The scent of a traveler’s fear when walking down an empty road at night, the moon overhead, no human voices to soothe him, but only the movement of animals close by — this is the invocation of Call the Empty Road. This rite reduces the odds of anyone but the intended prey from traveling down the marked section of road or street, therefore making it more likely that the werewolves will have him all to themselves. While this rite was originally developed to be used along country roads, urban werewolves are quite capable of using it to catch their prey along deserted city streets late at night.
Performing the Rite
The ritemaster must be able to name the intended prey, although a true name is not necessary. Specific details such as “the red-haired male stockbroker who lives in Victoria Arms” suffice. (Of course, if there are two stockbrokers of this description, both will be able to travel freely down the road while the rite is in effect.)
The ritemaster draws a line across the road at all potential entry points. The section of road protected varies with population density: the rite can be performed on up to two miles of back-country road, or up to a city block’s worth of urban street. Once the lines have been drawn, the ritemaster settles by a crossroads leading to the given road or street, where she performs small obesiances to the spirits, asking them to divert the attention of any humans other than those she names.
For obvious reasons, this rite cannot be performed
along particularly high-traffic roads such as an
interstate highway.
