Ritual: Shaft of the Rose Level: 3 Courtesy of: Joseph D. Carriker (926847@UTB.EDU) Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.

edu) Using this Ritual, a Thaumaturgist can create a magical weapon. A hardened wooden stake of oak or ash, up to two feet in length is taken, and, in conjunction with an intricate incantation, is wrapped with several plaited thorny stems of roses and slowly painted with a concoction composed of a pint (point) of the Caster's Vitae, twenty powdered black rose petals and one ounce of black orchid pollen. After approximately two hours of this, the Caster must incant a command phrase, upon which the stake will suddenly turn totally black, like polished ebony. The vines will sink under the surface of the wood, as though it were black water. If the stake is broken in half (no small feat, as it is now around four times as strong is it was before), it can be seen that they lie close to the surface, and that the black alteration of the wood is actually strongest at the core. Note that if used without the thorned stalks, this Ritual is an excellent way of strengthening wooden supports and/or objects. If used in conjunction with the Ritual of Preservation of Wooded Objects, items can be crafted in wood and then modified through Thaumaturgy to serve as through they were made of metal. The term for this modified and strengthened wood is "Black Ironwood". When this weapon is used, it acts as any other stake would, granting no special bonuses to the wielder. However, when it hits and pierces a Kindred heart, it suddenly sprouts large, wicked barbed thorns of the same black material as the stake along its forward length. These thorns pierce the heart and surrounding flesh, firmly anchoring the stake in the victim. It _can_ be pulled out, if with difficulty and terrible consequences; three successes on a Strength Roll against a difficulty of 9 are required, and this will invariably rip out the heart of the Kindred, causing Final Death. Only two things can remove the enchanted stake -- the command phrase, which causes the thorns to retract (the stake is reusable), or painstaking surgery, requiring a total of three successes in an extended Roll against (Wits + Medicine) against a Difficulty of the Stake's Creator's Levels in (Wits + Occult). Each Roll required is an hour's worth of surgery, and each time the surgeon rolls, s/he inflicts one wound for each success less than the needed total s/he makes. This damage cannot be soaked.