Gilded Cage Rituals
Knowing the Gate to be that evening to allow easier hunting for the subject. Block
(Level-One Gilded Cage Ritual)
This ritual allows the Architect to sense previously created
“gates” to any location, created by any other magic user; it need
not be another Architect. (“Gates” are usually defined as any
location that gives direct entrance to another location via non-
mundane methods. For example, a Haunt might contain a
“gate” to the Underworld but a door between rooms would not
be a “gate.”) It does not, however, give the Architect any idea of
where the gate leads to as that is the providence of “Viewing the
Gate.”
Ways and Means: A detailed floor plan of the building in
question or a detailed map of the area in question if looking
outside a building.
Facets of the Crystal Web
(Level-One Gilded Cage Ritual)
Cities unconsciously follow the designs of the local leylines,
which are in turn influenced by the buildings, which in turn are
influenced by the leylines. This ritual allows a caster to discover
the locations of leylines or their crossing points and so be better
able to influence the building of the Gilded Cage. As the ritual
is performed, the crystal swings along the paths of the leylines in
the area. Failure to activate the ritual will not prevent the crystal
swinging, so the caster may well end up with false results. This
ritual does not show the locations of places of power.
Ways and Means: A map of the location, a crystal on a string
or cord (a plumbob, but must be crystal) to dangle over the map,
and being physically present at the location.
Supernal Geomancy
(Level-One Gilded Cage Ritual)
The Architects are known for their affinity with the leylines,
and this power is representative of it if nothing else is. The caster
can study the complex interplay, overlapping, shape and flow of
leylines surrounding them, and this ritual helps them to deter-
mine the landscape of the current energy passing along the lines
- their construction, intensity, path and resonance are all words
used by Architects to define what this ritual gives them the idea
of.
The truth is simpler, the Architect can determine if anything is
affecting, or has recently affected, the leylines or nests which the
Architect can view. This ritual gives the caster an idea if the mys-
tical energy of the city has been, or is currently being, tapped for
some task, and the general idea of what it is being tapped for.
The character can gain a snapshot of this sort for a number of
past nights equal to successes gained on the ritual.
Ways and Means: A looking glass and a piece of copper wire.
Block the Path
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
The most basic level of Gilded Cage allows the user to perceive
the energies that act upon a populace to direct their movements.
The Paths of Prey can be used to predict where mortals are likely
the Path does just the opposite through the same technique. By
perceiving the ways mortals tend to move through a domain, the
Architect can influence the leylines of a city to pull mortals away
from a subject’s typical hunting areas.
This ritual penalizes the subject’s hunt rolls by the successes
gained on the ritual’s casting roll, this lasts for a number of
hunts equal to the caster’s Gilded Cage rating.
Ways and Means: A planner’s map of the city.
Colours of the Crystal Web
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
The resonance of a leyline affects the areas it flows through,
and the canny Architect can alter this resonance to suit his
needs through mystically intertwining the emotions inspired by a
work of architecture and the leyline to project that emotion
along the leyline’s path. Similar to Aura of the Monolith (anoth-
er Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual), this ritual allows the caster to
link the leyline symbolically to a great structure in order to allow
it’s awe, reverence, or fear to permeate the resonance of the
leyline. The effect is only maintained as long as the caster keeps
both the structure and leyline in direct line of sight (which must
be directly visible and not through binoculars or on television).
Ways and Means: Line of sight to the structure in mind from
the leyline
Empowering the Monolith
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
Building structures strong and powerful and able to withstand
the elements is a key factor in any architectural handbook. The
ritual allows the caster to link herself to the city’s ley lines and
sap some of their power in order to strengthen and harden
modern items into stronger and less-prone to destruction tools
and building equipment – or mend damaged items of the same
variety. The only materials this ritual will work on are steel, glass,
stone, processed stone, fiberglass and aluminum. For strengthen-
ing items, each success on the initiation roll adds one durability
to the item’s rating. For instance, a stone pillar with a durability
rating of 2 is used in this ritual and 2 successes are gained – the
stone pillar’s durability is raised to 4. For repairing items, each
success on the initiation roll causes the material to “rebuild”
itself at a rate of 1 Structure per round up to the amount of suc-
cesses rolled – items completely destroyed cannot be rebuilt. Any
extra successes on the repairing roll should be treated as
strengthening successes. For instance, a revolver made of steel
has taken 3 structure levels of damage (of its 4), on ritual initia-
tion the caster gains 4 successes; over a span of 3 rounds the gun
repairs itself and at the end is actually stronger for it, gaining
one extra durability due to the excess success on the initiation
roll.
This ritual only can apply to one item at a time (and only once
per item per type of use), and could not be used on say, an en-
tire building because a building is made up of many different
steel beams, glass windows and other materials.
 Way and Means: Line of sight to a structure that has the same
properties as the item in question (glass would need line of sight
to a building that has glass windows, for instance).
Make Ready the Great Work
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
The Masons of the Dragons, tolerated but only just, have be-
gun to make waves by their mastery of the lines of leys, which
were previously ignored by the Kogaion and Guardians of the
Ordo Dracul. One of the reasons for which is this ritual, which
utterly amplifies the resonance and essences of a Wyrm’s Nest
for a limited time, by forcing the energies along the lines leading
to the nests to draw more than normal to a specific point.
There are rumors amongst the line that this ritual has come
through dreams only now, from Ermenjart la Charpentière her-
self, because the final plans of the bloodline’s Great Work are
beginning to manifest, and the amplification of lines and nests
are part of the Plan.
If successful, the intensity (Value) or dice bonus of a Wyrm’s
Nest is temporarily increased by the successes gained on the rit-
ual. The amplification only lasts for the night in which it is cast.
Furthermore, anyone not Kindred attempting to utilize the Nest
to power supernatural abilities find their rolls made at a penalty
equal to successes gained.
This ritual may only be done once per week.
Ways and Means: A length of transportation rail and some-
thing which represents the nest’s “resonance”.
Make Silent the Voice
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
The Architect Bloodline makes use of the patterns in the
world, and the manipulation of those patterns, in order to enact
their grand plans. It’s this underlying understanding that allows
them to see and manipulate leylines or predict the paths of prey.
People and mystical energy isn’t the only thing that travels in
patterns though, telecommunications take advantage of a most
basic pattern: the wave. An Architect of the Monolith can use
this ritual to disrupt the waves of telecommunication devices to
cut a single individual out of the grid. This ritual works on cell-
phones, text messages, land-line phones and all other forms of
long-distance communication, blocking their use for nights
equal to successes on the activation roll. For example, a letter
could be written but lost in the mail, a text message composed
and sent but never delivered, the 3G going dead just before
making a forum post, or a call dropped before the other side
connects. It even works on communication of mystical means,
although less reliably. To block mystical long-distance communi-
cations, it works once for each success gained on the activation
roll.
The activation roll is penalized by the victim’s Resolve.
Ways and Means: A cellular telephone and a picture or per-
sonal item of the victim.
Soul of the Builder
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
This ritual creates a direct bond between the physical integrity
of a building and the ritual’s caster. The Architect must be with-
in sight of the building during the casting, though the ritual’s
effects remain in place for a year and a day after casting. This
duration may not be cut short by the caster.
For the duration of the ritual, any lethal or bashing damage up
to the number of successes rolled done to the Architect is trans-
ferred to the building instead (aggravated damage still affects the
caster directly). Bashing damage manifests itself as wiring fail-
ures, broken windows, burst pipes or other superficial damage to
the building, while lethal damage is much more dire, causing
walls and support columns to crumble. If the building’s Durabil-
ity (Generally 3) + Successes gained on the ritual cast are ever
exceeded in lethal damage, the building collapses entirely.
“Health Levels” may only be restored to the building by repair-
ing the structure. If the character chooses to remove this bond
prior to the collapse of the building, he can do so at some
amount of pain to himself. He immediately takes 1 Aggravated
Damage when removing the bond.
The sympathetic bond between caster and building goes both
ways; should an attacker manage to completely destroy the struc-
ture, the ritual’s caster immediately takes enough damage to put
her into torpor; the mystical assault happens so fast that the
Architect is unable to spend any Vitae to heal before being
plunged into the sleep. Hence, Architects are always cautious
not to reveal which building they have chosen as the focus for
their ritual.
Enclaves of Architects are often hesitant to teach this ritual to
their students; typically, only the most headstrong and selfish
Architects will even use it...unfortunately, the bloodline has
more than its fair share of Kindred fitting that description.
Ways and Means: The building itself, as well as copies of the
architectural plans.
Speaking Through the Pyramid
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
Using this ritual the Mason imbues identical crystal pyramids
with the power of the leylines. He can then pass one of the pyr-
amids to another person of his choosing, but must keep one for
himself. He can initiate conversation through the pyramid at any
time provided he enacts the ritual. The person with the receptor
pyramid must be willing to accept the conversation, and can
ignore it without penalty if he so desires. If he does accept, he is
at a -2 penalty to all actions... talking in your head makes other
things a little harder to concentrate on.
Ways and Means: A minimum of two crystal pyramids (up to a
total of your Gilded Cage rating)
Strength of the Monolith
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
Massive bridges straddling great rivers, great towers of concrete
and glass that reach toward Heaven, and towering spindles of
steel that span gorges. Monumental architecture projects a palat-
able aura of indestructibility. An eternal testament to strength
and power. This ritual allows an Architect to tap into that
strength in order to enhance her own physical prowess for a
time.
For each success rolled, the caster may add one bonus dice to
her Strength, Dexterity or Stamina rolls. The effect functions
only so long as the caster is within or on the building on which
this ritual was cast, but will function for the rest of the night as
long as she returns to the building. Changing buildings requires
a new ritual and no more than one ritual can be enacted at
once.
Ways and Means: The character must be on or within the
structure.
Summons to Speak
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
(Or, How Did You Get This Number?”)
(Or, Ask Not For Whom the Phone Rings - It Rings For Thee)
This ritual permits the Architect to telephone anyone in the
city.
The incantation is mathematical rather than mystical, involv-
ing the numerological aspects of the phase of the moon, the
time of night, the characters of the target’s name (whatever
name he is known as to the Architect - it need not be a True
Name), and a host of other variables. These numbers are filtered
through a tortuous quasi-mathematical equation which inevita-
bly yields a seven-digit solution. A calculator or notepad may be
used to help with the math, but is not required for the ritual.
What is required is a land line telephone. The solution is dialed,
and the nearest land-line phone to the target begins to ring. In
an effect reminiscent of Majesty 4, the target will know without a
doubt that the call is for him. So will anyone else nearby. Recep-
tionists will offer the phone to the recipient of the ritual without
answering first, saying simply “Call for you, sir.” Homeowners
will allow their guest to answer, knowing that the call isn’t
meant for them. There is no compulsion to answer - nothing
that requires a resistance roll, anyway. Just the knowledge that
the call is meant for them usually suffices. Even disabled or out-
of-service phones will function. Dedicated lines - like those
phones installed in elevators - will serve the ritual just fine.
If the subject is not near a phone - driving down the street, for
instance - the Architect will somewhat irritatingly be put “on
hold.” He will hear soft muzak reflecting his mood until the
target approaches a suitable land-line phone. So long as he
doesn’t hang up, the ritual will function. If he does hang up, the
ritual fails, and the willpower spent is still lost.
It should also be noted that the seven-digit result of the equa-
tion/ritual is only good once - it will not function later, and the
ritualist does not gain confidential or unlisted numbers for later
use. Caller ID does not identify the ritualist...indeed, it does not
recognize an incoming call at all.
Ways and Means: A Land Line Telephone
Example: Tanya and Drew stood around the corner of a convenience
store, watching the Bus Depot burn. The Unaligned anarchists had
escaped, the ransom money was going up in flames, and likely so was
the Seneshcal’s childe, in torpor and probably locked in one of the lock-
ers in the blazing bus station. With a muffled boom, another fuel tank
went up behind the depot, where the busses filled up between runs. Tan-
ya ducked, hiding her face from the fireball down the block - skittish as
any Mekhet. Drew refused to look away. It wasn’t just a building going
up in flames, he knew. It was his chances of seeing another night.
Around the corner, at the front of the convenience store, a pay phone
began to ring. With a cold, gnawing certainty, the Gangrel knew it was
for him. He picked up the receiver, noting that the phone had been van-
dalized, and the cord was all but severed. He nonetheless held it to his
ear without saying a word.
“From my window, I see a fire downtown. From my blood, I feel the
heat. My childe is in that fire, Supplicant. Either retrieve her, or join
her.”
“Yes, Dr. Seward. Right away, sir,” Drew answered, but the line was
already dead. Hmm. Poor choice of words, that. With a glance at Tan-
ya, he started jogging toward the inferno, steeling himself against the
heat and fear. She would be of no help, and he had no choice. As the
elder had demonstrated - it wasn’t as if he could run. Seward would find
him.
Viewing the Gate
(Level-Two Gilded Cage Ritual)
This ritual allows the Architect to peer into a previously dis-
covered gate to see what rests on the other side. Although not
yet powerful enough to step though the gate, the Architect can
still witness events happening on the other side. The duration of
this ritual lasts only for 1 hour per success. Auspex abilities may
be targeted at the building through this mystical connection and
gain a +2 bonus, possibly allowing the viewer to penetrate Ob-
fuscate powers (Vampire, p. 119).
Ways and Means: A sketch of the gate in question with
enough detail to give a good idea of its location to someone un-
informed.
Dead Letter
(Level-Three Gilded Cage Ritual)
Write a letter to an unknown but named target (e.g., Dear
Prince of Southwark) over the course of about a week it arrives
at their door, it will only be able to be used for purely mundane
letters with no tracking devices or other items enclosed. There is
no compulsion to reply and the sender does not know if they
even received it. Only works in the same city.
Ways and Means: Write the letter
Pull of the Crystal Web
(Level-Three Gilded Cage Ritual)
Through the workings of this ritual, the caster is able to tem-
porarily shift the flow of leylines in his city to better suit his
needs. During the workings of the ritual he reaches out and
“grasps” the leyline in the air (he must know it is there either by
a power that allows him to see leylines or having first used Facets
of the Crystal Web successfully on the area) and then begins to
pull it in the required direction. Observers will see this rather
strange behaviour, but it is in no way Masquerade breaching.
The ritualist can move the line by five yards per success gained
on casting (accumulating less than the three required to activate
the ritual achieves nothing), and can repeat the ritual to move it
further. Once he has moved it, he must ‘invest’ a point of vitae
into the ground to hold the line in place (he must bleed on the
ground) where it will stay for one hour per dot the caster has in
Gilded Cage before snapping back to it’s previous position.
Ways and Means: Being physically present at the site of the
leyline to be moved.
 Unified Sting of Diaphanous Steel
(Level-Three Gilded Cage Ritual)
Cities are often considered places of marvel and wonder, but
they can also be equally dangerous as well. This ritual allows an
Architect to draw this danger to herself and make it a tangible
force that she can wield within a small steel compass.
Once activated, this ritual remains “charged” and waiting to be
released from the compass. If anyone outside of the caster
touches this compass, the charge releases instantly – the Archi-
tect cannot decide whom the ritual may ignore. The ritual has
the potential to inflict one point of lethal damage for each level
of the caster’s Gilded Cage rating at time of the casting. The
character may make no more “charged” compasses than she has
levels in Gilded Cage.
Ways and Means: A steel architect’s compass.
Master of the Manor
(Level-Four Gilded Cage Ritual)
This ritual, one of the rarest and newest discovered by the
bloodline’s members in Germany during the alignment of Ber-
lin, allows the sorcerer an edge against all outsiders within a
building. This ritual, when cast, makes it more difficult for those
outside of the bloodline to cast Disciplines in the confines of the
building in which it is cast for.
The ritual roll is penalized by the Haven Size of the building in
which it is cast. If successful, any and all Discipline rolls for
those who are not of the Architects of the Monolith bloodline
are penalized by the sorcerer’s dots in Gilded Cage. In the case
of Disciplines which do not require a roll to activate (such as
Awe, Vigor or Resilience for example), a roll of Resolve + Blood
Potency, with the same Gilded Cage rating penalty, is necessary
on each activation to see if it activates or simply fails to do so.
The ritual lasts for one scene.
Ways and Means: Floorplans of the building to be cast within
and a golden heart pendant.
Radiance of the Crystal Web
(Level-Four Gilded Cage Ritual)
The flow of a leyline and its resonance into an area can drasti-
cally effect the location, so this ritual allows an Architect to tem-
porarily change that flow to their own ends. The Storyteller
should determine the strength of the leyline before hand, be-
tween 1 and 5 - where 1 is barely a trickle, 2 is average, and 5 is a
raging torrent. If the caster succeeds at the ritual, they may bleed
onto the leyline to adjust its strength either up (to a maximum
of 5) or down (to a minimum of 0) by a number of points up to
their successes on the last draw of the ritual. If this is not
enough for the caster’s purposes, they may cast the ritual again
with all the normal costs. Each point moved costs 1 vitae, and
the line strength remains changed for a number of hours equal
to the caster’s dots in Gilded Cage before returning to its nor-
mal strength. The higher the temporary strength, the faster it
will effect locations that it flows through with its resonance. At-
tempts to manipulate the line strength again within 24 hours
suffer a penalty equal to the number of points of strength it has
already moved. This applies to the caster as well as others.
Ways and Means: Physical access to the leyline and (drawing)
compass to ritually release the vitae
Shadowed Hand of the City
(Level-Four Gilded Cage Ritual)
A well-designed structure is organized in such a way as to con-
trol the flow of traffic, air, and even light. Sunlight is one of the
most feared banes of the requiem, and even in their havens
some Kindred do not feel safe. The Architects have discovered a
way to utilize the essence of the very structures around them to
provide protection.
This ritual can only effect a single room no larger than 30 feet
on a side. To activate, the caster must scribe specific geometric
symbols on all entrances and exits (though they must already be
sealed in some other fashion, such as with heavy curtains), and
while these symbols remain active the structure changes to pre-
vent sunlight from entering, even if a door is flung open or cur-
tains torn aside. The ritual remains active for one month and
can only be used on an already enclosed space.
This, of course, is a bit of a Masquerade breach – after all, if a
building twists like a pop top to surround one small area sched-
uled for demolition...
Ways and Means: A black pearl and a slide-rule.
Traversing the Gate
(Level-Four Gilded Cage Ritual)
Upon reaching this level of mastery the Mason now has the
ability to traverse from one place to another using a pre-created
gate. This does not give the Mason the ability to create gates or
to move from one location to another unless there is a gate al-
ready present, although that gate does not have to have been
created by the Architect in question. In general, it is unwise to
traverse a gate without having previously used the “Viewing the
Gate” ritual to see where it goes, and it is impossible to do so
without first using the “Knowing the Gate” ritual. Crossing
through the gate is an instant action. (The ability to move with-
out a “gate” is providence of the Level-Five Gilded Cage Ritual
“Metropolis of the United Diagram” on p. 37 of Bloodlines:
The Hidden)
Ways and Means: Knowledge of the gate and a compass always
set to north.
Creating the Gate
(Level-Five Gilded Cage Ritual)
Not as powerful as the ability to traverse the city regardless of a
gate, this ritual does allow a prepared Architect to create a gate
from one single location to another single location. The Archi-
tect must have visited the location he wishes to make the gate
open into and the ritual must be cast at one of the originating
locations. Gates can be crossed in two directions; therefore the
Architect must be knowledgeable of both locations. (A scene
must be spent in each location previous to the casting.) Due to
the nature of an Architect’s understanding of leylines, city plan-
ning and general mystics he is unable to create this ritual in a
location empty of a previous standing mundane gate or door.
This ritual does not secure the gate therefore it can be found,
and used, by any one with the ability to do so. An Architect can
only have as many created gates as he has willpower dots howev-
er, he does have the ability to let gates “lapse” therefore there
may have been gate somewhere previously that is not there
which could be quite a surprise for someone attempting to use
the ritual “Traversing the Gate.”
Ways and Means: A gate, door, or other such creation (a hole
in a wall would work, for example) and a picture or sketch of the
location the gate should open into.
Ermenjart’s Vision
(Level-Five Gilded Cage Ritual)
This extremely potent ritual is prized by the Clef de Voûte of
any city. It is both time consuming and expensive, but when
successfully done works towards the perfect alignment of a city.
This ritual is only workable on large buildings, as well. When
successful, the Architect can create Haunts or Fontals (or Cruci-
bles, though the Architects tend to not be interested in sharing
that knowledge in an already secretive line).
But there is more to this required than just the obtaining of
the building, which must be a building of Size 4 or greater. The
sorcerer must shed a number of blood or vitae at the place where
this is to be cast, along it’s foundation or upon it’s roof, equal to
twenty points per Haven Size (so a Size 4 would require 80
points of blood or vitae to be shed). Additionally, a number of
willpower must be specifically invested in the site of the building
(in the same location which the blood or vitae was shed) equal
to the Size of the building. If this is cast where there is already a
Haunt or Fontal, with intention to increase the potency or
change the type of Nest, there is no willpower requirement, and
only ten blood or vitae per Size level is required.
It goes with saying that it is not uncommon for Architects to
utilize Gather the Herd for nefarious means in conjunction with
this ritual.
Once successful in the creation of the mammoth task, and the
casting is successful, the Architect may choose to create a Haunt,
Fontal or Crucible at the site. The intensity (Value) of which is
variable, as the Architects cannot control the strength of a place
for long periods of time, only create. Initially, however, for the
first week of the Wyrm’s Nest’s creation, the intensity (Value or
dice bonus) of the nest is equal to the successes gained on the
ritual roll. This over-amplification fades after one week.
The rest of the details for that place, such as the ultimate in-
tensity (Value) or the benefits, Resonance, Coils or bonuses
gained are left to the Storytellers to determine. This ritual will
alter the lines (and potentially other location of nests if the lines
are pulled out of sync from it) of a city, immediately, and Story-
tellers are encouraged to interweave this into play.
Ways and Means: The vitae or blood shed at the site as well as
a mathematically and mystically accurate leyline mapping of the
building and the block surrounding.