Rites

 

Merfolk have little use for the many rites that make up the social life of many other Changing Breeds. Merfolk have many rites in common with the Garou, including the Rite of Cleansing, Rite of Summoning, Rite of Spirit Awakening, Rite of the Opened Grotto (instead of Caern), the Rite of the Fetish, the Rite of Wounding and several others. Merfolk have no need, however, for Seasonal Rites or Punishment Rites. Storytellers and players should make adjustmentsas necessary to appropriate rites listed in Rites found in the garou section of this website. The following rites have been developed exclusively for Merfolk and are the most commonly used among the Merfolk.

 

 

Basic Rites

 

Rite of Merfolk Blood:

This rite makes it possible for Merfolk to find suitable mates. By performing this rite, sea-born Merfolk can locate suitable Merfolk of their suitability. In Piscine form, the Merfolk leaps upward from the water toward the sky; on land, the character simply stretches her arms upward. The Merfolk makes a Mental test against eight Traits (retest Rituals). Success informs the Merfolk of any suitable partners within 5 miles on land or 10 miles in the ocean.

 

Rite of Swimming Alone:

When a Merfolk wishes to break off temporarily from her family or group and swim alone, he performs this rite. The Merfolk may swim alone for an indefinite period of time, but during his solitary wanderings he may not take advantage of the Traits granted by his Totem. On the other hand, he is not as strongly bound to his Totem’s Ban as if he were traveling with his group. 
Unless he commits any severe violations of his pact with his Totem, the Merfolk suffers no penalties when he returns to his group.
In performing this rite, the Merfolk shifts to Hybrid form and swims away from his group to settle on the sea bottom. There, he asks his Totem’s permission to make his way alone for a time. The character makes a Social test (retest Rituals); success means the Totem allows him to go on him way. 

 

Rite of Passing the Net:

This rite enables the Merfolk to enter the Umbra through a direct petition to Sea. The Merfolk swims to a Grotto and asks Sea’s permission to swim sideways. The character makes a Social Test against seven Traits (retest Rituals). If she succeeds, she enters the Umbra and may remain there for up to 28 days. After an entire moon cycle has passed, if the Merfolk is still in the Umbra, she finds herself deposited outside the Grotto through which she entered the Umbra.

 

Rite of Sea’s Distant Voice:

Merfolk who spend any length of time on land use this rite to commune with Sea and communicate their deeds to her. For land-based Merfolk, this rite provides a way to gain Harmony and Innovation Renown. The Merfolk must immerse herself at least partially in salt water, whether in the ocean or in a bathtub full of salted water. While in the water, the Merfolk mentally speaks to Sea and reports her significant doings. The character makes a Social test (retest Rituals); the Storyteller should feel free to add additional Traits according to the distance the Merfolk is from Sea. Success means that Sea has heard the Merfolk; Harmony and Innovation Renown should be awarded (or lost) according to the nature of the deeds reported, at Storyteller's approval.

 

 

Intermediate:

 

Rite of the Black Shark:

This powerful rite has only been used once to anyone’s knowledge. Created by a Merfolk known as Mad-With-Pain, this rite
enables a number of Merfolk to merge into one gigantic black shark, large enough to destroy an entire fleet of ships. The original intent of the rite was to bring the practice of opening Small Wounds on or under Sea to an end. Performance of the rite requires a ritemaster of Rank Four or higher as well as at least ten Merfolk (one Rank Four, two Rank Three, three Rank Two and four Rank One). The group sacrifices their lives in the creation of the Black Shark, a 120-foot-long monster with a fiery mouth and glowing red eyes. Used against ships of Whaling and Navy Warfare, the rite sank over a dozen vessels. No way to reverse the rite exists and none of the Merfolk that participated in the original and only enactment of the rite have ever been seen again. Whether or not any existing Merfolk know the precise steps involved in performing the rite is unknown.
The ritemaster must succeed in a Social test against nine Traits (retest Rituals); if successful, the Storyteller should decide the precise effects of this rite, which creates a monster far stronger and more terrifying than the one summoned by the Gift Leviathan. In addition, the Storyteller should decide if the rite can be reversed and what steps must be taken to do so, though players
should know that it is almost always a one-way trip and be prepared to deal with the consequences accordingly.

 

Rite of the Man-Form:

This rite enables the Merfolk, who are most often born in Piscine form, to choose a default “breed” form. This enables the Merfolk
to avoid an unforseen change back to Piscine form on land in the event they lose all her Rage and Willpower. Usually Hybrid or Homid are the preferred forms. If the Merfolk reverts to breed form in combat, Homid provides the better choice; in public, however, Hybrid form offers more protection for the Merfolk. The Merfolk makes a Mental test (retest Rituals). Success means that the Merfolk selects either Homid or Hybrid and uses that form as her default breed form. The Merfolk can instantaneously assume this form and will revert to the chosen form if Incapacitated, brought to zero Willpower or Rage Traits or falls prey to supernatural powers that force the assumption of her “true form.” The rite’s effects last for one week and the Merfolk cannot terminate the Gift early. Using this rite without good reason generally involves the loss of one Harmony Renown Trait, and is considered distasteful but necessary by Piscine Merfolk.

 

Rite of the School’s Wisdom:

Just as Merfolk herd schools of fish together into a tight mass for ease of consumption, Merfolk can herd such schools together to gain wisdom and information. The character makes a Physical test (retest Athletics) to gather the school together into a compact group, then makes a Mental test (retest Rituals) to perform the actual rite. Success means that the school answers the Merfolk’s questions to the best of their ability. Schools usually know about their immediate area, though they may, on occasion, possess other types of information based on their travels and encounters. Out of courtesy, Merfolk do not usually eat schools that provide them with useful information.