"Hear Me and obey most hateful spirit! I cast ye out with the Might of My Arm, with the Iron of My Will by the Fire of My Word. Come from the body of this my servant! Thou shalt not appear again, neither in the dreams of night nor in the thoughts of day!
Get ye gone from this place, thou lowliest predator, thou foulest Daemon! Naked I drive ye forth, with thy hair dishevelled, and thy fury undone. Thus do I vanquish ye in this world, and thus do I cast down/thy stars and constellations, scattering the fell work of thy hands. Ever shall I pit myself against thy kind, and eternal shall be my wrath in the face of thy masters. For the sun shall not set over the people of My Empire, as long as they keep me as their Lord.
So Sigmar banished the spirit, with its witchery and its spells, with its curses and invocations, and drove it away from the wall of this Holy Empire."
- —Extractions from the Admonitions of Sigmar[1a]
Though possession is a terrible ordeal, those mortals who house a Daemon in their bodies have little time to spare before the fiend devours their souls. But, all hope is not lost, for the Daemon can be expelled from its host through a religious ritual known as an Exorcism.[1b]
Exorcism as a practise has existed since the time of Sigmar, as recorded in the Book of Sigmar. When the mighty hero first crossed the River Reik and discovered a man whose form contained a daemonic fiend, the wretch begged for help, claiming he had long suffered from unwelcome spirits. Sigmar called forth the Daemon, demanding its name. The Daemon could not resist and appeared before him, revealing itself to be a servant of Lanshor, known as Ll'hh'eeg'gae'ion'n. Sigmar attacked the vile creature, and it fled into the mountains. Sigmar followed for thirteen days and nights until he finally smote the creature, sending it screaming back to its hellish realm.[1b]
Priests and Templars of Sigmar follow the example first set forth by holy Sigmar and use the power of their god to free mortals from daemonic clutches. The means for this act is through the ancient Sigmarite Ritual of Exorcism.[1b]
When performed, the exorcist calls upon the might of Sigmar to wrest control of the fiend and force it to act as the holy man demands. Since the creatures of Chaos cannot abide the presence of Sigmar, they must obey the exorcist's commands.[1b]
The Rite of Exorcism is known almost exclusively by Sigmarite priests and witch hunters. A few priestesses of Shallya have a Rite of Casting Out which functions similarly to the Sigmarite ritual. Though most can learn the methods and words required of the ritual, few have the resolve to face down Chaos in its most awful form. To be an exorcist, one must be in peak physical health, no older than middle-age, and particularly dedicated to the faith. The methods of Chaos are many, and Daemons search out any moral weakness they can to defeat the holy followers of the Heldenhammer. Far too many would-be exorcists have found themselves physically or psychically destroyed by the power of a Daemon.[1b]
Rite of Exorcism[]
The following is an example of a Sigmarite Rite of Exorcism. Said-rite requires utilising the language of Magick, an illuminated copy of the Book of Sigmar, the sign of the hammer or twin-tailed comet, new priestly vestments, rope and nails for binding, a vial of holy water, a hammer, a goat (or some other animal) or mirror, and a roaring fire.[1c]
The exorcist must spend three consecutive days prior to the ritual in meditation and prayer. Once he is finished, he gathers his witnesses, one to see and watch, one to help, and at least one who is bound to the victim by blood or marriage. The helpers must bind the victim to a tree with stout rope and nails, while the exorcist readies the animal (or mirror) to contain the fiendish entity.[1c]
The ritual itself can take up to eight hours or more to complete, and incorporates five basic steps.[1c]
Step 1: Dispelling the Facade[]
At this stage, the Daemon hides within the host as if it's not there at all. Whilst it retains complete control over the mortal's body, its movements are natural as is its speech. The exorcist must reveal the Daemon and learn its nature. This is often the hardest part of the exorcism since the Daemon is not cooperative. Furthermore, the exorcist must be vigilant and resist the temptation to engage in unnecessary conversation. For the exorcism to work, the exorcist must be firm in his resolve and committed to the effort with all authority granted to him by Sigmar.[1c]
The priest must spend a solid hour praying, questioning, and probing. The Daemon and exorcist proceed in a battle of wills. If the exorcist fails, he cannot try again for twenty-four hours. If the Daemon fails, move ahead to the Revelation. The exorcist finds this step is made easier if he presents profane symbols of Chaos to the victim.[1c]
Step 2: Revelation of the Inner Daemon[]
It is when the Daemon's pretence breaks that the exorcism truly begins. Such moments are accompanied by all manner of supernatural effects. If the possessed is not restrained, they lash out and attack any individuals within reach (hence the nails and rope). In addition, strange phenomena occur. Animals panic, the ground shakes, lights go out, and a malodorous wind blows, always from the north. If a mirror is used, the victim reflects the appearance of the possessing fiend instead of his own. The Daemon thrashes about and utters blasphemies and repellent offers of lewd conduct. Should the Daemon fail to convince or frighten away the exorcist, it threatens to harm the host. In short, the Daemon uses any trick it can to escape the exorcism.[1c]
This phase lasts half of one to ten hours. During this time, all mortals witnessing the ritual risk going insane (if the scene is especially grotesque) unless they can fight off their horror through strength of will.[1c]
Step 3: A Chorus of Evils[]
Next, the Daemon's voice becomes a torrent of words, always offensive, often nonsensical. The exorcism cannot continue until the Daemon is silenced. This can be achieved with a simple trick. More powerful Daemons require a little more effort to quieten. In extreme cases, the Exorcist may be forced to cut the tongue from the victim. Regardless, the Exorcist and Daemon take to another test of willpower, and if successful, the Exorcist may move onto the next stage. Otherwise, he must start again in twenty-four hours.[1c]
Step 4: War of Wills[]
Once the Daemon falls silent, a palpable presence descends in the immediate area. At this time, the Daemon and the exorcist wage war for the host. The exorcist forces the Daemon to reveal more about itself and establishes a firm control. If he succeeds, he and the Daemon make their final stand against one another's will. If the Daemon wins, the exorcist must begin anew in twenty-four hours. Otherwise, the Daemon flees the host.[1c]
Step 5: Casting Out of the Possessing Spirit[]
Assuming the exorcist defeats the Daemon, the entity flees the host's body for the Realm of Chaos. Its passage is manifest, and all experience its flight. In some circumstances, there is a rush of sound as the thing escapes. If the time of possession was short, the host resumes control over their body with little to no recollection of what transpired. Most, though, do not emerge from this experience unscathed. Aside from physical injuries caused by the Daemon, there are psychic scars, and madness is often a result.[1c]