This rite allows a Rust-Walker and his pack to draw strength from the power of entropy. Taught to the Lodge of Ruin by Coyote-Who-Howls, the Rite of the Final Sunrise doesn’t refer to the last day of the world but to the being or object subjected to the rite, for whom the end has come.
The rite requires an object or living being that is very nearly dead or useless. A terminally ill human being or an animal about to die of old age suffices, as does a machine that is irreparable. A machine used in this ritual must contain moving parts and require some kind of outside fuel to work. A gun, therefore, is acceptable, as is a car or a washing machine, but a sword is not.
If the subject is human (or Uratha, as presumably this rite would function on a werewolf, although the Rust-Walkers do not attempt it), he need not have volunteered for the job, and indeed need not be dying of natural causes. Some especially vicious Uratha have been known to mortally wound a human and allow him to die slowly enough to perform this ritual. During the course of the rite, the subject dies or shuts down permanently, and a small amount of Essence is released, which can then be absorbed by the ritualist and any participants.
Performing the Rite
The Rite of the Final Sunrise must
be performed in the last moments of darkness before the sun rises. The ritemaster stands on the western side of the subject, facing east, and marks him or it with rust, dirt or blood. The ritemaster then changes to Urshul or Urhan form and howls to the sun (any other Uratha present can join in this howl, but it isn’t necessary). The ritemaster must howl until the first ray of sunlight touches the target, so timing (or stamina) is important. The subject expires (in the case of a living creature) or falls apart (in the case of a machine) as soon as the light touches.
