rite of the spirit wing

[ 2 ]   Rite Of The Spirit Wing
Prerequisite: Camazotz
This, among the most important of the Camazotz rites, was once thought lost and non-functional, after the fall of Bat to the Wyrm. It was the rite that bound a kinfolk to their spiritual nature based on a belief that somewhere in the Umbra, for every Camazotz kin that was born, there was a bat-spirit born who reflected them. Some of those spirits were inevitably fated to meet the kin they reflected, and fuse with them in a great and sacred ceremony. Once upon a time, the werebats would bring those infants they believed fated to meet their reflection into the Umbra, and performed this rite to call the fated bat-spirit into the depths of sacred Umbral caves. When it ceased functioning, the fated bat-spirits stopped coming, and those who were there simply did not fuse. The ancient Camazotz then knew that their end had come, and anyone who knew it fled into the Deep Umbra, supposedly never to return.

The Rite of the Spirit Wing saw a rebirth in the year of 2013, after the trials of the pack named Mends-The-Past. The gift of shapechanging was granted by Bat herself to the kinfolk now known as First-Daughter-of-Night, and the knowledge of this rite imparted upon her by the totem when she rose free from the pits of the Wyrm. Though in the past this rite could only be enacted on young children, younger than a year, the version of the Rite of the Spirit Wing imparted on First-Daughter-of-Night was one that could be performed on older children, and even adults. In short, this sacred rite brings a new Camazotz into the world.

The prospective kinfolk is brought into the Umbra through ingesting a special poultice of herbs and spiritually potent materials (the nature of which depends on the human culture and geographical location the kinfolk is born into), effectively unbinding them from the Weaver’s world and allowing them to cross the Gauntlet. The kinfolk is accompanied into the Umbra by the ritemaster and at least two other spiritually potent beings (that is, beings with a Gnosis score). This is usually other shapeshifters of any breed (Camazotz are preferred, but any Fera is allowed to participate; it is very rare nowadays that a Garou is allowed to witness this rite, but if they have done significant service to the Camazotz, they may be allowed), but a numen or other spiritual companion will also do if available. She is brought to a sacred Umbral cave, whose location is carefully guarded by the local Camazotz who use it for their ceremonies.

The kinfolk is brought to a special chamber and seated in the chamber of the room. Mixes of herbs and incense are burned around her, creating scents and smoke patterns that the bat-spirit reflections of the Camazotz kin consider attractive. When the fated bat-spirit arrives, the kin is introduced to the being that is a part of their soul, and both parties are given another poultice of Umbral ingredients, rending their spirit mutable and receptive to fusion. She is tied at the wrist to her partner by a thread made of the woven hairs of her Camazotz parent; if there is no shifter parent, any Camazotz overseeing the rite will suffice. She is then instructed to perform a sacred song and dance with it, with those observing joining in. In the ancient days, the Camazotz parent would perform this song and dance with their infant in hand, but in the modern version, any adult receiving the rite must dance themselves.

System: This rite can only be performed in the Umbra, and requires at least three witnesses, at least one of whom must be a Camazotz of any breed. The ritemaster must spend a point of temporary Gnosis to blend the required poultices, imbuing them with spiritual power. The sacred dance of binding requires at least one interrupted hour, during which the ritemaster and two witnesses each spend one point of permanent Gnosis to blend together kinfolk and bat-spirit in mystical ceremony. If this rite is interrupted in any way, the bat-spirit flies away into the depths of the Umbral cave, the spent Gnosis is lost, and the rite cannot be attempted on the kinfolk again for a lunar month.