BTS: n/a
ULT: 40 hours
Materials: a Totem of the Animal with whom Caster is to Commune
Actions: meditate upon Totem, taking hallucinatory drugs to assist if required or as per the practices of one's Cult
Effect of Throw:
1 to 17 No Effect
³ 18 Totem will Answer (T/6)-2 (FRD) Questions
Notes:
The Commune is with the Sponsor God or other Higher Power of the totem animal. Where there are multiple Sponsors of the totem animal, the one with Whom the Caster has the closest affinity will answer. Another Sponsor may be requested in the Incantation (as a zero cost Variable Parameter), but will not necessarily agree to answer in place of the usual Sponsor.
The specific Cultist versions of the Spell (e.g. Commune with Snake Totem, Commune with UNGOL) only permit Communing with the specified Totem.
Only one Commune with each totem animal will be Granted per week (Saturday to Friday inclusive).
The Totem will only be able to answer questions within the limits of His knowledge and His Aspect concerned with the totem animal. Totems with non-animal Aspects may not reveal information known to Them by reason of those other Aspects: Clerical Totems will not reveal the private thoughts of Their Faithful followers, even if those followers are fellow Cultists of the totem animal.
The Totem can answer questions about matters known to any specimen of the totem animal, but the knowledge may be limited by the understanding of that animal. The knowledge of Monsters that have the attributes of the totem animal may also be Communed about: e.g. YSSA will answer questions about matters within the knowledge of Serpentine Monsters such as Giant Snakes.
The usefulness of the answer depends on how well worded the question is and how sympathetic the Totem is. The Sponsor is not obliged to reveal information He prefers to keep hidden, or of which He considers the asker unworthy. Lawful Totems tend to answer Commune questions literally. Chaotic Totems may not always answer truthfully.
Persons other than the Caster may participate in a Commune, joining in any meditation and drug-taking. Any participant may ask a question, but the Totem may choose not to answer a non-Cultist.
The Commune is perceived by all participants (only) as a vision or omen sent by the Sponsor at His discretion, usually by the Materials appearing to animate or by a spirit-sending of the totem animal appearing and speaking as the mouthpiece of the Sponsor. Non-participants do not perceive the answers, though they will hear the participants asking the questions.