Koldunic Sorcery Revisited
Article by Matt Machell (April 2001)
The way of the land.................
Blood magic:Secrets of Thaumaturgy, though a useful tome of rules and background, did rather skimp in a few areas. Though there were plenty of rituals for the Tremere and those who practiced traditional Thaumaturgy, there were only two rituals included for Koldunic Sorcery. Though other rituals have been published in Libellus Sanguinius 1 and Transylvania by Night, the total number is rather few. To me this seemed a great shame as the Tzimisce have such a unique (and twisted) outlook, that they should have had a few more, interesting, rituals provided. Hopefully clanbook Tzimisce will remedy this situation, but 'til then here are a few rituals I've used in my own chronicle.
All Koldunic rituals require an Intelligence + Koldunism roll (difficulty 4 + Ritual level). Botches, especially those involving spirits, should be hideously abused by the storyteller.
Dedicating the Domain, Level 2 Ritual
Though not a powerful magic in itself this ritual helps bind the Koldun to the source of his power, his own land. The Tzimisce takes a handful of the dirt in which he sleeps, then mixes it with his own blood and the blood of three different animals who inhabit the soil of his domain. He then travels round his domain and marks each of the cardinal compass points with a sigil composed of this ichor. The ritual must be completed within an hour, and is limited to an area of approximately 2 miles in diameter.
Bile of the Land, Level 2 Ritual
This rite allows the Koldun to protect his servants from the ravages of other Kindred. The Koldun uses vicissitude to remove a fragment of bone from each of his ghouls, (those he wishes to protect), he grinds this up into a powder. He then mixes in some of their blood and dirt from his domain, then places it in an earthenware jar. He then buries the jar in the centre of the domain. As long as the jar remains undisturbed within the earth, and the ghouls are within the domain, those ghouls blood tastes like the foulest bile to kindred. Kindred who imbibe the blood immediately vomit it up, as well as an equal amount of their own blood.
Tangling Thorns, level 2 Ritual
Originally created when the Tzimisce first encountered the Tremere's deflection of wooden doom ritual, this rite allows the Koldun to enchant himself to be protected from stakes. The ritual takes one hour to perform. The Koldun mixes the sap from a hawthorn tree, with deadly nightshade. He then smears the liquid across his chest and back. When next an enemy attempts to stake him the stake turns into a twining mass of hawthorn and sprouts vicious thorns which tear through the skin. The stake is now useless and removing the stake causes three levels of unsoakable normal damage.
Compass Bone, Level 3 Ritual
Tzimisce are very possessive, and like to make sure that they do not loose their possessions. This rite is used by the koldun to keep track of their most valuable items. First the koldun removes one of his fingers with vicissitude, this he proceeds to preserve using ritual oils. He then creates a paste made from his own blood and ground up iron pyrites. He dawbs a sigil upon the item he wishes to protect, the bloody mixture absorbs into the item, leaving a faint red mark. He then dips the finger tip in the mixture. From this point on, when the finger is thrown into the air, it will land pointing in the direction of the item.
Cowing the Servant, level 3 Ritual
The Tzimisce enjoy control and fear. This ritual allows the Koldun to manipulate their servants. The Koldun mixes the brain of a sheep, with soil from his domain and his own blood, while chanting in the ancient language of the old country. He then feeds it to his servant (be it ghoul, revenant, Schlazta or Vohzd). This servant becomes more susceptible to mental manipulation by the Koldun, all rolls to do so are at -1 difficulty.
Blight the land, Level 4 Ritual
In the old country the Tzimisce were lords of the land, they fiercely subjugated the people whom they ruled over. Many tzimisce punished disobedience with death, but if a koldun wished to show his displeasure to his vassals he could blight the very land. The ritual involves the ritual slaughter of a cow. The animals remains are then buried at the four corners of a patch of land up to 4 miles across, as a gift to the malevolent spirits of the earth. For a year and a day the fields within the boundaries wither and die, animals who graze there sicken and die, the people who live on the land become haggard and grey. In the modern world many kolduns use this power when trying to weaken camarilla held cities.
Bewildering Trail, Level 4 Ritual
The Koldun of the old country often live in solitude, leaving their havens rarely and doing their best to discourage visitors. Those who wish to conceal their havens often use this ritual. Once they have dedicated an area as a domain using the level 2 ritual, they proceed to invoke a number of capricious spirits, these spirits they bind to the land of the area using a portion of their own blood. The spirits will now discourage visitors by warping their perceptions. Anybody not present in the domain when the ritual was first invoked will find it hard to enter it, their mind becomes clouded, they stumble and trip, they enter the area only to soon find themselves back at the border. Characters wanting to find their way in the domain must make a wits+enigmas roll (difficulty 9).
Heartwood Stave, level 6 Ritual
The Tzimisce takes the heartwood of a rowan tree (The central core
of the trunk) and carves it into a stave. He then twists hawthorn strands
around it and dips it in a mixture of sap and blood. Over the course
of 5 hours he summons a minor demon of Kupala, he then strikes it with
the stave, it's thorned edges causing the demon excruciating pain. Eventually
he whips the demon into a frenzy of annoyance, at which point he binds
it into the stave.
When next the stave is used to strike an enemy in combat
the Koldun intones a mystic phrase and the demon is released into the
body of the enemy, where it proceeds to attempt to tear itself free.
Needless to say this causes a severe amount of damage to the enemy,
who takes five levels of damage only soakable with fortitude.