In this essay I shall explain the origin, function, and usage of the Echo in Time ritual. The Echo in Time ritual was created by Ferryn Solaris Dunsany, more commonly known as Unspeakable Echo, in June of 1714. It was modified from an older ritual known only as The Traveller in Time that fell out of use due to its drastic sacrificial requirements.
The runic arrays for the Echo in Time ritual consist of three primary arrays and one optional array. The first primary array contains the details for how far back the individual wants to be sent. This can range from as simple as the amount of years, to as complex as the exact second of the time. The second primary array is used to specify the individual's new age and new date of birth. The change is permanent. The third primary array specifies the individual's new name. The three primary arrays are thus effectively used to create an identity for the individual in their new time, whether by inserting a completely new person, or overwriting the existence of another. The fourth and optional array can be used to tie the Echo in Time ritual into other rituals, such as the Protectoris Dunsany – another creation of Unspeakable Echo – or Primum Cor rituals – that is to say, sacrificial-based protection rituals.
The Echo in Time ritual uses a ritual sacrifice to send an individual's soul back through time. The form of sacrifice used is suicide – no other form of sacrifice truly works. The body's death can be used to power sacrificial-based protection rituals, since the soul is not destroyed. In the new time, a new body is formed around the soul itself – a body that will not necessarily resemble how the original would look. It is theorised that the ritual itself merges the individual's soul and magical core, but few people that have used the ritual have recorded what the side effects truly are – which are shared at the end of the essay. There is no specific wording for the Echo in Time ritual, because it is largely fuelled by intent. However, it can be boosted by invoking deities to hear your plea(s).
Although there is no set wording for the Echo in Time ritual, there are certain wordings that appear to be used more often than the rest: "I call to [deity] to hear my plea. I plead with you to [request]," and "I invoke the god/goddess [deity] to help me [request]." Commonly invoked deities include Thanatos, Chronos, Hecate, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, Ares, Khaos and Themis (or their equivalents, according to local traditions and mythologies).
The original ritual relies heavily on the usage of necromantic and soul magic runes, but their usage is not strictly necessary. As stated earlier, the Echo in Time ritual is almost purely based on intent, and as such "normal" runes that more or less convey the same meanings work just as well.
While the exact number of people that have used the ritual is unknown, there are surviving records from people that have used the ritual, although they are few. One such record is that of Theophania Euphrosyne Solaris – who, based on contextual evidence and similarities in writing, was Ferryn Solaris Dunsany – and her records detail everything from how she lost consciousness when appearing in 1598, to the fact that she seemingly overwrote the existence of the original Theophania Solaris – who, in Ferryn's original time, died at the age of 8 – due to the presence of memories that were distinctly not her own.
This phenomenon has also been mentioned in other records, such as that of Cassius Blakely/Arthur Cassius Moore and Justine Atwater/Isolde Rhea Manus. This would suggest that attempting to overwrite a person that existed but died in the timeline the individual is from actually merges the identities or souls of the time traveller and the original individual, and integrates the two by giving the time traveller the original's memories to ensure verisimilitude.
But, interestingly enough, it is also recorded by Zoe Thalia Veritas, who stated in her journal that when she created her new identity in her original timeline as Elizabeth Carina Moore – there was no person named Zoe Thalia Veritas in any records, but when she regained consciousness in the 17th century, there were memories of that time that were distinctly not hers. This actually suggests that the deities – the Fates and Chronos, in particular – not only fit the time travellers in, but also create entire identities, families and histories for them.
Thus, concludes my essay on the Echo in Time ritual. The sources used are as follows:
I.Carina Marwood, Time Rituals and Time Artefacts, p.468-472
II.Theophania Solaris, Lost in Time, p.102, p.228, p.392
III. Arthur Moore, The Journals of Arthur Cassius Moore, p.345-348
IV.Isolde Manus, Countess Manus: The Life of Isolde Rhea Manus, p.439-444
V. Zoe Veritas, Death and Time, p.287-303
A/N: All of this is my own imagination, except for a borrowed element. The credit for the Primum Cor ritual goes to the wonderfully creative Vichan, the author of Evitative (over on Ao3), which has set the standard for Resorting fics for me.
Ferryn is actually a character in one of my unfinished fics (I don't usually post multichapter fics until they're largely complete, I'd rather not doom anyone to the curse of a fic abruptly cutting off at a kiss or something), and there is a snippet from it on the wonderful DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan's Facebook group, although that is a pre-edit snippet.