Cleanse Hearth

This spell is used to cast out spirits from any one hearth (home). A “hearth” might be as small as a beggar's shack, or as large as a whole farmstead (including barns and outbuildings) or a royal palace, but it must be the residence of a single family. The spell's casting time is therefore approximate: it takes only one round to cleanse a small shack, but might take a whole day for a palace. Shamans can shorten the casting time by enlisting the aid of other shamans.

To cast the spell, the shaman and any assistants first take supple boughs and clumps of leafy plants. Thus armed, they rampage around the dwelling, shouting threats and calling down curses upon any spirit that might resist them. Lashing at the air with their boughs, they strike at the walls, floors and beams, and items of furniture. Any weapons, people, or domestic animals inside the home they beat with clumps of plants, while ornaments are shaken and clothes flung about. Nothing is left untouched. Furniture is emptied, sides of meat beaten against each other and sacks of grain torn open. In this way, the shamans charge around the house, driving the spirits out.

Spirits whose Hit Dice exceed the caster's level, are unaffected. Each other spirit in the home is allowed a saving throw vs. spell. If successful. the spirit must leave for 2d6 weeks; failure means the spirit is driven out and cannot return.

Note that the spell also affects spirits possessing people and domestic beasts in the home (provided that they are present when the spell is cast), as well as those inhabiting buildings or objects there. If for any reason the shamans fail to beat any room, animal, person or object in the house, then any spirits possessing that thing remain unaffected by the spell. Spirits living in the rooms without possessing any particular object, and those in wild animals (like mice) inside the house, are all affected by the spell. However, the spell has no effect on bound spirits, like fetish spirits bound into objects, or spirits that naturally live in plants or animals.

The material components for the spell are simply the branches and plants used to beat the spirits away.