Prayers fall into a number of categories. The most common prayers are marked as 'prayer' these are quick invocations to the Gods and saints and cannot be easily enhanced. Rituals on the other hand take longer, but can be enhanced by the presence of other priests, worshippers, and materials that correspond to the Saints and Solar Houses that govern the prayer. Each school of prayer falls into a Solar House, during which it is more powerful, and each prayer is also goverened by one or more Saints, who can enhance its power if specifically invoked. Certain prayers can also be enhanced, trading skill for a reduction in energy or an increase in effect.
-2 for soft speech as opposed to normal speech
-2 if no gestures are used
-4 for silent prayer
-4 if the priest has no Blood of Atur available
A prayer is a spoken invocation of Atur and his saints, which attracts his favour or anger. A prayer is usually very quick, and requires on a minimal amount of Fatigue. Prayers cannot be enhanced by extra priests, worshippers, or the correspondences of houses and governors, excpet to a limited extent. The modifiers to skill for casting a prayer are as follows.
+1 for the presence of an idol of a governor
+1 for a complete set of consecrated garb
+2 if cast during the correct Solar Month
+3 if a vial of the Blood of Au is drunk
+1 per level of sanctity of the place the prayer is uttered in
A ritual is a prayer cast over a longer period. Whereas a prayer can be uttered quickly and without the need for any sort of physical component, a ritual usually needs much longer and can involve many physical components. Some prayers can be cast as either a prayer or a ritual, in this caste the minimum time needed to cast them as a rirual is always 10 minutes. The advantage of a ritual is that it can be enhanced by various factors, the presence of other priests, congregations, and correspondences.
Circles (available to any ritual)
Any prayer cast as a ritual may be cast my more than one priest arranged into a circle. Each priest in the circle must know the prayer to be cast at 15 or more. One priest, usually the one with the highest skill (though this may be hard for characters to know) is the leader. He makes a normal roll for the prayer, adding +1 for each other priest in the circle. The Energy cost of the prayer is then divided amongst the priests in the circle as the leader wishes. A circle can consist of no more than one priest
Solar House (available to any ritual)
Most prayers have a Solar House. Any prayer cast in the month of its Solar House receives +2 to its skill level. In addition futher bonuses can be obtained if the priest provides substances appropriate to the Solar House. For every two substances so used a further +1 is added to a maximum of +3. Especially rare items can add +1 on their own. Some items (incense, liquids) must be spilled or consumed, while others (metals, symbols) need only be present. To
Governor (available to any ritual with a governor)
Most prayers have one or more governors
A ritual involves one or more priests and one or more worshippers working together. For such a ritual at least one priest is required per 100 worshippers who join the service. While the service continues each worshipper can contribute 1 point of fatigue per hour towards prayers spoken by the leader of the ritual. A ritual must last at least one hour. Further priests who are not responsible forleading the worshippers may also lend aid if they too know the prayer being conducted, each lending up to 3 fatigue per hour and adding +1 to the prayer roll of the leader up to a maximum of +4.
-1 Fatigue per sanctity level of the place of casting