Initiation Script for Unaging +7 (Target 15)
This is the degree of separation. The mixture is resolved into prime substances. Mercury is split from sulphur. Green is divided from red. Bright Aurora is born from darkest Saturn, under the auspices of Mars. The initiate confronts their inner nature and removes the undesirable, retaining only their pure essential being.
As before, the initiate will have served as a lab assistant between initiations for no less than one season. (initiate sacrifices time +1)
As a precursor to this initiation the initiate must have created at least 7 new shape and material bonuses, adding to the corpus of alchemical knowledge. A deep knowledge of the mystical properties of materials is necessary to prepare the honey used in the next step. (quest +3)
The initiate undergoes a purifying process. This requires access to a large supply of honey produced in a strong magic aura. The magi of Hibernia, who produce honey for cultural reasons, are a good source. Otherwise the initiate must cultivate or find their own. For the next year the initiate consumes only this honey, no other food or liquids. Over time they become partially mellified, all their bodily excretions replaced with a red honey-like substance. In addition, their apparent age begins to change towards their desired value (as if they already had the Unaging virtue).
Each season they receive a long-term fatigue level which cannot be recovered except by breaking the diet. By the end of the year they are almost insensate, and spend the final season in meditation. After the end of the year they acquire the Unaging virtue. Once they return to a normal diet they regain one fatigue level per month until fully healthy again. (equivalent to a quest +3)
NB: Mellification was a supposedly real (but poorly evidenced) historical mumification process. There was a recorded practice in Arabia of elderly men consuming only honey prior to death, then being entombed in honey. After a century the candied corpse was used as a powerful medicine. It’s unclear if this was actually a real practice or simply a legend, however.
Initiation Script for Hermetic Alchemy +6 (Target 15)
The degree of conjunction. Externally, the purified initiate is reunited with the community. Internally, the transformed and purified spirit is unified. The initiate is fully aware of their essential nature, and at peace with it. They are now free to commence the great work in earnest.
The mystery of hermetic alchemy hinges on a deeper understanding of the relationship between fluid vis and solidified vis. The initiate must gather at least one pawn of extraordinary vis of each art – spell-like, lesser enchantment, and dedicated vis are all appropriate. Dedicated vis is especially useful and counts for both the associated technique and form. This exemplary vis demonstrates the interaction between vis and aura more clearly than normal vis. (quest +3)
The mystagogue and initiate spend a season in the laboratory studying the collected vis and observing how it sublimates back into fluid vis when used. This does not provide experience as would be the case when studying vis normally. At the same time the mystagogue guides the initiate through the process of extracting vis of a form other than vim, loaning them their own lab equipment so they can study and get used to the specialised vis extracting tools used in hermetic alchemy. This is the counterpart process, the deposition of fluid vis into solid. (mystagogue sacrifices time +3)
The initiate can now spend a season of their own time experimenting in the laboratory to repeat the process. This fixes the ideas in their mind and grants them the virtue Hermetic Alchemy .
Purifications: Reverse Initiation
Between the third and fourth stages for the Order of the Green Cockerel, it is essential that the initiate purge their being of negative qualities, especially undesirable personality traits. For some overcoming these may be a matter of stories and gradual change. Others may take a religious path, turning to prayer and pilgrimage to purify them. Some may take a more mystical approach, devising rituals to alter their own essential nature and thus excise the undesirable.
Mechanically this works exactly like an initiation, but with the following changes:
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Success removes a flaw, instead of granting a virtue.
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The character must act as their own mystagogue. Purification is profoundly personally and individual.
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Removing a minor flaw has a target of 18. Removing a major flaw has a target of 30.
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Ordeals which grant another negative personality trait can only be used with the storyguide’s approval.
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If experimenting, the character can choose to design the script for personal use only. This grants a +6 when checking the validity of the rite, but means the script cannot be used by anyone else even if it is successful.
As a general guideline, using a process like this should be as hard or harder than removing the flaw by other means. This is intended to be a thematic alternative to other options, not a shortcut to bypass stories!
It can also serve as a rough guideline for storyguides as to how much effort is required to remove a personality flaw with dedicated effort. Actions equating to a +4 script bonus are roughly enough to reduce a personality trait by 1 point (so the equivalent of a +12 script should be able to remove a -3 trait, while a +24 script can remove a -6 trait). You can use this to help arbitrate stories of self-improvement, but always make sure the result makes sense. YSMV!
Example Purification Script to Remove Proud (Minor) +9 (Target 18)
The initiate makes a circuit of the order, publicly apologising to everyone they have quarrelled with over the years. (quest +3)
Next the initiate must perform a noteworthy service for the order, in secret, and destroy all trace of their own involvement so that they will never receive credit for the act. (quest +3)
Finally, the initiate undergoes a special ritual designed to draw out the ugliness of their soul. This culminates in the initiate ritually destroying a specially prepared copper mirror. After completing this mystical process the initiate’s spirit is cleansed, and they remove their personality flaw. The internal darkness within has been made external, and they are now disfigured in some way that reflects the source of their pride. They gain the Disfigured flaw. (minor ordeal +3)