Rat packs disagree all the time. Through confrontation, the members of a pack drive up their Rage, turning anxiety into raw energy. When an issue desperately needs to get resolved, a Ratkin with this rite may invoke it to settle an issue once and for all. The mystic may use the Ritual of the Shiny Thing to resolve any dispute between wererats in her local nest, or find a temporary leader of a pack, if necessary. Performing the rite relieves angst and prevents pack members from turning on each other like... Well, you know.
The invocation is very informal, something along the lines of "I demand... The Shiny Thing!" At that moment, all the pack members bolt, looking for the shiniest, most impressive object they can find. The master of this rite waits behind, watching for the first three Ratkin who return from their quest. Only the first three rats who return have a chance of "resolving" the rite. Once the rest of the pack returns, they then vote on which item is the most impressive. That item becomes the Shiny Thing, a relic which must be carried (or displayed) by the new temporary pack leader. The keeper of the Shiny may then pass judgement on how to resolve the most immediate problem.
A pack may add additional restrictions on this rite when it's performed. In most packs, the Shiny Thing must not be given freely or stolen; it must be found. The item must be discovered after the rite is declared - no fair hoarding every shiny thing you can find for the next observance! Rat spirits watch over the Ratkin involved to make sure the proper rules are obeyed. As a side note, wererats may not use the Scrounge Gift to fulfill this ritual.
On rare occasions, the ritemaster may demand a specific object. For instance, some Munchmausen claim one of the most famous invocations of this rite occurred during a winter long ago, when a tyrannical Rat King wanted to find an heir to replace him. He promised his throne to the first Ratkin Warrior who could bring him... a shiny new nutcracker! The rest of the story has been told as a Christmas legend ever since, though with a decidedly different ending.
The ritemaster asks the spirits to watch over the poor fools who go dashing off in this mystical scavenger hunt. Each player announces where his character is searching, what he is looking for, and what dice pool he thinks he can use to find the item (e.g. "Frankie's going to use Perception + Medicine to find surgical tools in the doctor's office" or "Johnnie's using Manipulation + Subterfuge to seduce the clerk at the jewelry store.") The Storyteller may, of course, suggest an alternative dice pool. The Ratkin with the most successes on this roll are considered the "first ones back". The rest of the characters then vote on the most impressive shiny thing. Afterwards, whenever there is any doubt about who's leading the pack, the victor of this rite may gleefully hold the Shiny Thing aloft to proclaim his leadership.