Dueling with other members of the Lodge of Arms is one of the great pleasures of lodge membership for many werewolves. With the level of skill many lodge members possess, and the frightening power of their weapons, the lodge needed to find a way to prevent members killing each other too frequently. This rite was the response. It creates an area in which the spirits of weapons are suppressed, rendering them much less effective in killing opponents. This rite is always performed before any duel between lodge members.
Performing the Rite
The ritemaster sets a fire burning in the center of the dueling circle, and then walks around the boundaries of the area, marking it out with a weapon, stick or even his hands. Once the circle is complete, the ritemaster must douse the fire, thereby symbolically quenching the passion of spirits within the circle. At the end of the rite, he growls in the manner of a patient parent and invites the combatants into the ring.
