There are two main functions to this rite: to secure a location against unwanted human intrusion and to bind a human to a particular location. Neither variant ritual is entirely foolproof even against a human who knows no magic. Humans aren’t bound by bans as spirits are, and their actions simply cannot be as constrained as spirits’ can be.
When this rite is used to bind a person to a given location, the ritemaster must provide for a single means of escape from the bond, and he must express that means to at least two others — neither of whom have to be the bound mortal. The means of escape can be all but impossible, but it cannot be a true logical impossibility. Usually, the means of escape is phrased as, “Once you have accomplished this task for me, you may depart.” When used to secure a location against mortal intrusion, no “password” is required, although the ritemaster may choose to nominate a specific action that allows a human to pass through normally. For example, a werewolf might set up a ward that bars all humans save those who carry a crow feather somewhere on their person, and then gives a crow feather to his wolf-blooded lover in the event that she needs to reach him.
The ward isn’t directly evident save when a human attempts to cross it. The human feels a faint nausea, a headache, a sense of vertigo or even a combination of such unpleasant sensations. The subject is unable to step beyond the area unless he successfully resists the ward’s effects.
Performing the Rite
To secure an area against mortal intrusion, the werewolf takes a form that has claws and uses them to draw a series of sigils (using a muddy mixture of water and ash) on every path of entry into the area. In a built structure, this includes doors and windows. Outdoors, the sigils are repeated every few meters to form a rough boundary around the area. To keep a mortal bound in an area, the werewolf uses his claws and a muddy mixture of earth and water, but this time he must clearly mark out the precise boundaries of the area, putting the sigils on the inside of the boundary.
In either case, the affected area cannot be larger than a radius of 50 yards. A werewolf may typically use this ritual to bind a human inside a house or within a campsite, or to ward a small building. This ritual takes an hour to complete.
