ideally buried) within a few feet of the target's home or haven.
System: While under the effects of the gris-gris curse, the target suffers a -1 penalty on all dice pools due to a constant, throbbing headache. This effect is permanent against mortals unless the bag is found and removed. Against Kindred, it lasts for one night per success but ends early if the bag is removed. In the hands of another wangateur with a higher Wanga rating, the bag has a sympathetic connection to its creator equal to a point of the creator's blood.
[ 2 ] Grandfather's Gift ( XXX - Page X )
The wangateru contacts the Ara Orun and asks them to grant her their skills and knowledge. The caster must fix one handful of graveyard earth and an offering to the spirits into a small container. This offering should consist of rum, fruits, cigarettes, pennies and any other gifts she feels appropriate. If successful, the spirits grant her temporary knowledge.
System: Every success on the casting roll must be divided between dots in abilities and turns of duration. For instance, four successes could be used to raise the caster's Occult by 3 for one turn, by 1 for three turns or by 2 for two turns. The ability raised must be one that the caster's deceased ancestors - Kindred or kine - could reasonably have possessed (Storyteller's discretion).
[ 3 ] Curse Candle ( XXX - Page X )
On a Friday night, the magician creates a black candle incorporating the brains and bones of a dead man, nine pinches of cemetery dirt, pepper, the leaves of an itching plant and other herbs. By burning the candle for 20 minutes each night while concentrating on the victim, the magician plagues the victim with poltergeist-like activity such as thrown objects or furniture that moves to trip him. This only happens when no one else is looking. Other people will soon think that the victim is crazy, clumsy or both. Most of the time, the curse is merely a nuisance. If the ghostly force shoves the victim while he walks down a steep flight of stairs, though, or throws something while the victim drives a car, the victim might be seriously injured.
System: The Curse Candle itself does not require any expenditure of vitae to create, but each 20 minutes of use costs the magician one blood point. A single success will set the poltergeist against the victim for 24 hours. The magician must be within (Willpower x 10) miles of the victim. The poltergeist has a Strength of 2 and a dice pool of 4 for its pranks and attacks. It will try to cause serious harm at least once every night that it harass the victim, using whatever props it finds on hand. The candle is large enough to burn for a number of 20-minute periods equal to the caster's successes on his casting roll.
[ 3 ] Ori Sight ( XXX - Page X )
In voudoun, the ori is the soul, of both the individual and her family, that resides in the head. By petitioning the Ara Orun, the magician may attempt to use the senses of someone else's ori, thus seeing through the subject's eyes and hearing through her ears. The caster must burn one of her own eyes and ears (removing these causes three levels of unsoakable aggravated damage, which can be healed in the normal fashion). The resulting ash must be placed inside a human skull and mixed with a splash of rum, tobacco and an eyelash or drop of blood from the individual in question. The resulting paste must be applied to the caster's empty eye socket and the flesh where her ear used to be. She may then see and hear everything the target experiences.
System: The caster may shift back and forth between her own senses and those of the target at will. If the caster has eyelashes or blood from more than one individual, she may include a number of people in the spell equal to her level of Wanga, and may shift back and forth between her own senses or any of theirs as she chooses. The gauging out of an eye and slicing off an ear each require a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). The ritual lasts until the player spends blood to heal the injuries to her eye and ear.
[ 4 ] Candle Of Rage ( XXX - Page X )
This is constructed much like the Curse Candle, save that the brains and bones must come from am an who died violently, and that nightshade is substituted for pepper. By burning the candle for 20 minutes each night while concentrating on the victim, the caster may influence the victim's emotional state. The most common result is to drive the target into a rage, but other options exist.
System: The Candle Of Rage itself does not require any expenditure of vitae to create, but each 20 minutes of use costs the magician one blood point. Every night the candle is burned, the victim may resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) against the wangateur's casting roll when the candle was created; success indicates that the candle has no effect that night, but the magician may try again the following night. If the ritual functions, the victim finds the difficulty of all Self-Control rolls (or Courage or Conscience, if the caster chooses to go for an emotional state other than rage) raised by 2 for the night. This often results in a great deal of bloodshed as the victim loses his temper or frenzies on a regular basis. The candle may be burned a number of times equal to the caster's successes on the casting roll.
The Candle Of Rage will effect mortals and other creatures that do not normally frenzy. These enter into a near-mindless, berserk rage, though they gain none of the benefits normally associated with Kindred frenzy. Targets that do not have a Self-Control Trait (such as animals) should instead roll a dice pool equal to half their Willpower (rounded up).
[ 5 ] Shackles Of Blood ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 167 )
The wangateur brews a potion that can create a temporary blood bond even at a distance. She must incorporate three points of her own blood, a variety of natural ingredients, and the heart of a recently deceased mortal whose gender is opposite that of the target. She then stirs the mixture for three hours and strains it through unbleached cotton before feeding the finished mixture to the target.
System: The false bond lasts for a number of nights equal to the successes. At the end of that, the effect ceases, but if the wangateur successfully blood bonds the target for real during that time, it acts like any normal blood bond. While this ritual would seem to be needlessly overcomplicated compared to blood bonding through conventional means, it has a potent advantage - if the potion is fed to a mortal, any vampire who feeds on that mortal within the next 24 hours is affected as if he had drunk it directly. In this way, a devious wangateur can gain power over a vampire who does not even know she exists.
