RELIGIOUS BATTLES

Description

In the Sigil Underground, there exist five Shrines developed in secret jointly by the Council of Seven and the Council of the Arcane. Handpicked to oversee their construction and administration by Archmage Glacius and Lord Maldra was a Xaventry cleric named Mariquesh. Five structurally identical Shrines, hidden underground for decades, each hold four Periapts, beings that represent the various aspects of the Powers in whose Shrines they are contained.

The Periapts are viewed as being vitally important to the Powers; theories abound why this might be, if it is true at all, Ranking religious officials nevertheless view the integrity of their respective Periapts as critical; ill health is never tolerated, and each of the Periapts is kept in resplendent comfort.

Now that the Shrines' existence are public knowledge, Mariquesh has permitted for a monthly and rotating competition, whereby twice every two months, one at a set time and another on a different day each time, followers of deities within each of the Powers' elemental family do battle with the followers of the other Powers' families.

Benevolence

The five Powers quantitatively possess 1000 Benevolence between themselves. Benevolence is gained and lost during competitions, when one Powers' followers invade the domain of one of the other Powers' Periapts. When that Periapt loses all of its integrity, it is vanquished for the duration of the game, and the invading Power gains the 5 Benevolence from the vanquished Periapt's Power. A religion can maintain their current Benevolence by defending their Shrine and its Periapts for the duration of the competition, and can gain Benevolence by attacking other Shrines and their Periapts.

Benevolence is the essential currency of the Powers; possessing significant Benevolence allows a Powers' followers to cast powerful spells granted by their Power, and in most casts can alter the efficacy of those spells based on how much Benevolence they possess.

Integrity

Each Periapt has 250 integrity. They are kept in good health by their handlers, and have their fully integrity at the start of every competition. Periapts lose integrity simply by being in the presence of a follower of another Power during competitions. A Periapt will lose 3 integrity every Alyrian minute for every one of another Power's follower that is present. However, a Periapt's spirits will be bolstered by the presence of one of their own followers, and will gain 5 integrity every Alyrian minute for every one of their own followers that is present. Integrity will not change if multiple Powers' followers are in the room, or if combat is occurring in the room.

When a Periapt loses integrity in the presence of competing Powers' followers, integrity is also lost on that Periapt by all other Powers whose followers are not present. When a Periapt loses all of their integrity, the Power whose integrity is currently highest on that Periapt will gain 5 Piety, not necessarily the Power that was represented when the Periapt was vanquished.

Geography

The Shrines are located in the Sigil Underground beneath Auryn. They are always open, for followers and visitors alike, but their Periapts can only be vanquished during competitions, before which the Shrines are cleared of all visitors.

Shrines contain four main pathways, each leading to one of the Periapts. There also exist many passages to which access is restricted to followers of that Shrine's Power.