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The Priests and Heroes of the Dominion may purchase these skills to reflect their dedication to the Immortal Spirits and the Path of Tulak. Only Tulaki can purchase the Priestly Devotion skill, but any character in the Dominion can purchase Heroic Devotion as long as they have been Devoted first.
Priest characters can purchase Priestly Devotion to reflect their religious training. Priests are highly respected in Dominion society, as they have sacrificed their chance for individual immortality to help guide others to that goal. Priests in the Dominion are expected to guide rather than lead, but they do hold a significant amount of temporal power due to the trust and status they hold.
Ceremonies are the signature ability of Tulaki Priests. They require at least 5 minutes of roleplayed action - depending on the ceremony this may include burning sacred herbs, delivering rousing speeches, ritual music or dancing, or praying to petition the Immortal Spirits for help. Tulaki Ceremonies usually tend to be public affairs, inviting the community to witness, participate, and draw some of the attention of the Immortal Spirits.
It is unknown exactly how Ceremonies work, and there are no records of Ceremonies being performed on people who are not followers of the Path of Tulak. Performing a Ceremony on a character who is not part of the Dominion may have unpredictable results.
Major Ceremonies are powerful rituals that call upon the Immortal Spirits to create profound spiritual effects. A Major Ceremony requires at least 5 minutes of roleplayed ritual action to perform, as well as consuming 2 measures of Ritual Herbs.
Calling upon Immortal Spirits associated with combat, war and martial skill, you imbue the recipient with spiritual knowledge of weaponry that settles in their mind and muscle memory. While under the effect of this ceremony, the recipient gains occasional momentary flashes of sensation - sounds, smells, the feeling of movement, all of which can be connected with the use of melee weaponry. These flashes of sensation grant them lightning insights that allow them to strike with greater precision and power than they would normally be able to. The recipient gains the ability to make use of a single Weapon Call once per hour. The Call they can use depends on the weapon they are wielding, as follows:
Once the special Call provided by this ceremony has been used, it cannot be used again for another hour. Each time this power is used it may be used to make a different Call, as long as a weapon of the associated type is used to make the Call. The effects of this ceremony last for the remainder of the day.
Calling on unflinching and relentless Immortal Spirits, you imbue the recipient with spiritual power that drives them onward. A character under the effect of this ceremony reduces the duration of any FREEZE, KNOCKOUT or ROOT effects that target them by 5 seconds. They also experience the following roleplay effect - “You are relentless in pursuit of your goals. Barriers to achieving what you want can be overcome through sheer force of will, and you are unwilling to back down in any circumstance”. This ceremony lasts until the end of the day.
You may Devote another willing character to one of the Immortal Spirits that you know the name and title of. This draws that Spirit's attention to the character, and is the first step of a character becoming a Hero. Once this Ceremony has been performed on a character, the ceremony remains active for the remainder of the day - if another Major Ceremony is performed on the character that day then the devotion does not “stick”, but once the day ends that character becomes Devoted to the named Immortal Spirit. Once Devoted, the character retains their Devotion until it is removed, but a subsequent performance of this Ceremony without a named Immortal Spirit will remove an existing Devotion. You can also perform this Ceremony on a character who is already Devoted with the intent of temporarily reinforcing the connection between the character and the Spirit that they are devoted to. This has unpredictable results, but most commonly causes intense and vivid dreams relevant to the character's chosen path.
You call upon the Immortal Spirits to grant the recipient prophetic or revelatory dreams the next time they sleep. A character under the effect of this ceremony that goes to sleep for more than an hour will receive a briefing of the vivid dreams that they have had. These dreams are intense and vivid, but rarely straightforward - they may grant insight into something that his happening elsewhere in the Orion Sphere, or hint at things that may have happened in the past or possibly will happen in the future. If you have been affected by this ceremony you must inform Games Ops before it closes that night, and should report to Games Ops before you time in the following morning. This ceremony does not produce any useful result if performed on the last day of an event. The effects of this Ceremony last until the end of the day when the dream is had.
You draw the gaze of the Immortal Spirits to this character for the rest of the event, for good or for ill. Their actions will determine whether the Spirits view them more or less favourably. This ceremony is often performed on prospective heroes about to perform a great undertaking. Dominion characters who have performed great deeds while under the effect of this Ceremony have been known to experience all manner of spiritual effects, from revelations of hidden knowledge, to receiving great reserves of endurance or strength of will, at opportune moments. Others have been struck down with the anger of the spirits if they shirk from their undertakings. If you are under of the effects of this Ceremony you must notify the encounter Referee of any missions you are on.
You concentrate the mind of another character on their chosen Profession. If they have any of the following skills - Engineer, Etheric Science, Corporeal Science, Life Science, then they may choose one of those skills to count as one rank higher during the next downtime (which will allow them to do more work or research). If they have only one of the above skills, then it counts as 2 ranks higher. Additional ranks typically grant additional Work Slots (for Engineers) or Research Points (for Scientists). Characters do not gain any new device masteries or mods as a result of this ceremony. This Ceremony lasts for the remainder of the event, and a character who has this ceremony performed on them must note it, as well as the skill to be enhanced, on a hand-in slip at the end of the event.
Calling upon Immortal Spirits associated with strength, resilience and bodily perfection, you reinforce the recipient's physical form. When they suffer grievous injuries, the reserve of spiritual power suffusing them allows them to shrug off and ignore their wounds. A character who has this ceremony performed on them gains the following ability:
The ceremony lasts until the end of the day, or if it's ability is used.
Calling upon Immortal Spirits associated with skill and expertise in the recipient's chosen speciality, you imbue them with spiritual power that improves their ability. When performing complex tasks, they are supernaturally assisted by flashes of insight that provides some protection from mistakes and bad outcomes. A character who has this ceremony performed on them gains the following ability:
The ceremony lasts until the end of the day, or if it's ability is used.
Minor Ceremonies are shorter, more succinct rites that invoke some aspect of the power of the Immortal Spirits, or summon forth a spiritual effect from within a character, allowing them to contemplate some aspect of themselves or their chosen path. A Minor Ceremony requires at least 1 minute of roleplayed ritual action to perform, as well as consuming a single measure of Ritual Herbs.
This ceremony calls upon the forgotten remnants of training in a skilled recipient. For the next Card Draw Action that the recipient leads they gain one additional Green Card. If unused, this ceremony lasts until the end of the day.
This ceremony strengthens and reinforces the recipient's identity and sense of self, giving them a temporary spiritual bulwark against outside interference that would damage their selfhood. The recipient is subject to the following roleplay effect - “You feel confident and self-assured, buoyed up by the feeling that you can take on any challenge”. If the recipient is affected by a roleplay effect, either from a referee brief, Condition or IMBUE call, they may cause the effect of this ceremony to immediately expire and RESIST that roleplay effect. If the roleplay effect resisted is from a Condition that is still present an hour after this ability is used, then it takes effect at that point. Otherwise, this ceremony lasts for the rest of the event.
This ceremony calls upon a named Immortal Spirit and suffuses the recipient with their echoes. Dominion Priests use this ceremony to help place their charges into the mindset of an Immortal Spirit, both so that they can experience their powerful influence, and that they can reflect on the experience in retrospect. A period under this ceremony should allow the recipient to see how a change of perspective would affect their approach to the Path of Tulak. The recipient is subject to the following roleplay effect - “You feel influenced to act in a manner similar to how you feel [the named Immortal Spirit] would act in your situation”. This ceremony lasts for the rest of the day.
This ceremony is used to assist followers who are going through periods of spiritual turmoil. It invokes memories from the recipient's own past experiences to place them in a reflective and contemplative state. Meditating on this state can help a devotee of the Path of Tulak to place their current state within an overall context, and perhaps guide them to a way forward on their Path towards immortality. The recipient gains the following roleplay effect - “Memories of your own life feel especially close - you need only concentrate for a moment to bring them forth in vivid clarity”. This ceremony is not capable of recalling memories that have been removed by other abilities such as psionic powers. This ceremony lasts for the rest of the day.
This ceremony connects a character with their chosen path, giving them the determination to push forward and achieve greatness. It creates a roleplaying effect on the target - “You feel driven to accomplish your goals, and while you are performing actions to forward your goals, other concerns fade away”. This lasts for the rest of the event.
This ceremony manipulates the spiritual energies of the body, suppressing the roleplay effects of a wound or Condition that must be present and specified when the ceremony is performed. The recipient gains the following roleplay effect - “You feel driven to accomplish your immediate goals. While doing so the effects of [the specified Condition] fade away and are less of a concern”. While acting in accordance with this roleplay effect, you may ignore any Roleplay Effects of the specified Condition. This ceremony lasts for the rest of the day.
This ceremony calls forth a spiritual well of perseverence and saturates the recipient's psyche with it. This creates a roleplaying effect on the target - “You feel a drive to stubbornly persevere, and refuse to let obstacles stand in the way of your success”. While under the effect of this Ceremony, you become Walking Wounded after being Unconscious or Badly Injured for only 60 seconds (usually this time is 300 seconds). This lasts for the rest of the day.
Unlike most ceremonies, which target a single recipient, this ceremony has either no recipients, or many. The Rite of Remembrance is a collective ceremony that strengthens the memory of a named fallen individual in the minds and hearts of the ceremony's participants. The Priest performing the Ceremony must pace a circle around all participants when they begin, and perform the ceremony with at least 5 minutes of roleplayed ritual action. While the ceremony is ongoing, the participants strongly recall their memories associated with the named fallen individual. Participants are inspired to speak of their memories, and these memories may become embedded in the other participants as if they had been present when the remembered events occurred. Participants are unable to speak what they know to be untrue as they speak their memories. After the ceremony is complete, the strong recall of these memories slowly fade over the next few hours, returning to the background level at which they were remembered prior to the ceremony. This does not count as being under the effect of a Ceremony, and this ceremony does not replace any other ceremony that participants are currently under the effect of.
In some cases if the remembered individual was Devoted, supernatural effects may occur around the ceremony associated with the Immortal Spirit that they were Devoted to. In documented cases these have included visions or other sensory impressions, bolstering of mind and body, or the temporary granting of specialist knowledge or skills. There is little consistency or reliability to these supernatural effects.
Heroic Devotion represents the favour and blessings of one of the Immortal Spirits, which manifest as miraculous abilities relevant to the purview of that Spirit. These will usually take the form of abilities that can be performed a number of times per day, but there is little consistency to this power, and the abilities it grants will vary depending on the focus of your character. Some examples of possible abilities granted by Heroic Devotion to the most well-known Immortal Spirits can be found below. Devoting yourself to a Spirit is an in-character ceremony that can be performed by a Priest, and will be recorded on the game system. If you change or lose your Devotion, or change to a Faction other than the Dominion, your patron Spirit is likely to be angered.
This section shows some examples of the kind of abilities that Heroes devoted to the most well-known Immortal Spirits may acquire as they purchase ranks of the Heroic Devotion skill. This section is intended to serve as a guide as to what kind of abilities, and how powerful abilities are at certain ranks. It is important to note the following:
Themes: Physical Prowess, Challenges, Athletes, fitness.
Heroes devoted to Akal can perform incredible feats of endurance and strength, and hone their body to resist influences that would weaken them.
Themes: Hunting, killing, tracking and melee combat.
Heroes devoted to Artis become incredibly proficient with melee weapons, especially blades. They excel at locating and hunting down a target.
Themes: Combat, War, fighting independently.
Heroes devoted to Dalathak become consummate expressions of the Soldier. They become one with their weapons, and are tireless and nearly unstoppable in battle.
Themes: Terraforming, Farming, Engineering and Planetary Science.
Heroes devoted to Dekal are deeply in tune with the worlds upon which they walk. As scientists, engineers or other professionals, these heroes are able to survive the harsh conditions on untouched planets and take the needed steps to make them fit for habitation.
Themes: Engineering, technology, individual genius and inspiration.
The Devoted of Dothak are inspired creators, scientists and genii. Technology seems to bend to their will, and that which they surround themselves with reshapes itself to better protect them.
Themes: Leaders, visionaries, oratory.
Although the Devoted of Enki are relatively few, their determination and ability to command a crowd with their voice is unmatched.
Themes: Politics, the Law, societal structure.
Those Heroes who are devoted to Kalila are immensely skilled at political maneuvering, and discover cracks in any foe’s political armour.
Themes: Science, exploration, discovery.
Heroic Devotees of Lukan are have preternatural abilities when it comes to scientific investigation. Scanners sing in their hands, and the universe whispers its secrets to them.
Themes: Protection, architecture, self-sacrifice.
Following the example of the Charred Immortal, Heroes devoted to this patron spirit are nigh immovable when ensconced in a position they have chosen to defend.
Themes: Philosophy, Thought, Inspiration.
Although in a way every soul in the Dominion is a devotee of Tulak, those who have dedicated themselves to her teachings are inspired by incredible insights.
Themes: Travel, piloting, spaceships.
Heroes who devote themselves to Volkut display incredible ability to control starships, and supernatural powers of movement, able to travel to where they will to go.
Themes: Diplomacy, Mediation.
Devotees of Wesrix are incredible negotiators, able to inspire a range of positive emotions in those they deal with as well as intuit the connections between people to open up new avenues of diplomacy.