Ceremonies
Worship itself is a simple affair. You go when you feel a need, make tithe and offering, kneel before the altar, perform a sacrament of the appropriate type (Tamasin likes people to clap three times), light some incense, have your one-sided conversation, and leave. No one is limited by time. For the Bright Host, the usual prayer is for some sort of Boon that will ultimately help them. For Shadow Host, it is a payer to avoid their affections. For the Dread Host, it is a prayer for selfish actions and personal needs.
Most people only visit a place of worship when there is something important happening, or for holidays and celebrations of key events. The reason for the many small Daises in the entrance is to perform Rituals of Worship.
There are eleven basic types of sacred rituals that are performed. Each one will have at least three (1 for Shrines, four for Manses) Clerics, with one a Focal, much like a coven. For these rituals, unlike those performed by a Cleric, the Clerics draw from the faith of the adherents, the lay folk.
Making up for some past transgression, and proving that one has repented of that heresy, which restores the blessings.
Birth
Births are celebrated, and it begins as soon as the pregnancy is known. A blessing for a smooth birth and healthy child is normal and common.
Baptism happens once a person is old enough to choose to follow or pledge to a given Power.
The ritual of adulthood is a varied and notable ritual.
Permission to court is of critical importance in many homelands, and not seeking it has consequences.
Marriage is a finality, but not a singularity. This creates a sacred bond that allows the parties to share their feeling for each other.
Should a marriage dissolve, there is a way to break the sacred bonds.
Mastery
This ritual, covered elsewhere, is necessary each time you gain a new degree of mastery – and it applies to everyone.
Once a person reaches an age about 25 years short of expected natural lifetime, they are granted Seniority through a ritual that ultimately seeks to preserve their health and wellbeing.
Death is honored and last rites are an important aspect of being empowered to move on after death. Last rites should be done as soon as possible after death to prevent returning as a ghost.
Different Homelands have different customs, but they are always accompanied by a ritual of passing. Sibola, Durango, and Dorado bury their dead. Qivira, Aztlan, Lyonese, Antilia, and Islandia all cremate their dead. Hyboria and Kahokia leave theirs to the elements. Keris buries them at sea. No one knows what the Exilian do.
The most common rite any Cleric will do, consecration is one of the greatest and most potent powers that they have. Consecration can destroy undead, can ward against evil, can create a safe place against the dangers.
Consecration cannot happen on places that have been Desecrated for the use of Dread Powers or consecrated to the Old Ones. It is a first come, first served thing. It appears that only Chicory and certain of her ilk can change this.
Reincarnation
In the normal order of the Universe, people are reincarnated into a new life on one of the other Seven Mortal Realms in a cycle that persists indefinitely. It is possible for this to be forced to happen on a particular plane, but the spell caster doing it must be of the plane wanted to reincarnate on. Next, those for reincarnation require a mature vessel, a body, for the person to inhabit. The cost of a reincarnation is 2500 quid and an unharmed vessel within 7 days.
Resurrection
All of us, when born, are allotted five spans. A Span is 20 years. Many things can take away that full allotment, but it is still ours. Those who have not used all their spans can be returned to life, their body healed of illness and harm, but it comes with a price: they lose a Span each time. Resurrection must be performed within three days of death, costs 2500 quid, and can only be done on those who have not yet lived out their allotment on the plane of resurrection.
Ordeals
Ordeals are covered elsewhere but are always overseen by at least an Adept Cleric.
Tithes
Tithes are usually simple and involve some form of sacrifice.
For the Bright Powers, the tithe is often coin for the temples.
For the Shadow Powers, a tithe is often a form of offering of value to the local Shrine. Figures, art, food, clothing, needed tools all count.
For the Dread Powers, it is always the blood tithe, and it is best done on site, bleeding a living thing over the altar.
Prayers
Prayers for the Dread Powers are meant to distract them, to avert their eyes, to avoid attention.
Prayers for the Bright Powers are meant to seek their favor.
Prayers for the Shadow Host are meant to aid them (the powers) in their works.
Gifts
All of this is in addition to the fact that sometimes some people are given Gifts by certain Powers That Be, as part of their effort to bring people back around. Gifts can vary wildly, and so in some places there are efforts underway to try and ensure people don’t give these gifts.
People with Gifts are Weird, having been chosen by the Powers That Be for something, and those who are chosen are often fortunate, while those closest to them often are not.
The Powers That Be of Wyrlde are not well liked, well thought of, or trusted by many. The scars and harm of the God’s War are still fresh, and still present, and the abandonment of the Powers That Be makes people feel very much hostile to them.
