The Rite of Dormancy allows a pack to leave a locus they’ve claimed for a short time without worrying that it might be discovered or stolen by a rival pack or by other creatures that haunt the night. The rite causes a locus to “sleep,” greatly reducing its flow of Essence and making it much harder to find. This rite compels the intercession of spirits that represent a long sleep, such as bear-spirits or others in their sleepy late autumn incarnation. The rite is best performed only on loci that the pack can control; although it could technically be used to temporarily shut down loci outside their territory, the local spirits who use the locus are likely to reactivate it almost immediately after the pack leaves.
Performing the Rite
The ritualist begins by invoking the appropriate spirits, who congregate around the locus’ spirit reflection. He chants in the First Tongue in a low, monotone growl and anoints the locus’ physical form with the juice of crushed evergreen needles, pure water or some other substance meant to obscure scent.
