Silver Tongue of Virtue

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a congregation. The character who controls the target personal resource must be present throughout.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

The target congregation swells over the next season and is assessed by the civil service to provide an additional 3 doses of liao and an additional 6 votes in the Imperial Synod at the next event, in addition to normal production.

While the enchantment persists, the character who owns the resource experiences a roleplaying effect: you feel an urge to speak passionately about the things you believe in, and engage others in spirited debate about spiritual topics.

If the owner of the resource does not attend the next event, then the additional production provided by the resource is still added to that character's inventory.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional congregations provided the congregations are all controlled by characters from the same sect. Each additional congregation increases the magnitude by 6. The character who controls each congregation must be present throughout the ritual.

The ritual text for this enchantment was created at the Loom of Spells by Sanvar Isk who is, by all accounts, not a slaver.

Description

This ritual was codified at the Loom of Spells under the guidance of Sanvar Isk, a herald of Callidus. The ritual was chosen by Rafael Barossa d'Apulian of the League, the Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path. The original work on which the ritual was built was performed by Nathair Autumngale of Navarr, Advisor on the Vallorn.

As a ritual codified by young unpaid apprentices at the Loom of Spells, the ritual text itself is somewhat unique in tone, being full of hyperbole, flattery, and outlandish claims. The actual magic itself creates an enchantment somewhat reminiscent of Mantle of the Golden Orator, but rather than working through webs of connection and familiarity, it works by inspiring preachers and congregants alike. It helps make it easier for people to express themselves on matters of spirituality, and encourages lay folk associated with a congregation to ask questions and explore their own beliefs. It can also attract new people to a shrine, church, or temple simply through tales of the "good feelings" associated with services and ceremonies performed there while the ritual enchantment is in effect.

The civil service do not make a distinction between a congregation that has temporarily increased in size through the influence of this ritual and one that has been increased by other means - the faithful are still celebrating and receiving spiritual advice, and the rules are quite clear that this means the congregation in question gains additional allocation of liao and votes.

Those priests already inclined to view Mantle of the Golden Orator with suspicion have already expressed significant concerns with this new ritual. Even more so than the subtle use of Autumn magic, the more overt use of Night magic to inspire and influence is easily portrayed as a sinister plot to undermine the Way, possibly prompted by an eternal such as Janon or even Sadogua.

Common Elements

This ritual helps a priest to inspire those who listen to them, encouraging them to speak sincerely and from the heart. An obvious component of the performance is for the priest who is to be enchanted to speak publicly of their faith and their understanding of the virtues. Powerful symbols of the Way are resonant with the ritual, given the ability of images to inspire strong responses in those who see them.

The shrine or temple as a location is much less important than the passions of the priest, and the feelings of the people who makeup the congregation, when this magic is invoked. Ideally members of that congregation attend the performance, and show their support for the priest whose words move them so. The constellations of the Key and the Phoenix resonate with this ritual, as does the rune Zorech, which represents passion.

Original Text

The original text is duplicated here, both for completeness sake and for any insight it might offer Imperial magicians into the working of the Autumn realm or Sanvar Isk.

The Incredible Silver Tongue of Virtue!

An Inscrutable Ritual of the Realm of Night!

Codified for the Winter Solstice, At the loom of spells, under the guidance of benefactor Sanvar Isk (not a slaver), For the insightful, wise, and discerning GRANDMASTER OF THE SEVEFOLD PATH!¹

The Provenance of the Rite
This incredible ritual was the second ever codified using the loom of spells after the ambitious entrepeneur Sanvar Isk of the City of Chains negotiated access for the grateful magicians of the Empire. It was formulated by a number of young folk, keen to receive the sort of practical experience of ritual codification and the application of magical theories that one can only get when given the chance to work under true masters of the arcane arts, and that will surely help them get ahead in their chosen fields.

The original idea leapt from the cunning mind of Edmundo, known throughout the Realm of Autumn for his cleverness and acumen both political and personal.²

The Passion of the Virtuous
The Night Realm apparently prizes creativity and imagination weighing them not by their practicality or usefulness but by more ephemeral qualities such as originality and aestheticism. The magic of night is also excellent at encouraging powerful emotions and passions – the sorts of passions that can be inspired by sincere-sounding speakers, and the profound examples of the virtuous.

Congregations are places that Imperial people come together to think about virtue, and to learn from their priests about the best and most effective ways to live their lives. Those who are more forthright, more inspiring, more entertaining, who can move their listeners with the power of their words, attract more people to their services and are rightly judged by the Empire to be more skilled priests. In turn, those moved by the priest's words will see other priests as duller, less compelling – ensuring that they return to the right congregation week after week.

Obviously, there is already magic that can be used to achieve a similar effect, by granting the Mantle of the Golden Orator – and using subtle magics to weave a web of correspondence, community, and connection among families and friends. Yet not every Imperial magician has had the good sense or opportunity to learn Autumn magic – unlike those who work at the Loom of Spells of course who are receiving valuable on-the-job experience of course! Creating a way to let less competent magicians assist their priestly allies creates more opportunities for them to enrich themselves and perhaps enlighten them as to the value of a grounding in proper magic!

Perhaps only someone as spiritually confident as Rafael Barossa d'Apulian would see the remarkable benefits from empowering priests to speak from the heart, and grow their congregations. And the advantage offered to magicians who control access to this valuable economic tool.

We can all surely agree that the journey Rafael has brought us all on, from seeing the value of Nathair's idea, through recognising its potential, crafting the complex theorems needed to shape the mana, and then being insightful enough to see the possibilities in the Loom of Spells so that it might take the form of an actual, physical ritual text is truly awe-inspiring!

¹ "Sevefold" appears to be an error in the original document that Sanvar Isk and those working for him either did not notice, or did not care enough about to correct.

² The ritual was not, in fact, based on work by Edmundo, but rather on an arcane projection created by Nathair Autumngale. This error appears to be the fault of Sanvar Isk specifically, who appears not to have bothered looking in too much detail as to where the ritual the Loom of Spells was working on had actually originated, and just assumed it was the Autumn Archmage.