Potency: 40
Components: Magic Essence distilled from a Hellspawn Creature [Rare, Value: 500gp] and 15 Humanoid Sacrifices
Focus: A brimstone altar
Cost: 2 Karma, 5 Resolve Burn
Prep Time: 10 days
Cast Time: 1 hour
Caster Considerations: A caster with a blood tie or similar connection with a Hellspawn creature, increase the Rank of the Blight by 1.
Location Considerations: If the location has a planar tie to the Hells, increase the Rank of the blight by 1.
Description: The Hellfire Blight requires magically tying a location on another plane to the Hells, and breaking down the barriers between these planes so the Hellscape can bleed through. Preparing the ritual begins with collecting humanoid blood through a ritual sacrifice, mixing it with Magic Essence that has been distilled from a Hellspawn Creature, and using the mixture to paint a series of Hellish runes around the area and upon the brimstone altar.
Each day, for 10 days the symbols must be reapplied (with a new sacrifice providing the paint), as the blight gains power. During this time, the effects of the Blight begin to be seen in the immediate surrounding area, fissures forming in the ground and spouting hellfire, ash raining down and turning the sky to a smoky haze. At the end of the 10 days preparation, you begin to chant, calling forth the powers of the Hells to rain down upon the place. At the end of your ritual, additional sacrifices must be made upon the altar in quick succession (no more than 1 moment apart), until the last 5 sacrifices are complete and the power of the hells can be permanently unleashed.
When the blight is first created, it starts as a Rank 0 Blight (see Blights for more information). When an additional 50 creatures have fallen victim to the Blight's effects, the Rank of the Blight increases to Rank 1. Each subsequent Rank requires 50 creatures to died per Rank of the blight (i.e. an additional 50 for Rank 2, then an additional 75 for Rank 3, etc). While the Rank of the Blight limits the area overcome by the Hellscape, it does not prevent certain Hellspawn from leaving the area and venturing out into unblighted lands.
Minor Effect: Fissures erupt from the ground, hellfire spurting forth and ash raining down.
Major Effect: The area is indistinguishable from the hellscape it emulates, rivers of lava bursting forth and Hellspawn moving freely between the blighted location and the Hells, free to spread their evil throughout the world.
Removing the Blight: The Blight can be removed by a creature of Celestial origin or an emissary of a Celestial being, who cleanses the altar with holy water, surrounds it with a circle of holy oil which is then set alight. A holy cleansing will then rip through the affected area, battling back the fires of hell and and removing the hellish influence. Unfortunately, this holy fire is just as detrimental to living creatures as the Hellfire itself, and will likely harm any creatures still alive within the area.