The Wetworks and The Pilgrimage

Blood and Roses

“Liz, you do know what you're doing, yes?” Morrigan asked.
“I do.” she replied. Morrigan heard clanging and rushing liquid in the pipes. Lisbeth's breath shook.
“Lisbeth. Get out of the tub.” Morrigan said. She forced the words out, as if saying them faster would change the outcome. The deed was done.
Lisbeth replied, "I aim to be a rose in The Maiden’s garden.”
“You don't even know what that means,” Morrigan said. She heard a quiet ripple, a single gasp of air as Lisbeth was pulled under, and the blood overflowing out of the tub and onto the pristine, white floor.
Morrigan didn't bother to check. She sat in a silence so strong her ears were ringing. Even if she reached in to search for a body, she knew nothing could be found. Morrigan shuddered, a presence filling the room. She waited, standing perfectly still. She listened for a sound, anything that told her she needed to defend herself.
She then felt the brush of fingers against her cheek. She flinched, tripped over the chair, then fell. When she hit the ground she kicked herself back as far as she could against the tile.
She stopped. They were small, dainty hands. They were not like Lisbeth's. These were not the hands of an older woman. They always said The Maiden collects her roses personally.
Morrigan heard a voice in her mind, whispered in a language impossible to understand, but understood all the same.
Run.

— From The Scarlet Ashes

The pilgrimage is a ritualistic journey taken by The Children of The Fiery Lock. There are numerous forms of the pilgrimage, each with varying degrees of danger associated with them. These different forms coincide with the specific purpose of the pilgrimage. This purpose varies depending on the specific needs and goals of the one taking the pilgrimage.

In the case of The Fiery Lock, the only time a pilgrimage is taken is when a new Matron is chosen to be the head of the movement, or when a prospective member attains the title of Streghe Rossa. While the title is more of a formality, only a red witch can use the gift of The Red Miles in the modern day doctrine of the cult.

The pilgrimage is different for everyone who takes it. The pilgrim must pass numerous trials that test various limits of their resolve. One trial may test a pilgrim's combat prowess while another tests their ability to resist temptations or pain. Others still have shown to test intellect, endurance, leadership, and faith.

Fun fact: Red Hair

Those who do not have red hair can actually trick this ritual by dying their hair red. On rare occasions, those who do not have red hair from birth, or through dying it, have succeeded in a pilgrimage.

If they travel back to reality from the Wetworks, their hair will be red permanently. By entering the Wetworks you immediately gain the attention of the red maiden, who knows you are not supposed to be there.
What's curious is how she handles it. She doesn't seek to kill you, instead she watches. By successfully surviving, the maiden embeds a fraction of herself into you, thus giving you naturally red hair.

The Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage involves physically traveling to The Wetworks, the domain of The Red Maiden. Travel to the Wet Works would be relatively safe, but due to the fact that you are physically entering an alternate plane of existence, the dangers are significantly higher. The upside is the rewards are just as high. With your physical vessel present, those who succeed in the pilgrimage can be properly molded and shaped by The Maiden herself in such a way that allows them to utilize her many gifts.
Once you enter this other plane, your pilgrimage has already begun. Where you emerge when you find yourself on the other side varies, as your central goal will often determine the path you need to follow. If one is seeking to gain a specific ability, for example, they are more likely to end up in an area where trials can be set up that would fit someone seeking that ability.

To go on the pilgrimage in the modern day, one must first obtain permission from their matron. This is a recently established rule, a means of controlling the distribution of power among the Matron, and those one step lower in the hierarchy who are referred to as ladies-in-waiting. In truth, one can engage in the pilgrimage at any point in time, if they so choose.

The Ritual

Whether you have permission or not, there are many things that you will need to begin your journey. The first is a large container. Long ago these containers were built of silver oh, but a modern bathtub is more than sufficient. The next thing one needs is blood. This blood must be willingly given and purified before use. How much will be needed depends on how much their body will displace when they sit in the container, though it will usually be somewhere between 40 and 70 gallons.

The pilgrim must use a ceremonial knife carved from bone. This knife will be used to carve a series of symbols into the skin. These symbols represent the purpose of the pilgrimage being taken, and conditions under which the pilgrim will be removed and pulled back into physical reality, if any can be applied. This is usually done to protect the pilgrims should they not be prepared for what they face.
Note: if one is taking the pilgrimage to become a matron, these conditions will not be followed no matter how many you apply. Becoming a matron must be a matter of life and death.
Once the symbols have been carved into the skin, and the pilgrim is sitting in the container filled with the purified blood, the process of transporting the pilgrim is already underway. What a curse can be found in the quote at the opening of the article. The remainder of this article cannot be done in any linear form. Once a pilgrim begins their journey, there's no way to determine what trials they will face.

Purified Blood

The purification process involves removing any impurities in the blood itself ranging from bacteria or other forms of contagions and bloodborne pathogens, to foreign contaminants as well as biological contaminants found in an unhealthy subject's blood. This is done through The Scarlet Arts and can take weeks to accomplish.

---

Back to Reality

When the pilgrim returns, whether they are successful or not, they will burst from the container that was filled with blood. The blood will be gone, absorbed into the Wetworks. The carvings they've made in their skin will be completely healed as if they never existed.
If they succeed, as a peculiar side effect, they will experience weeks of heightened senses. The slightest touch could cause manic outbursts as the cultist loses themselves in the sensation. Pain of any kind is multiplied tenfold.
These cultists usually spend the time in isolation. This is for their mental health, as pain and suffering can damage the mind in this state. It also gives them the opportunity to explore these sensations until they gradually fade away.