2025 Jul 6: The Rite of Finding What Should not be Found

 Excavating underground can be a dangerous proposition. For this reason, many cultures have have magical rituals that can be used to locate and identify dangers lurking underground. In Caeledor, the most popular method is called the Rite of Finding What Should not be Found. Despite the long name, the ritual itself is quite easy to perform.

First one needs a claw from a Tunnel Beast. This will be the focus of the ritual, and will need to be kept on hand until the ritual is finished. Then one needs a paste made of honey, limestone and charcoal. Then one adds seven flowers to this paste. The identity of the flowers is not set in stone, though usually ones with medicinal or unusual magical properties are selected, as they enhance the effectiveness of the ritual. Almost every sorcerer who knows this ritual has their own selection of flowers that they swear by, and this can be cause for a long argument.

After the paste is completed, one must slather it on their forearm, then use the claws to cut themselves, while uttering a prayer to seven Underworld deities. Once again, there is is no universally agreed upon list, and sorcerers are heavily divided among who should be included in the prayers. After the prayers are finished, one must sound a constant hum, while pointing the claw at the ground, and walking around slowly. When the claw is directly above something dangerous in the earth, it will jump slightly. Different types of dangers make the claw jump in different directions. Demons usually make it jump up, wild animals to the right, curses to the left, and anything else causes it to tug downwards. 

The ritual doesn't differentiate between man-made and natural dangers, and it also doesn't pick up things that are obvious, and easy to avoid, like a giant chasm, or loose hanging stalactites. It will, however detect toxic air pockets and the like.