Power of the Divine
=Wielding the power of the gods] While mages cast spells powered by magic, priests ask for prayers to be answered, powered by divinity. Priests succeed through diligent service to their divine protectors. The priest’s faith and understanding, along with an intense devotion to a higher calling, ties them to supernatural forces that shape the world and shake the heavens.
Some prayers may be simple words, others are holy phrases, fragments from standard sermons, or intricate, exhausting rituals.
Priests are ordained followers of one of the Seven. All priests can potentially invoke prayers, asking for divine miracles to occur. A priest is simultaneously a servant of a higher power and a member of an organisation that provides support and requires servitude. Ecclesiastics are priests who focus on administration, leadership, politics, and other organizational facets of the holy church. Clerics are priests who concentrate on acting in the world, come face-to-face with enemies of the faith, and perform tasks in line with the God’s titular domain of interest.
Clerics who seek to serve their god most faithfully will learn what it means to be a true priest, guiding the faithful in their daily lives and showing them the light on their spiritual path. In exchange, the cleric will learn the secrets of hymns, powerful songs and chants of power that ignite the passion of the faithful into manifestations of the divine. A cleric within his own temple is a power to behold, and one that even kings and emperors must learn to deal with as an equal.
When a priest dies, the residual divine power within his body can be harvested and used by members of his religion to enhance their church. Such holy relics are extremely rare and powerful. A High Temple may have one relic, a Grand Temple will certainly have at least one, and a Grand High Temple may have a handful.
A Detect Magic by a priest reveals the colour of the God associated with an effect or item, as well as other insights about the nature of the power. When cast on an item or effect that originates from a mage’s spells, a Detect Magic reveals only that it is magical but gives no further details.
Priestly magic in society
Everyone is familiar with priestly powers, as these are regularly seen during sermons, special events and blessings, and funerary rites.
Most commonly, as protectors of the faithful, priests are called upon for their healing powers. Clerical magic greatly enhances the efficacy of medicine. Note that prayers for healing and other public acts by the cleric are usually intended for the benefit of the faithful only.
Depending on where they call home, some folk may be familiar with Druids and their prowess with plants, animals, and nature.
From an individual perspective, religion is not a matter of faith, it is a matter of fact. Since the Gods can influence any facet of life, the mindset of the average person is “to each his own.” Some folk carry a symbol of the deity they resonate with most, and others don’t.