Chapter Six
Performing Voodoo Magic
The Knowings
Unlike other deities with higher publicity budgets, the Mysteres aren’t omniscient. They are extremely knowledgeable, however. Still, they cannot reveal themselves to those who have not at least been properly introduced. They cannot influence, or expend energy on, or provide protection or power for those they do not know. For the Mysteres, their knowledge of mortals depends on the relationships they develop with them.
On the Voodoun’s side, however, the same is also true. The Voodoun cannot ask for power from a Mystere with whom she has no relationship. Part of the process of Initiation introduces the Voodoun to the Mysteres, and the Loas will ride the initiate to test their worthiness.
Sometimes, all it takes is a simple touch from a Mystere to establish a relationship. A relationship with a Mystere is not unlike a relationship with a parent – the course of the relationship is a focused interaction between mortal and Mystere, between Voodoun and Incarna. This interaction serves as the fundamental basis for all voodoo magic.
A Knowing trait defines the depth of relationship that the voodoun has with a specific Mystere. Although Freebies can be spent on beginning Houngan to purchase Knowing, after that, the traits are totally outside of the player’s control. The individual Mystere decides when and where to deepen the relationship, and thus increase the Knowing – no amount of experience points can purchase another level. Still, they do cost experience points to raise (x 8) once the Mystere approves the new level.
| 1:Touched | Briefly encountered by the Mystere |
| 2:Heard | You called, and the Mystere came, or he called and you came. |
| 3:Recognized | The Mystere has recognized you with your name or you have seen the Mystere in a crowd. |
| 4:Adopted | The Mystere has made you her own child. |
| 5:Favoured | You are singularly important to a Mystere. |
Below is a description of each degree of knowledge, each level the relationship between human and Spirit. Although a rating number between one and five is assigned to each degree, this isn’t meant to be a cut-and-dried process. Each degree must be evaluated and passed by the Storyteller – it is not something that uses experience points.
Touched (*)
The Making: Not every touch of a Mystere creates this level of relationship, but a single touch is required for this relationship to begin. The Mysteres touches the mortal through some auspice: either spiritually, or through riding another. After the Touch, a shiver is usually felt. This signifies that the relationship with the Mysteres has begun.
The Taking: With a Touch relationship, a Voodoun can sense the power of that Mystere at work. She can also use that Mystere’s powers to gather information about that Mystere’s area of influence.
Examples:
Give love advice with Oshun’s power.
Sense a policeman with Chango’s power.
Know the shortest route through a city with Legba’s power.
Sense the hand of Ogoun on someone or something.
Heard (**)
The Making: In order for a Voodoun to be Heard by a Mystere, she must first successfully call that Mystere’s attention and have that Mystere answer. The Mystere is not compelled to obey by any stretch of the imagination, but the very fact that the Mystere Heard and responded is enough to advance the relationship forward. Remember that it is up to the Mystere whether she Hears a Voodoun or not – the relationship doesn’t advance without the Mystere’s consent.
The Taking: What this level of relationship gives a Voodoun is the ability to entreat the Mystere to do things for the Voodoun in the world. The Mystere may or may not respond, but at the very least, the Voodoun can ask. Asking for actions that take existing conditions and alter them slightly are best. Asking for actions that are firmly in the Mystere’s interest and area of influence is better. No requests that do not involve the Voodoun will be granted – there has to be some connection with the Voodoun at this level for something to work.
Examples:
Ask Oshun for someone already in your life to fall in love with you.
Entreat Yemaya for help in finding a friend of yours who is lost at sea.
Request Oya to help you quit smoking.
Beg Chango to help the police overlook your parking tickets.
Pray to Obatala for good health for your mother.
Recognized (***)
The Making: After the Mystere has been called enough times to become more familiar with the Voodoun, sometimes the Mystere will acknowledge the relationship with the Voodoun and decide to call him by name. This signifies a deeper relationship, and enables both Mystere and Voodoun to exchange energy on a deeper level.
The Taking: The Voodoun can use his Recognition to cause magic to happen to people other than himself or those he is involved with. The request must be within the Mystere’s area of influence. Also at this level, the Voodoun begins to sense spirits of other types and kinds, as described in games like Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, and Wraith: The Oblivion. This sense does not convey the ability to speak with the spirits, but it does allow them to track their presence and movement and general bent.
At this level because of the strong spiritual ties to the Mysteres, the Voodoun gains immunity to the Delirium.
Examples:
Requesting that Oshun give you a new lover whom you haven’t even met yet.
Calling Yemaya to take away a stranger’s depression and sadness.
Heal someone you just met with Obatala’s power.
Chanting to ward against Ogoun’s power for your business for a day.
Trying to put a curse on a stalker so that they become lost with Legba’s power.
Adopted (****)
Mojo Bonus to all Workings with this Mystere: 1
Working Difficulty Bonus: -1
The Making: Generally only one Mystere out of all will take a relationship with a Voodoun to the next level, although it is not entirely unheard of for like minded Mystere to very rarely share a Voodoun at this degree.
At this level, a Voodoun becomes the adopted child of the Mystere. It is at this level that the Mystere can come down and inhabit the Voodoun and speak using his voice, although the Ridden Voodoun cannot use the Mystere’s power yet in this state. The Mystere can also start requesting specific services of the Voodoun and expect for the service to be fulfilled – if it is not fulfilled, then no Mojo will be received or requests will be answered by that Mystere.
The Taking: The Voodoun can now make commands, not requests. Technically, the Mystere can still refuse a request made by one of this degree, but it is not often that it happens (and the Mystere must return the Mojo spent on the request). The Voodoun can learn veves and can invest a Mystere’s power temporarily in objects so that even non-believers can use the power of the Mystere. The Voodoun can now also request that the Mystere do something that is not in the Mystere’s direct interests – like Oshun being asked to break up a love relationship, or Yemaya being asked to allow something in the ocean to be found. At this level, the Voodoun can start speaking to, calling and bargaining with other kinds of spirits, but cannot compel them to serve.
Examples:
Making a cursed juju bag with Chango’s power and sending it to the Mayor.
Creating a perfume that makes someone irresistible with Oshun’s power.
Weaving a cloth that protects the body for a time when worn with Obatala’s power.
Favoured (*****)
Mojo Bonus to all Workings with this Mystere: 3
Working Difficulty Bonus: -3
The Making: This level of relationship only comes after years of service. It is a deep relationship between Mystere and Voodoun. The Voodoun lives most of his life in constant service to his Mystere to the point where he has nearly no other thoughts or feelings. The Mystere frequently inhabits the body of the Favored, and can even use some of his spirit power while within the Voodoun. There is very little separation between Voodoun and Mystere at this stage – requests, commands, and other information pass back and forth between them continuously.
The Taking: At this degree, the Voodoun can ask for permanent boons, make items of power, and accomplish magical feats that no other Voodoun can: such as entering the umbra. Because of frequent Ridings by the Mystere, the Voodoun begins to lose touch with mortal reality and begins to have a kind of double- vision: he sees the spirit world overlaid atop the real world. This means that he frequently interacts with beings who, to others, appear to not be there. At this level, the Voodoun can start compelling other kinds of spirits to serve, and with a proper teacher, can even make fetishes.
Examples:
Take Ogoun’s strength and throw a car down the street.
Use Oshun’s seduction to enchant a vampire.
Heal yourself from the edge of death to healthy with Obatala’s power.
Make a store completely peaceful forever with Yemaya’s boon.
Create a compass which never fails to get you where you’re going with Legba’s power.
Enchant a pistol with the justice giving power of Chango.
Mojo
Lavelle sat in his dark bedroom.
The additional assassins had risen out of the pit and had crept off into the night, into the storm-lashed city. Soon, both of the Dawson children would be slaughtered, reduced to nothing more than bloody mounds of dead meat.
That thought pleased and excited Lavelle. It even gave him an erection.
The rituals had drained him. Not physically or mentally. He felt alert, fresh, strong. But his Bocor’s power had been depleted, and it was time to replenish it. At the moment, he was a Bocor in name only; drained like this, he was really just a man – and he didn’t like being just a man.
Embraced by darkness, he reached upward with his mind, up through the ceiling, through the roof of the house, through snow-filled air, up towards the rivers of evil energy that flowed across the city. He carefully avoided those currents of benign energy that also surged the night, for they were of no use whatsoever to him; indeed, they posed a danger to him. He tapped into the darkest, foulest of those ethereal waters and let them pour down into him, until his own reservoirs were full once more.
In minutes he was reborn. Now he was more than a man. Less than a god, yes. But much, much more than just a man.
Darkfall, Dean R. Koontz
Mojo is the energy of the Mystere, the magical power of the Voodoun. It is what enables the Voodoun to affect the world, to cause things to happen. It is gained directly from the rituals that the Voodoun enacts, which are assigned to her when she first establishes a relationship with the Mystere. She may receive one additional ritual per level of relationship, as the relationship grows. Unless otherwise noted, each ritual gains her one point of Mojo, that lasts until she spends it.
Mojo is a magical energy that is stored within the soul of a Voodoun. The Voodoun is given this energy through the spirit bond that exists as a result of his relationship with a Mystere. The energy is usually only given when certain actions are taken. These “Mojo Rites” usually correspond to a specific Mystere and his particular area of influence.
The human body has Mojo stored in its lifeblood, and as a result, one may use one’s own life as a substitute for Mojo, while the reverse is not necessarily true (at least, not unless Obatala is involved).
A Mojo Rite (or Ritual) is a special action on the part of the voodoun character that proves them worthy of receiving Mojo from their Mystere. A character has only a limited number of these rituals from which to choose from on a daily basis. Mojo Rites cannot be endlessly repeated without “rest.” If they are, the Mystere associated with the rituals will tend to get angry as the voodoun is becoming greedy with his personal Mojo. Mojo Rites are decided upon when a character is generated and do not change unless somehow the voodoun changes Mystere or loses his position as a clergy.
The difference between a Houngan and other voodoun in this is that a Houngan is given many Mojo Rites from the Seven African Powers and the voodoun must scrape by on what few rituals their patron Mystere allow, or beg them frequently for gifts of Mojo.
Each Mystere requires different rituals for a voodoun to gain Mojo. All voodoun have at least one such ritual, while Houngan have at least one for every Mystere with whom they have a relationship. Houn’gan and Mambo may gain additional mojo rituals at storyteller discretion. Some sample rituals for the Court Loas are:
Legba:
Spend an hour hanging out at a crossroads.
Give directions (good or bad) to someone who is lost.
Drink the milk from a single coconut in one sitting, and eat all the flesh.
Find a penny on a sidewalk.
Ogoun:
Do an hour of extremely hard labor.
Make something with your bare hands.
Practice martial arts for three hours.
Destroy something of worth.
Oshun:
Wear beautiful clothing and receive at least three honest compliments.
Experience a rare but beautiful sensation.
Make love all night long.
Resolve a heated argument peacefully.
Chango:
Do the right thing even if it hurts.
Make a decision which affects someone else’s life drastically.
Make a judgment in a dispute.
Have someone swear loyalty to you.
Obatala:
Meditate for an hour.
Help someone else heal from an illness.
Dress all in white all the time.
Fast, drinking only pure water, for three days.
Yemaya:
Spend an hour meditating on the shore.
Go swimming in a river or a lake.
Offer comfort to someone in pain.
Erzulie:
Play the lottery.
Spend the day doing good deeds.
Give away an expensive gift.
Receive an expensive gift.
Baron Samedi:
Spend the night in a graveyard.
Drink a bottle of whiskey.
Sacrifice a black chicken.
Remember that these are just suggestions. The Mystere know each individual voodoun, and they tend to assign them special rites to fit their personality.
Voodoun have a maximum Mojo they can hold equal to their total Knowing points. Any Mojo gained after that must be immediately used, or it is taken back by the Mystere who is most favored of the Voodoun. There are some ancient voodoo artifacts that allow a Voodoun to keep extra Mojo.
Primary Uses of Mojo and Costs
When a voodoo working is done, Mojo can be used to substitute a number of successes needed to complete the working. If a Voodoun reaches 0 Mojo, and is in the midst of doing a working, the Voodoun cannot simply end it – she will feel the voodoo power wracking at her and pulling apart her insides in the effort of becoming. The Voodoun will have to replace her missing Mojo with wound levels, in order to properly end the working. For this reason, wise Voodoun work in groups, or do not attempt that which is too difficult for them.
Houngan may use Mojo in a special way. Each Houngan has a Patron Gift, an ability which is natural to them that is given to them by their Patron. This gift uses Mojo and is not a Working as per the magic rules. Mojo so spent is regained normally. Houngan may also spend 10 Mojo at once to change their current Temporary Hex trait to one higher of Permanent Hex, thus putting off the inevitable catastrophe for a time.
Mojo Costs |
||
|---|---|---|
| No Duration: | 0 | |
| Instantaneous: | 1 | Lasting for only an instant |
| Short: | 2 | Lasting for one “scene” |
| Half a day: | 3 | |
| Day: | 4 | |
| Week: | 5 | |
| Month: | 6 | |
| Year: | 7 | |
| Mortal Lifetime: | 10* | 60 Years Average |
| 100 Years: | 20* | |
| Permanent: | 40* | |
* These durations mean that the Working is no longer counted as “tying the Mystere up” (see the Working Modifier Chart) as it becomes a natural part of the background of reality.
Minor, subtle effect: No lasting harm, no damage, no major changes in personality or perspective.
Cost: 0 Mojo
Examples:
You make someone think of an old lover with Oshun’s power.
You make someone forget their car keys with Legba’s power.
You give someone a twinge of pain with Ogoun’s power.
Major, subtle effect: Someone can be harmed, but it isn’t obvious how this is accomplished. The effect is surprising but not unwarranted.
Cost: 3 Mojo
Examples:
You make someone call an old lover with Oshun’s power.
You make someone forget where they parked their car with Legba’s power.
You give someone a momentary muscle spasm with Ogoun’s power.
Extreme, subtle effect: A series of circumstances and consequences conspires to create a strange but believable effect.
Cost: 5 Mojo
Examples:
You make someone visit an old lover with Oshun’s power.
You make someone forget that they lent their car out with Legba’s power.
You give someone a sprain or charley horse with Ogoun’s power.
Minor, blatant effect: Strangeness is definitely afoot – unless hidden by cover of night or other magic, people will definitely remember and wonder about it.
Cost: 7
Examples:
You make someone start dating an old lover with Oshun’s power.
You make someone confused as to where they are, exactly, with Legba’s power.
You give someone a heart attack with Ogoun’s power.
Major, blatant effect: You are definitely doing something totally out of the ordinary, that cannot be explained by any other means, and it hurts or changes reality big time.
Cost: 10
Example:
You make someone leave their fiancé to marry an old lover with Oshun’s power.
You make someone forget who they are and what they’re doing with Legba’s power.
You make someone’s lungs catch fire with Ogoun’s power.
Extreme Blatant Effect: Extremely powerful, nasty, it’s also dangerous.
Cost: 20
Examples:
You make someone fall in love with everyone who looks like their old lover with Oshun’s power.
You give someone Cancer or a terrible genetic disease with Ogoun’s power.
You make someone think they are someone completely different, and forget they were ever anyone else with Legba’s power.
The Working
The ‘working’ is how the Voodoun does his or her magic. These are the ‘spells’ they cast. They can be cast for any purpose, to heal, to charm, to bless, even to curse. There are specific forms of workings, like the creation of a veves, or a ritual bath. If the working is combined with one of these rituals, the target number may be lowered by up to three at storytellers discretion.
- . Voodoun decides what he wants to do.
- . Voodoun states what Mystere he is going to call on.
- . Based on his relationship with that Mystere, the Storyteller evaluates the Mojo required for the working to take effect.
- . The Voodoun rolls his Knowing with the Mystere he is using to do the working. This is called the “Working Roll.” The difficulty is determined by a number of factors, all listed on the Working Roll Modifiers Chart, below. All workings begin with a difficulty of 4 and progress upward. They may never fall below 4, no matter how many negative modifiers qualify. The difficulty may never rise higher than 10, no matter how many positive modifiers are added. Each success on the Working roll cancels out one Mojo point from the Mojo requirement for the Working. If the required Mojo level is exceeded by the Working roll’s number of successes, then the Voodoun may freely spend Mojo up to the limit of his highest Knowing to extend and upgrade the level of success of the Working. If the Working roll fails, the Mojo cost is not paid, but no effect occurs. If the working roll botches, the Mojo cost must be paid at any cost.
- . Working Effects: If a Working is successful, then the Voodoun rolls the Knowing of the Working’s Mystere again to determine the Working’s level of success. The success level will help the Storyteller determine how resistible it is, and the general success level of the Working.
- . Resisting a Working: If the target chooses to resist, or the Storyteller decides to assign resistance to the target, then this must be overcome by the Working Effect roll in order for the Working to have any effect. If the target is someone with Willpower, she may elect to roll her Willpower against a difficulty of 6 to see if she resists it. Each success takes away a level of the Working’s effect. If a failure, she is subjected to the full effect. If a botch, she is subjected to the full effect plus she takes a wound level as one point of Mojo is drawn from her body and placed in the reservoir of the Voodoun. If the Working is in the form of a curse, check to see if Hex should be given.
Working Modifier Chart: +3 If working in concert with other Voodoun who do not have a Knowing with the Mystere of the working. +3 If the Voodoun is in combat. +3 If the Voodoun is requesting more than his Knowing level with a Mystere allows. +3 If the target of the effect is not alive, this includes Kindred. +2 If the Voodoun has had no prior preparation time. +2 If the Voodoun is in pain. +2 If the target of the effect is not within line of sight. +2 If the Voodoun does not keep ritual garb appropriate for the Mystere he is calling upon. +2 If the Voodoun does not have an altar dedicated to the Mystere he is calling upon. +1 If working in concert with other Voodoun who do have a level of Knowing with the working’s Mystere. +1 If the Voodoun is performing in the open, in public. +1 If the target of the effect is another Voodoun. +1 For every Working successful and still running. +1 If the Voodoun is not free to speak and move without hindrance. 0 If the target is in plain view, the Voodoun has had time to prepare some, and all other factors are equal. -1 If chanting. -1 If dancing. -1 If the Voodoun is Adopted of the working’s Mystere. -2 If using special ritual tools consecrated to the working’s Mystere. -2 If long-term preparation is undertaken. -3 If the target’s true name or magical name is known. -3 If the target is an Outcast Voodoun, repudiated by the working’s Mystere. -3 If the Voodoun is Favored of the working’s Mystere. Mojo Circles: Working in Concert
A group of Voodoun can work together with one person leading them. The leader is the principal Voodoun and is the one upon whom all working rolls depend. The other Voodoun, however, can elect to share their own Mojo with the leader at the conclusion of the working. Thus, even voodoo tourists who only have 1 Touched Knowing and 1 Mojo can be of value to a Houngan. Mojo is taken on a point-by-point basis, going right from the leader, one point at a time until the entire working is paid for. If there is *still* not enough Mojo in the circle, the leader is the one who must sacrifice himself for the good of the group – the working will not steal health levels from any of the others working in the circle.
Charms and Talismans
You can only have this ability as high as your Standing Background.
Charms are created by the Voodoun to spread an effect created by a particular Mystere. You cannot create a charm in a Mystere’s area of influence higher than the Knowing you have with that Mystere. The level you have in Charms determines the effectiveness of the charm you create, within the limits of your knowing. The most notable type of charm is the mojo bag, or as it is called in New Orleans, the Gris-gris.
* Minor effect usable only by Voodoun. Such as a Oshun necklace that grants the user an extra die for social rolls involving winning over allies or seducing a potential mate. ** Moderate effect usable only by Voodoun. A bracelet of Ogoun that lowers the difficulty by one for creating or repairing a mechanical device such as a car. *** Same as the Level One ability, but usable by anyone. **** Same as the Level Two ability, but usable by anyone. ***** The stuff of legends. The object that will become the charm can first be created with a Dexterity + Crafts roll. Each success lowers the difficulty of creating the talisman. The better the workmanship, the more the Mystere is impressed. The object is then empowered. This takes a Manipulation + Knowing, difficulty beginning at 10 and further adjusted by the same factors as a Working. The number of success equals the number of times the charm can be used. Once the charm is used up, it is useless and cannot be recharged. The mojo cost of creating a talisman is equal to the number of successes. Voodoun charms will not work for a Mage no matter what level the charm is. This may have something to do with the Mystere having conflicts with Awakened Avatars.
Potions
You can only have this ability as high as your Standing Background.
Potions and brews are very similar to charms, except they are ingested by the Voodoun. You cannot create a potion higher than the level of knowing you have in the Mystere you call upon. The level you have in Potions determines the effectiveness of the brew you create, within the limits of your knowing.
* Minor effect usable only by Voodoun. Cure minor rashes, induce or prevent sleep, alleviate symptoms of slight illnesses. ** Moderate effect usable only by Voodoun. A potion that when ingested, can lower the difficulties of performing a task, or imbibed an extra dot in an ability that would coorrespond to the Mystere who empowered it. *** Moderate effect, usable by anyone. Same as the second level power, but able to be used by anyone. **** Major effect, usable by anyone. Reduce the effectiveness of poisons, give good dreams (or bad ones), help your plants grow at an unnatural rate. ***** Love potion #9. First the correct ingredients must be gathered and prepared correctly. Sometimes it is handy to keep a written recipe book in case you want to duplicate the potion again. To empower a brew, it takes an Intelligence + Knowing, difficulty beginning at 10 and further adjusted by the same factors as a Working. The number of success equals the number of doses it has. Also, all potions are bitter vile things to taste, and sometimes have strange, uncounted for, side effects (at storytellers discretion). The mojo cost of creating a potion is equal to the number of successes. Voodoun potions will not affect a Mage no matter what level the potion is. This may have something to do with the Mystere having conflicts with Awakened Avatars.
Veves
You can only have this ability as high as your Standing Background.
The Houngan or Mambo, known as the celebrant, begins by crossing himself and reciting the Priere Dior. He then traces the Veve upon the ground with white flour, or other powder, including crushed herbs. The remain powder in his hand is blown to the four corners. He then crosses himself again, saying Linsah, Mawu, Vovo-Lin-V-Hwe, Hevio-Zo. He makes the sign of the cross above the ground.
Then in a loud, commanding voice he calls out to a list of spirits three times. He then takes a candle and lights it, placing it in the working space. He takes a bowl of water, and throws three drops of water on the ground in a triangle each time as he recites three times another list of spirits, the loa of the Terrestrial Fluid. He then places a golden pin into the ground or table, and attaches a silver or gold chain.
He spinkles water upon the working area in a triangular pattern saying, Bolou, Boye, Bocice. He then announces what he desires the loas to do, and recites one of two formulas that are kept closely guarded secrets. Lastly, he takes three drinks of the water, and sprays it out of his mouth in liberation, after which, he sprinkles perfumes all over the ceremonial working space. He dispatches the loas in the end with a final benediction. All items used in the ritual are ‘oriented’ during the creation of the veves.
The veves are almost like signposts that the Loas can easily recognize and respond to. While these take almost more time to prepare than anything else, in the end, the results are fairly straight forward and simple.
* Can invoke one Mystere and create simple designs of low power, mojo bonus of +1. ** Can invoke one Mystere and create simple designs of moderate power, mojo bonus of +2. *** Can invoke two Mysteres and create fairly intricate designs of moderate power, mojo bonus of +3. **** Can invoke two Mysteres and create fairly intricate designs of decent power, mojo bonus of +5. ***** Can invoke and create several variations of the Milo-Can of great power, mojo bonus of +8. The creator of the Veves then rolls their Manipulation + Knowing for each Mystere invoked to empower the design with the desire of the Voodoun. Mojo costs and difficulties are worked out in the same way as a working. Symbols of power can be used for protection or warding, evening summoning or binding spirits, but this requires the appropriate level of Knowings and Lores. They can even be used to heal others, by having the injured person lie down upon the completed Veves.
Voodoo Dolls
This ability is restricted to Houn’gan and Mambo level Characters only. Voodoo Lore 4+ and Charms 3+ are both required.
Creating a voodoo doll is much the same as creating a charm. The major difference is what the doll is stuffed with and which Mystere is summoned to empower the doll. The standard doll is stuffed with a 50-50 mix of Bayou mud and Spanish moss. The mud should be collected in either the dark of a new moon or the light of a full moon. The moss must also come from the Bayou, but can be gathered at any time. The final ingredient is a hair/nail clipping/blood sample from the target.
After constructing the doll as per the charm rules above, one of the Mysteres is called upon to empower it. Once again, the doll is empowered as per the charm rules. The successes may be divided up as the player chooses into two categories. The first category determines the number of scenes the doll is good for. The second determines how many times the doll may be attacked per scene. Once the power is used up, the doll is useless and cannot be recharged. Creating a replacement doll requires all new ingredients.
Each attack upon the doll costs one Mojo point. Only pins and black candles may be used. A roll of Manipulation + Voodoo Lore is used to attack the doll. The target feels the attack upon the doll as if it were real, but takes no actual damage. Thus, burning a portion of the doll over a candle flame will make the target feel the burn. If the attack roll successes exceed the Stamina + Fortitude of the target, the target is incapable of action due to the pain for 5 minus Stamina turns.
A more powerful version of this doll is available to those with Knowing in one of the Guede Loa such as Baron Samedi. Instead of mud and moss, the doll is stuffed with human ashes and dirt from a fresh grave. Hair/nail clippings/blood are still necessary. The Guede is summoned to empower this doll as above. In this case, the attack on the doll results in actual health levels to the target. The successes are rolled as damage. Pins will draw blood. Fire will blister the skin. There are side effects to using this doll.
The doll will bleed freely during attacks. No one is quite sure where this blood comes from. The doll also screams very loudly during the attack. Finally, the Voodoun will feel each attack as per the lower powered doll above.
Note:
As stated above, the use of these dolls requires Mojo. If the Voodoun attempts to use the doll but lacks Mojo, an equal number of health levels will be taken as per the working rules. A Voodoo doll will not work for anyone other than the Voodoun who created it.Zombies
Misroi laughed again. “A bit spicy, I know, but that’s typical cuisine for our humble island. Perhaps the next dish will be more to your liking.”
Larissa sniffed hungrily as the main course as set before her.
“Rabbit sauteed in wine, ” Misroi informed her, rubbing his hand together in anticipation. “It’s the chef’s specialty.” He attacked his food with gusto. Larissa’s appetite, however, had fled.
“Jean,” she said softly, in quiet horror.
Misroi raised a raven brow inquiringly as he lifted his fork to his mouth.
“I beg your pardon?” He took a large bite. Juice ran down his chin, and he wiped absently at it with the back of his hand.
Larissa cleared her throat. “Is your chef named Jean, owner of the Two Hares Inn?” she asked.
“Why, yes, he did run an inn before he got that bone stuck in his throat,” Misroi replied with his mouth full. “If you knew him, then you know this is good. Death hasn’t interfered with his talent. Eat.” He gestured towards her plate with his knife, then sliced off another bite.
Larissa stared mutely across the table at Misroi. He continued to eat with palpable enjoyment, not in the least discomfited by the thought that his meal had been prepared by a corpse. She put her napkin down on the table with a trembling hand and eased her chair back.
“I’m not hungry anymore.” She rose and left, heart-sick.
Dance of the Dead, Christie GoldenOnly a Houn’gan or Mambo can create a zombie. Voodoo Lore 4+ and Herbalism 3+ are both required.
In both types of zombie, the soul is broken into it’s two parts. The ti-bon-ange and the gros-bon-ange. The ti-bon-ange is imprisoned in a jar kept by the zombie’s creator. The gros-bon-ange is left with the body to control it. With it’s ti-bon-ange trapped and at the mercy of the creator, a zombie wouldn’t dare do anything to anger it’s master. As a side effect of this soul splitting process, the zombie doesn’t have an aura. The part of the soul that creates an aura is in the jar.
Marcher mort – Walking Dead
This type of zombie is truly the walking dead. They are the most “loyal” type since they lack the creativity or the willpower to resist the will of their creator. The zombie is created from a corpse at least a month dead, but no more than a year dead. The spirit of the deceased must be obtained using the Prise du mort Rite, with the soul being placed in a govis. If the govis is broken and the Casse Canari is performed, the Zombie is effectively destroyed. The zombie continues to rot as time goes on, and will decay with time, there flesh and mind slowly deteriorating until finally it is nothing more than truly a walking corpse.
Only Baron Samedi can be called upon to make a zombie of this kind, and the creator must have Knowing-Samedi 3+ to do it.
Over a period of three days, 20 points of Mojo are invested in the body.
Day 1: Prepare the body Intelligence + Voodoo Lore diff 7 Day 2: Prepare the potion Intelligence + Voodoo Lore diff 7 Day 3: Invoke Baron Samedi to capture soul and split it Knowing-Samedi diff 7 Average the successes of the three rolls. Result determines how useful the zombie is and how much of it’s original abilities it retains.
* Minimal: (3/1/1) (3/2/2) App 0 ** Average: (4/2/2) (4/3/3) App 0 *** Good: (5/4/3) (5/4/4/) App 0 **** Damn Good: (7/4/3) (8/5/4) App 1 is possible if corpse is less than 6 months old. ***** Is It Dead?: (9/4/3) (9/5/4) App 2 possible if corpse is less than 2 months dead. Attributes are prioritized with Physical as primary, Mental as secondary, and Social as tertiary.
Abilities are prioritized was Talents as primary, Skills as secondary, and Knowledges as tertiary.
WP is 10 for purposes of resisting anyone other than the creator. Willpower is nonexistent when dealing with the creator.
Manipulation + Voodoo Lore diff 4 is necessary to command the zombie.
Mort lan barriere – Death at the gate
To begin with, a quest to Haiti is needed to learn how to make the powder. No one outside of Haiti will be able to teach it as learning it automatically puts a prohibition upon the character, keeping them from even writing the recipe down let alone telling anyone about it or letting them watch. This is a neat little safety feature to keep people from running rampant turning folks into zombies.
Gathering the ingredients for the powder can take weeks as they are quite rare. Once the ingredients are gathered, it takes a week to prepare. If the powder isn’t used within a week of completion, it goes bad and will not work. Making the powder is a very delicate operation and attempts to create more than enough for a single use will automatically fail.
The week is spent mixing herbs and investing 20 points of Mojo into the powder and requires three rolls to create.
- Intelligence + Voodoo Lore diff 7 to remember the recipe properly.
- Intelligence + Herbalism diff 7 to make the powder.
- Knowing-<Patron> to charge the powder.
Difficulty for this roll is determined by the chart below. Notice only the voodoun’s patron can be used for this project, and the difficulty is based on how likely the patron would be willing to engage in such a heartless act.
Papa Legba 6 Erzulie 7 Oshun 7 Obatala 6 Ogoun 6 Yemaya 9 Oya 8 Chango 7 Baron Samedi 5 The successes for the powder’s effectiveness is taken from an average of the three creation rolls. In most cases, the target is going to lose mental abilities due to the time spent dead. The damage is determined by the chart below, using the powder successes. Losses are from all stats in the category listed. Any stats at that level or below vanish completely.
Example:
Bubbah is hit with zombie powder created at 2 successes. He originally had Business 4, Linguistics 3, Occult 2. The powder has dropped him to Business 1 and completely wiped out Linguistics and Occult.These abilities may be bought back with XP, provided the master allows the victim time to do it.
Botch Target dies. Cannot be resurrected. Failure Target might sneeze. * Lose 3 points in all abilities. Lose 2 points of Intelligence, but go no lower than 1. Lose 1 point in Wits, but drop no lower than 1. Gain 1 derangement at storytellers discretion. The victim remains “dead” for 5 days. ** Lose 3 points in all Knowledges. Lose 2 points in all Skills. Lose 1 point in all Talents. Lose 1 point of Intelligence. Victim remains dead for 4 days. *** Lose 2 points in all Knowledges. Lose 1 point in all Skills. Victim remains dead for 3 days. **** Lose 1 point in all Knowledges. Gain 1 point in Stamina. Victim remains dead for 2 days. ***** No loss in abilities. +2 Stamina, +1 Strength. Dead for 1 day. The victim, upon being hit with the powder, may attempt to resist with a Stamina roll diff 5 + powder successes. The victim must gain at least as many successes as the powder success in order to fight off the powder. Partial success does not lessen the effect.
Victim has WP of 10 when dealing with anyone other than master, but WP of 4 when dealing with master.
Victim may be ‘cured’ if the jar containing his ti-bon-ange is shattered and his soul is put back together. It won’t go back together by itself. Someone has to help it along, using the Rite of Casse Canari. If the jar is shattered but no one puts the soul back together, the ti-bon-ange remains with the shards of the jar. The body will also need to be purified. The powder doesn’t wear off. It needs to be cleansed from the body inside and out.
This powder will not work on Mages; nor will it work on Kindred, because they are already dead. It must also be noted, that use of this knowledge will result in hex.
Hex
The gas flame licked the ceramic logs. The blown-glass lamps glowed softly, and the candles flickered, and the special darkness of the night pressed against the windows.
“Why wouldn’t those creatures bite me? Why can’t Lavelle’s sorcery harm me?”
“There can be only one answer,” Hampton said. “A Bocor has no power whatsoever to harm a righteous man. The righteous are well-armored.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just what I said. Your righteous, virtuous. You’re a man whose soul bears the stains of only the most minor sins.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No. By the manner in which you’ve led your life, you’ve earned immunity to the dark powers, immunity to the curses and charms and spells of sorcerers like Lavelle. You cannot be touched.”
“That’s just plain ridiculous,” Jack said, feeling uncomfortable in the role of a righteous man.
“Otherwise, Lavelle would have had you murdered by now.”
“I’m no angel.”
“I didn’t say you were. Not a saint, either. Just a righteous man. That’s good enough.”
“Nonsense. I’m not righteous or –”
“If you thought of yourself as righteous, that would be a sin – a sin of self righteousness. Smugness, an unshakable conviction of your own moral superiority, a self-satisfied blindness to your own faults – none of those qualities is descriptive of you.”
“You’re beginning to embarrass me, ” Jack said.
“You see? You aren’t even guilty of the sin of excessive pride.”
Jack held up his brandy. “What about this? I drink.”
“To excess?”
“No. But I swear and curse. I sure do my own share of that. I take the Lord’s name in vain.”
“A very minor sin.”
“I don’t attend church.”
“Church going has nothing to do with righteousness. The only thing that really counts is how you treat your fellow human beings. Listen, let’s pin this down; let’s be absolutely sure this is why Lavelle can’t touch you. Have you stolen from anyone?”
“No.”
“Have you ever cheated someone in a financial transaction?”
“I’ve always looked out for my own interests, been aggressive in that regard, but I don’t believe I’ve ever cheated anyone.”
“In your official capacity, have you ever accepted a bribe?”
“No. You can’t be a good cop if you’ve got your hand out.”
“Are you a gossiper, a slanderer?”
“No. But forget the small stuff.” He leaned forward in his armchair and locked with with Hampton and said, “What about murder? I’ve killed two men. Can I kill two men and still be righteous? I don’t think so. That strains your thesis more than a little bit.”
Hampton looked stunned, but only for a moment. He blinked and said, “Oh. I see. You mean that you killed them in the line of duty.”
“Duty is a cheap excuse, isn’t it. Murder is murder. Right?”
“What crimes were these men guilty of?”
“The first was a murderer himself. He robbed a series of liquor stores and always shot the clerks. The second was a rapist. Twenty-two rapes in six months.”
“When you killed these men, was it necessary? Could you have apprehended them without resorting to a gun?”
“In both cases they started shooting first.”
Hampton smiled, and the hard lines of his battered face softened. “Self defense isn’t a sin, Lieutenant.”
“Yeah? Then why’d I feel so dirty after I pulled the trigger? Both times. I felt soiled. Sick. Once in a while, I still have a nightmare about those men, bodies torn apart by bullets from my own revolver…”
“Only a righteous man, a very virtuous man, would feel remorse over the killing of two vicious animals like the men you shot down.”
Jack shook his head. He shifted in his chair, uncomfortable with this new vision of himself. I’ve always seen myself as a fairly average, ordinary guy. No worse and no better than most people. I figure I’m just about as open to temptation, just about as corrupt as the next joe. And in spite of everything you’ve said, I still see myself that way.”
“And you always will,” Hampton said. “Humility is part of being a righteous man. But the point is, to deal with Lavelle, you don’t have to believe you’re really a righteous; you just have to be one.”
“Fornication,” Jack said in desperation. “That’s a sin.”
“Fornication is a sin only if it is obsessive, adulterous, or an act of rape. An obsession is sinful because it violates the moral precept ‘All things in moderation.” Are you obsessed with sex?”
“I like it a lot.”
“Obsessed?”
“No.”
“Adultery is a sin because it is a violation of the marriage vows, a betrayal of trust, and a conscious cruelty,” Hampton said. “When you wife was alive, did you ever cheat on her?”
“Of course not. I was in love with Linda.”
“Before your marriage or after your wife’s death, did you ever go to bed with somebody else’s wife? No? Then you aren’t guilty of either form of adultery, and I know you’re incapable of rape.”
“I just can’t buy this righteous stuff, this idea that I’m one of the chosen or something. It makes me queasy. Look, I didn’t cheat on Linda, but while we were married I saw other women who turned me on, and I fantasized, and I wanted them, even if I didn’t do anything about it. My thoughts weren’t pure.”
“Sin isn’t in the thought but in the deed.”
“I am not a saintly character,” Jack said adamantly.
“As I told you, in order to find and stop Lavelle, you don’t need to believe – you only need to be.”
Darkfall, Dean R. KoontzIn general, Voodoo does not describe what you should and should not do with Mojo, or power. It is up to each individual Voodoun to decide what is moral, and what is ethical.
However, the Mystere are people like everyone else. By using your Mojo to do one thing with one Mystere, you may offend another. Being a Voodoun is often about placating the Mystere that you pissed off last week, only to piss off another Mystere this week. Remember – they all have to listen to a Voodoun, but they don’t have to like it!
There are no laws or rules imposed by the Mystere. There are some basic rules to the universe, however, that cause a certain ethicality to be revealed.
The Law is in general, a very simple concept: What Goes Around, Comes Around. What you do using Mojo will come back to you.
Retribution comes from the Mystere. If one of them is displeased, they may elect to impose a Hex on the offender. This Hex causes various difficulties and can be as mild as a simple discomfort to as major as a power-stripping, humiliating defeat. It also effectively limits the voodoun’s ability to use their Mojo with the Mystere who punished them, and frequently causes them to lose any chance to gain Mojo from that Mystere.
The wise Voodoun knows that there are ways to get what one wants without using Mojo directly on the problem, or in a way that will be negative. For example, let’s say a Voodoun wants to be rid of his current lover. It would offend Oshun (the Mystere of love and abundance), to use Mojo she gave him for the purposes of getting rid of the girlfriend. However, he *could* conceivably use the Mojo to ask Oshun to send a more desirable lover to *her*, thereby hopefully distracting her attention away and reaping the reward of the magical return energy (the idea being that, on return, the Mojo will grant *him* a better, more desirable lover).
Still, there are Hex Masters or Mistresses, called Bocor or Bokor, who use Mojo to harm, injure, and conflict – without due cause. These Voodoun are on a tragic path to destruction, as Hexes build up against them from each of the Mystere, and as their Mojo supply dwindles to nothing. There are those who believe they are above the Return….but none truly are. It is possible – with foul, dark magic – to delay the Return, but it can never be denied. Eventually, the spiritual bad checks the ill-bent Voodoun writes will have to be cashed.
The Hex Trait reflects the morality of a voodoun’s magical practice. It consists of two 10-point tracks, a Permanent Hex track and a Temporary Hex track.
Temporary Hex points are gained when the Voodoun uses his power to cause harm or otherwise thwart the Mystere’s plans.
Retribution is a calling-due of the karmic debt that a Voodoun has incurred. The current temporary Hex pool is the dice pool for the Retribution roll, the difficulty is based on the current Permanent Hex trait:
Permanent Hex Difficulty 10 3 9 4 8 4 7 4 6 5 5 6 4 6 3 7 2 7 1 8 Count the number of successes on the roll. Those successes indicate the Retribution points for this Retribution. These points are then used to assign Hex Flaws. It is up to you as storyteller to assign them appropriately.
Add up the qualities below for each Hex Flaw.
Duration Aspects: Permanent +7 Month +5 Week +3 Day +1 Scene +0 Intermittent* Random +1 *The flaw occurs at random times. Intermittent* Pattern +2 *The flaw occurs in a regular pattern that can be identified. *Intermittent Triggered +3 *The flaw occurs whenever a trigger is encountered. This trigger can be a person, place, thing, or action. Continuous +2 Intensity Aspects Minor Flaw* +1 *Causes annoyance, mild disability, dysfunction, a slight loss of money. Major Flaw* +2 *Can cause real damage, can destroy relationships, can get you fired from your job, or cause a car accident. Near-Fatal Flaw* +7 *Can cause massive injury, ruination in relationships and wealth. Permanent Hex points are gained when a voodoun’s temporary Hex score goes to 10 without being released in a Retribution. Houngan may spend Mojo to convert all of their current temporary Hex into an additional point of Permanent, which helps them stave off a potential Retribution.
Temporary Hex points are worked off by either Penance or Retribution. A Voodoun may please a Mystere and thus have his Hex points erased, or he may so outrage a Mystere that his store of bad karma is called due.
Permanent Hex points are released when a Voodoun suffers a major setback or defeat, either physically, mentally, or emotionally, or professionally. When released, one Permanent Hex vanishes and immediately becomes 10 points of temporary Hex, and a Retribution is immediately called. There are rumors that Voodoun can undergo an intense and deep soul-searching and purification called Redemption that allows them to cleanse themselves of Permanent Hex without this life- wrenching release, but none of the Wise Ones speak of it.
In addition, a Voodoun may transfer his Permanent Hex to others. He can never transfer more than one point of Permanent Hex at a time, and the individual receiving the Hex must be a normal mortal human who is Hex-innocent (no Hex of any kind) and who willingly accepts the voodoun’s sin.
Permanent Hex may never be reduced below three through this despicable act, and Voodoun who accomplish it must immediately check for Retribution upon success. The Voodoun must be on extremely familiar terms with his victim, and cannot use a Working to convince them to take the Hex.
They may, however, use any and all non-magical and physical wiles, and other tools including but not limited to voodoo artifacts, money, prestige, power and sex. Note that such a victim may immediately become a Voodoun himself as a Mystere will probably reveal itself to him out of pity. The transference of the permanent Hex point involves a ritual ceremony that cannot be hidden or disguised. Anyone with Voodoo Lore of 4 or higher will know this ceremony.
Once Permanent Hex reaches 7 or higher, the Mystere become extremely angry with the Voodoun in question, and begin and active campaign against the Voodoun to destroy her. Permanent Hex can never be more than 10.
Rites
As a Voodoun goes through the various levels of initiation, they begin to understand more and more about their place, and their responsibilities. As such, they are entrusted with the knowledge of how to perform certain rites, even initiation. This is a basic list of some of the rites a Voodoun would know, in addition to their mojo gaining rites. You may only take rites that equal you highest Knowing level. Thus someone who’s highest Knowing is a 3, may only have access to those rites of equal or less value.
Initiation Rites – Charisma + Voodoo Lore diff 7.
For the actual haussement, the person leading the ritual must acquire the same number of successes as the level of standing they are raising someone to.Mette n’anme (*) – Placing the soul
This ritual magically balances the two parts of the soul, the ba and the ka, in a newborn. This is the ritual that prepares a person to be able to become a Voodoun, that is, to be able to come to Know the Mysteres. Without this ritual, a special dispensation from the Mysteres themselves must be given to raise someone past a Standing of 1.Garde (**) – Protection
This is the magical confirmation of the Leve-nom. When this ritual is done, it means that the devotee takes a more active roll, and must make ritual sacrifices as compensation for the protection. It is done at any age after seven but before twenty one. It confers a mystical link to the spirits, and minor form of a guardian angel, as long as the person continues to perform regular rituals to appease it.Leve nom (***) – Taking the name
This is a talisman and magical protection given to children, they are given the name of an ancestor in order to continue the voodoun tradition. The child is entrusted to the protective spirit whose name he was given. This protection lasts until the Garde is done. It is a minor form of guardian angel.Can-Zo or Boulez-Zain (***)
This ritual has many different purposes and ways to be performed depending on the end result. It is the initiatory ‘putting to bed’ of the houn’sih. Can-zo means initiation by fire, and this initiation is usually done in the djevo. This ritual is done to raise someone’s Standing, but this is a weaker version and can only be used to raise a Voodoun up to a Standing of 3. It is also done to prepare someone for initiation at any level. Anyone of a higher Standing can raise someone of a lower Standing up to the next level. Thus a Mambo or Houn’gan can confer all degrees of initiation, while those of lower Standings can only confer degrees of initiation of their own Standing level or below.Haussements (****) – Lifting or Rising
This is the ceremony that grants the initiate degrees, including the successive degrees to which the houn’sih can-zo, La Place, Houn’guenicon, Confiance, Mambo and Houn’gan can attain. This is the higher level version of the initiation ceremony and can raise someone up to a Standing of 4.Passing the Asson (*****)
This is the ceremony that rises a Voodoun to a Houn’gan or Mambo. Only another Houn’gan or Mambo can perform this. It is exactly like Haussements or the Can-Zo, but used to create a new Houn’gan or Mambo.Death Rites – Manipulation + Rituals diff 6Boulez-zain mort Ou-an Zain (*)
This ceremony is performed either once for a low level initiate or three times for a high level initiate upon their death. It is the last rites of a Voodoun. In the case of a Mambo or Houn’gan, when this is performed, there is a equal chance of the soul being sent off to be reincarnated, sent to a higher existence.Desounin (**)
The recovery of the powers of the deceased initiates. Performed at the end of a ceremony when things are quieter and the loas have taken their leave, the Mambo gives the signal to pass the left hand and foot through the last flames of the zins. This ritual gives a pool of mojo for those participating to share and use, as twice the number of successes gained on the roll.Casse Canari (***)
Breaking the jugs, or the pots-de-tete that contain a part of the spirit of those who are members of the oum’phor that have died. This released their soul from purgatory and allows them to continue on their journey. This ritual is used when freeing trapped souls, if enough knowledge about a person or subject is known or learned, then the ritual can be used on a non-initiated person as well to free their trapped soul or spirit from bondage and send it on it’s way. This can also work on fetishes or talens, or like items, at a +1 difficulty, if appropriate Lores are known.Ouette mor l’an d’l’eau Cassez-canari (****)
This is a magical ceremony where the souls of the deceased Voodoun are withdrawn from the depths of the water in order that they may move on to higher planes of existence. This is a more powerful ritual that combines the effects of both the Boulez-zain mort Ou-an Zain and Casse Canari. When it done on a deceased Mambo or Houn’gan, there is a chase that there spirits may rise and join the ranks of the Loas.Prise du mort (*****)
This obtains the spirit of the dead from the cemetery where the person has been buried. This ritual is essential in the creation of the Marcher Mort Zombie.Ceremonial Rites – Charisma + Rituals diff 7Coucher-tambours (*)
Putting the drums to bed. One of the important rituals in the upkeep of the drums. This gets them prepared for the journey to Ife. The drums are one of the more noticeable figures in the Voodoo religion. Voodoun feel that they are alive, and have spirits of their own. As long as a drum is well care for, using it in a ceremony can lower the difficulty of any ritual or working performed by 2. This ritual must be done at least once every two weeks for the benefits to remain.Baille-tambours-manger (*)
Feeding of the drums. After the drums have been put to bed, then are then ritual fed grain and cornmeal. In the case of Pethro or Congo drums, the manger crus is mixed with blood. After the Coucher-tambours, this ritual is performed to further keep the drums happy. If done at least once every two weeks, when the drum is used in a ceremony, it lowers the difficulty by 2. If both the Coucher-tambours and Baille-tambours-manger is done regularly, the effects are combined to reduce the difficulty by 4.Lave-tete (*) – Washing the head
Ritual baptism that opens the ways for a new initiate to be able to receive the Loa, to be ridden. It opens the spiritual gateway within someone, that allows them to begin to be mystically connected to the mysteries of the spirit world. It can allow an uninitiated person to become a Les Chevaux – a horse – for the Mysteres for a night.Bo-te (*)
This is a ceremonial genuflecting and kissing of the ground that pays honor to the Mysteres, and to your betters. This is one of the basic rites that everyone learns. It can appease the Loas, or a person of higher standing than yourself if you upset them.Orient (*)
To orient an item, it is shown to the four cardinal directions, East, West, North, South, or Apolihsahgbadya, Ahouengan, Sih-ye to menan, Bo dan guimin. All items used in ceremonies are oriented during the ceremony before they can be used. If an item is not oriented, then the magic will not work.Casse Gateaux (**)
Breaking the cakes, a communal form of the manger-loa where the congregation is invited to feast as well. This allows those who partake of the feast to draw in some mojo, usually only one point per person who participate.Manger-loa (**)
The feeding of the Loas, the main ritual done in the Boule zins caille. This keeps the Loas very happy. Performed once a month at least. If you miss feeding one of the Loas honored by the oum’phor, then all difficulties working with the un-fed Loa increases by one for each week that the ritual is not done.Atoutou (***)
This ritual is part of the sacrifice and uses the Zins, or cast iron cooking pots that are sunk into the ground. In the case of the Nago zin, no chicken is used, but instead cornmeal balls called acras Nago. They are cooked and removed with the same ceremony as the pieces of chicken, and placed in a coui, or half of a calabash, or on white plates.When the cornmeal mush in the zins has become fairly thick, the Houn’gan calls the houn’sih canzo from their dance and one by one they kneel at his side. They dip their hands into a mixture of oil and wine, then scoop up bits of the boiling hot cornmeal forming it into little balls after Orienting it, placing them on the mombin leaves. They then perform the Bo-te and move for the next person to come and do the same. This is the Atoutou.Every Zin corresponds to a Rite, and it is a way of keeping the Mysteres of specific Rites happy, in the similar way the Manger-loa does. It is only performed once a year, or every two years during the Boule zins caille. This ritual is simply how to prepare and serve the sacrificial food, and if not done correctly, can anger the Mysteres, causing all difficulties with a particular Rite to be increased by 1 until the following year.Manger-les-morts (***)
The feeding of the dead, or ancestors. When this ritual is done, it is a way for those with the Ancestor background to gain mojo. Up to the level of the background can be obtained from this ritual.Refraichi-tete (***) – Refreshing the head
This is a further baptism for reinforcing the maitre-tetes loas that opens the spiritual pathways further in a person by the magic of water. This must be performed once a year on a Voodoun so that he may continue to be ‘ridden’ by the Loas. If it is not done, then the person ceases to become a Les Chevaux.Manger tetes d’leau (***)
The feeding of the waters. A ceremony where ritual food is prepared and offered to the rivers and springs to keep the Mysteres associated with water happy. Performed once a year, and builds a mojo pool to share among the voodoun participating of twice the number of successes.Agoueh r Oyo (****)
Very similar to the Manger tetes d’l’eau, but instead this ritual feeds the sea and the Loas of the Terrestrial Fluid, is done once a year, and can build a mojo pool of three times the number of successes.Bamboches (****)
This is the ceremony that is performed where the Loa are called upon to freely ride the horses. A special Bamboches is done in the first days of November for the Guedes. Anyone participating who has had the Lave-tete done, may be a candidate for being ‘ridden’ when this ritual is done, though, chorus members are usually the first chosen to be horses.Boule zins caille (*****)
This is a grand ceremony performed every year or every two years to honor the Mysteres of a given oum’phor. Without this ritual done, the oum’phor looses one level per year until it no longer has any spiritual resonance left.Mystic Rites – Manipulation + Rituals diff 7
You will notice that the levels of these rites may not make sense at first. What use is there to summon a spirit, before you can bind it. Quite simply, Darwin’s theory. Anyone can summon up a demon from the pit of hell, the trick is, can you control it.Purification (*)
This ritual is used to purify a person, place or thing, from the evils or malignant spirits that may linger about. Usually done in private before any working or ceremony is performed. It can also be done as needed on an item or person.Spirit Awakening (**)
This ritual lets you awaken the spirit in an item similar to the Bete Rite.Summoning (**)
This ritual allows you to summon spirits, animals or other supernatural creatures, but it is not very polite and could upset said spirit or creature, especially if said spirit is the Mystere you follow. It must also be taken once for each type of spirit, animal or supernatural creature, you wish to summon. If the creature has Willpower, then the summoner must gain twice as many successes as his target’s willpower, making one roll an hour, as well as overcome any other applicable abilities of the person or creature being summoned like Mages Spheres, Vampiric Disciplines, or Garou Gifts. Willpower can be spent to ignore the summons, on a one for one exchange of the number of successes. The magic does not instantly conjure a creature out of thin air, unless it is a spirit. Target, if not a spirit or similar entity, must be within the range to feel the call. And any summoned creature will come at best, neutral, at worst, want you for dinner.Summoning Success Table botch You did mean to summon up the 7th Lord of the Underworld, didn’t you? failure Nothing happens 1 Weak spirit, or 1 small animal, supernatural creature or person you know very well within range of 1/4 mile. 2 Minor spirit, or a few small animals of the same type, a large animal, creature or person you know within range of 1/2 mile. 3 Strong spirit, or many small animals of the same type, a few large animals of the same type, creature or person you have meet once of within range of 1 mile. 4 Incarna, or a horde of small animals of the same type, many large animals of the same type, a single gigantic sized creature (like a whale), creature or person you have meet once within the range of 3 miles. 5 Minor deity, or any animal of any amount, a person or creature you have glimpse in a crowd within the range of 5 miles. 6 You did mean to summon up the 7th Lord of the Underworld, didn’t you? Calling (***)
This ritual is used to have your voice heard by a Mystere or spirit, it does not necessary summon them, but lets them know you wish to have their attention. It is far more polite to simply call upon a spirit or person, than to summon them. In game terms, it simply gives the target a brief “message” that you wish to speak with them, and lets them know where you are. The number of successes determines how strong, how much can be sent, and how far. It must also be taken once for each type of spirit, animal or supernatural creature, you wish to summon.Calling Success Table botch Caller mentally stunned for several rounds and disoriented for a full day. failure Nothing happens 1 Weak spirit; small animal; person or supernatural creature you know very well; very general location of where the caller is; simple idea like: help!; 1/2 mile. 2 Minor spirit; medium sized animal; person or supernatural creature you know; rough idea of where the caller is; two word phrases; 1 mile. 3 Strong spirit; large animal; person or supernatural creature you have meet once; know the city block your in or similar range; short sentence; 5 miles. 4 Incarna; very large animal; person or supernatural creature you have meet once; building or house; complete sentence; 10 miles. 5 Minor deity; any animal; person or supernatural creature you know the name of; room; complete sentence; 50 miles. 6 How exactly did you get the personal thought wave of that 7th Lord of the Underworld, and why would he want to talk to you?; any animal or person you know of; exact location; a few sentences; half a world away if the Storyteller is feeling nice enough. Counterspells (***)
There are two forms to this ritual, basic counterspells and unweaving. This allows a Voodoun with the right knowledges and abilities to be able to protect themselves, or others, from the magic of other supernaturals. Each type of counterspell must be bought separately, and must be purchased for a specific type of magic.Normal Counterspell: Can be cast immediately and protects its subject against hostile enchantments, blocking another incoming spell, gift, discipline, rote, etc. is a difficulty 8 and each success counters one success of the theirs. A mojo point is used per success.
Unweaving Counterspell: This undoes another’s enchantments. You must have the appropriate knowledge and/or applicable abilities of the magic you are trying unweave judged by the storyteller. Difficulty 8. Each success and mojo point spent cancels one of the original magic, unless it is an older and well laid enchantment, then the storyteller may deem that extra mojo or extra successes are needed, or both.
Dedication (***) This ritual dedicates an item to the service of a specific Mystere. When the item is used in ritual, it can lower the difficulty of the working or ceremony.
Sacrifice (****)
This ritual has many forms, from a simple sacrifice of an object to be given to a Mystere, your own blood, a blood sacrifice or for those powerful bocors, human sacrifice. Each success gives one mojo to the person performing the sacrifice.Binding (****)
This ritual lets you bind a spirit or supernatural creature that you have called or summon to you, into performing tasks or lending their spiritual power to an object, or simply asking for council. It does not work on the Mysteres. It must also be taken once fore each type of spirit or supernatural creature you are binding.The voodoun rolls against the target’s willpower, every success is one request that can be made. If the target wishes to resist, they roll their willpower verses the voodoun’s manipulation + rituals, each success takes away one of the voodouns. Or, the target can simply spend willpower to avoid it all together.
Warding (****)
This ritual allows you to ward yourself against specific spirits, or even supernatural creatures, and specific magic. This ritual must be taken for each type of spirit, creature or magic you wish to ward against. A veves is used to ward an area or room, protecting it from specific magics or creatures. Each success on a difficulty 8 adds to the barrier that another using a form of magic must make more successes to overcome.Dismissal (****)
This ritual allows you to dismiss the spirit or supernatural creature you have summoned back to where they came from, as well as letting them go peacefully. As with previous rituals dealing with this, it must be taken once fore each different type of spirit or supernatural creature you wish to dismiss. To appease the person or thing you have summoned, bribes, favors, and thanks are offered. You did also remember to take the Bo-te?Fetish (*****)
This ritual allows the Houn’gan or Mambo to create objects of great lasting power, much in the same way a Bete fetish is made.Umbra (*****)
This ritual allows the Houn’gan or Mambo with a Knowing of 5 in their Patron Mystere to step sideways. You must have a mirror or reflective surface dedicated to your Patron, covered in ritual Veves for this ritual to be effective.Calender of Voodoo Ceremonies
January 2 – 4 Casse gateaux (Breaking the cakes), a communal form of manger-loa. 6 Les Rois (The Kings). February 25 Ritual feeding of the springs (manger tetes d’leau). March 16 Loko Davi (Eating of ritual wood and of its guard). 19 Saint Joseph (Expression of the jurisdiction of Legba). 20 Legba Zaou (Eating consists mainly of a black goat and of bananes laudanne). April 27 Dan Wedo, Clermeille 29 Casse canarie (Breaking the jugs: deliverance of the souls from purgatory). 31 Mange-les-morts (Feeding the dead: The mangers crus are offered to the jugs or jars in which the souls are supposed to reside and where they eat; subsequently the manger cuits are offered them, particularly gombo or okra, moussah, Carib-cabbage). May 12 Feeding of different loa 18 Feeding of Grande Aloumandia 20, 21 Sim’bi blanc 30 Chante-messes (Sung masses in the Roman Catholic Churches), Martinique dances, Bamboches June 24 Saint John 28 M’sieu Guimeh Sauveur; Mystere Ge Agoum Tonnerre; Table served for Maitresse Erzulie; Maitresse Tenaise, Maitresse Mam’bo (common table). July 25 Papa Ogou (alias Saint James the Greater), to whom is offered particularly sheep and goats. 26 Grande Saint Anne (alias Mystere Grande Delai and Grande Aloumandia; common table). 29 Maitresse Silverine, who only very slightly tastes of the food offered to her. Maitresse Lorvana, who smells flowers for her nourishment. August 25 Communion table for Dan Wedo (alias Saint Louis, King of France) 29 O-dan; L’orient, one of the most important Mysteres 30, 31 Aga-ou (Offerings: particularly goats, peppers, peppermint). September 25 Roi Wangol; Mousondi 29 Manman Aloumandia 30 Maitresse Delai (A very important Mystere who “walks” with the houn’tor: the voodoo tambourine player). October 30-31 Singing Masses in the Roman Catholic Churches. Communion table. Martinique dance. Armchair ritually covered with 30 – 40 scarves of different colors, exposed to the peristyle and served. Novemeber 1, 2 Bamboches for the Guede Mysteres: the dead who come out of the cemeteries, possess their “horses,” and come into the oum’phors to amuse themselves in the form of souls incarnated or reincarnated. 25 Manger-yam (Eating the yams). December 10 Ganga-Bois. 12 – 14 Agoueh R Oyo (Feeding the sea). 25 Bath of Christman. Leaf-rubbing (for medical treatments and talismans for magic protection). Ritual sacrifices of pigs and goats. Bonfires (boucans) for amusement, to which the loas come to bathe themselves and their protégés. Sacrifice of turkeys for Caplaou. 