Thratchen's Occult Ritual

Effect Value: 36
Bonus number to: Duration
Range: self
Duration: 32 (1 month)
Cast Time: 25 (1 day)

This occult ritual provides Thratchen with two effects that it desperately needed to maintain its position as Regent of Orrorsh in the Gaunt Man's absence. The first effect was that Thratchen's cyberware functioned in the Orrorsh pure zone surrounding Illmound Keep. The second effect is that it provided Thratchen with enough possibility energy from Heketon that it is able to keep its high attribute levels, despite the fact that Tharkold's Law of Domination no longer supported them at the Demon Prince level.

Should Thratchen no longer be under the benefit of this ritual, its attributes would drop to the maximum levels allowed for a Tharkoldu of whatever level it is at in the dominance chain (ie, if Thratchen has no Tharkoldu submissives left, its attributes will drop to the maximums allowed for ordinary techno-demons).

While Thratchen remained in the pure zone around Illmound Keep, the occult ritual was not considered a contradiction for Thratchen. In an Orrorsh dominant zone, the ritual was a one-case contradiction (Thratchen's reality did not support the occult skill). Outside of Orrorsh, the ritual is a four-case contradiction so Thratchen risked losing its high attribute levels by leaving Orrorsh to seek out the PC party in City of Demons. The ritual was considered a passive contradiction and in game play would be checked once at the beginning of each scene.

The ritual did have some minor side effects; Thratchen's cyberware worked in Orrorsh, just not the way it used to because the ritual was limited by Orrorsh's axioms in what it could do. As a result, there were side effects such as an obvious clacking gear-like noise whenever Thratchen movee its cyberarm or flexed its cyberwings, and it experienced a constant arthritis-like pain in its joints due to its Nanocord. But since there was no detrimental effect on the performance of the cyberware (its joints hurt but its attributes were not affected), Thratchen embraced the pain as the price to pay (and by the Law of Pain Thratchen also saw it as a learning experience).

The ritual was initially enacted by Skutharka, as Thratchen had no practical knowledge of the occult . The ritual involved numerous props and was a lengthy ritual involving all manner of gruesome activities. After the first couple of rituals, Thratchen had learned enough watching and participating in the ritual with Skutharka that it was capable of performing the ritual itself without assistance.

Suggestions for use: In the module City of Demons, Thratchen is operating under a deadline. The ritual is close to the end of its duration and should the ritual's duration end before Thratchen dominates the demon lord at the end of the adventure, Thratchen's attributes will drop a great deal and it will no longer be strong enough to challenge the Demon Lord. Thratchen could return to Orrorsh and redo the ritual of course, but there's no telling when the Gaunt Man will escape so Thratchen does not consider that a viable option - its all or nothing for Thratchen at this point....

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