Anointing

Overview

By anointing a person, the priest creates a potent personal aura on them drawn from their virtue. Auras provide two key benefits, they produce a roleplaying effect which will influence the way the recipient acts. Any personal aura will also provide a source of supernatural strength to overcome a malign roleplaying effect.

A character may only have one personal aura on them at once, so creating a new aura automatically replaces any existing standard aura. A durable aura is more difficult to remove. Characters with the same virtue can cooperate to perform an anointing to create a durable aura or to remove or replace an existing one.

Anointing is not the only way that a person may experience a powerful, personal aura. Powerful spirits, curses and some dangerous experiences have the ability to create auras, and in theory a personal aura can manifest spontaneously - although this is exceptionally rare.

Auras by virtue
Ambition
Courage
Loyalty
Pride
Prosperity
Vigilance
Wisdom

Performance

• Requires a dose of liao or an anointing oil and at least ten seconds of appropriate roleplaying
• Requires the presence and assistance of a referee, if performed using liao rather than oil
• Requires a willing target
• The priest must choose which aura they are creating during the ceremony

Anointing a character uses a dose of liao. It requires at least ten seconds of appropriate roleplaying to perform the ceremony and target must be close enough to touch throughout. The target must be willing. If they are unwilling or unaware of the purpose of the ceremony, it fails.

After you anoint a character, they are infused with a standard personal aura that makes them subject to a roleplaying effect chosen by you. You can choose one aura from the list available for the virtue you are dedicated to.

If you have used an appropriate anointing oil, give the target the card and indicate which effect they are under. If the ceremony has been performed in the presence of a referee, they will either explain the roleplaying effect directly or give the target a card to indicate which aura they are under.

Effects

• Anointing creates a personal aura on a character
• Provides a source of spiritual strength for overcoming roleplaying effects
• The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event
• Orcs can be the subject of an anointing

Anointing a character creates a personal aura that lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions event. A character can only be under the effect of one personal aura at a time. The strength of the aura determines how hard it is to remove or replace the aura.

Removal

• Anointing lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event, or until removed or replaced.
• The anointing skill can be used to remove a personal aura.

As with any aura, you can only be under the effect of one personal aura at once. Any character with the anointing skill (including one who is not dedicated to a Virtue) may replace an existing aura by creating a new one or they may use the skill purely to remove an existing anointing.

The anointing skill can also be used to remove personal auras arising from other sources, including those created by some enchantments such as The Conspirator's Cloak.

A durable aura is more difficult to remove - it can only be replaced or removed by multiple characters cooperating to create a more powerful anointing.

Anointing Oil

• Any character with the anointing skill can create anointing oil
• Creating an oil requires a character to go to GOD
• A character with the anointing skill can use an oil of the appropriate virtue to create an aura without requiring a referee

Any character who has the anointing skill, and is dedicated to a virtue, can go to GOD and exchange any amount of liao for the same amount of anointing oil cards for their virtue. The card describes each of the auras that you can create.

An anointing oil allows a character to perform an anointing without requiring a referee, provided they have the anointing skill and are dedicated to the appropriate virtue. Rather than obtain a referee, you should give the card to the character you are anointing and indicate which one of the listed auras you have invoked. If you are anointed and receive a card, then you can keep the card with you to remind you of the effects.

For example, to use oil of Courage requires the character to have the anointing skill, and either be dedicated to the virtue of Courage or be bonded to a magical Echoes of Glory magic item.

A dose of anointing oil cannot be used as a dose of liao - it is a separate substance. The oil must be kept with an appropriate phys rep - a small bottle, phial, pot, or urn. The PD issued liao bottles cannot be used as a phys-rep for oil. You cannot use anointing oil when cooperating with other characters - you can only cooperate using liao.

True Liao

• True liao can be used in place of liao to perform the anointing ceremony

You can use true liao in place of normal liao to perform an anointing ceremony. This will create a true aura, the aura is permanent - it will last at least as long as the character is alive and perhaps even longer than that.

It is not possible to create anointing oil using true liao.

Further Reading

• Ceremonial Skills
  • Anointing
  • Consecration
  • Dedication
  • Excommunication
  • Exorcism
  • Hallow
  • Insight
  • Testimony
• Additional Information
  • Auras
  • The Way
  • Imperial Synod