Prayers

Prayers are the means by which mortals interact and communicate with the Gods and enact magic in the world. Through Prayers, mortals may accumulate Favor from the Gods or expend that Favor to alter reality.

There are two main types of Prayers: Devotions, which generate Favor; and Petitions which expend Favor.

Favor

Favor is the term used to refer to the substances granted by the Gods in response to Devotions. When drawn into the physical world, it is also referred to as Godsblood, and can be used to alter reality.

Favor exists natively in the Celestial Realm, the parallel dimension in which the Celestial Gods dwell. When humans perform Devotions to a God, the God adds a certain amount of Favor to their Favor Pool, the stockpile associated with each individual from which they can later draw to perform Petitions.

Each God confers a unique type of Favor which cannot be converted into the Favor of other Gods, with reality-altering effects that have different capabilities and limits from other types. For example, the Star-Seeker's Favor can be used to alter light, perception and memory; while the Grand Maker's Favor can be used to alter the physical structure and composition of materials.

Stabilized Godsblood

Traditionally, any Favor drawn into the physical world is immediately consumed for Petitions. Godsblood is susceptible to falling under the Old One's influence the longer it remains in the physical world, effectively decaying over time. A few decades ago, a method was developed to treat Godsblood, rendering it much more resistant to degradation and interference from the Old One.

As a result of this technology, Stabilized Godsblood could now be stored for extended periods of time, gathered together from the Pools of many individuals, and used for much larger-scale Petitions. This enabled the rise of industrial-scale Petitions, powering public infrastructure such as lighting or city defenses.

Favor Pool

Each individual has their own Favor Pool, the stockpile of Favor from the Celestial Gods which they can draw from to perform Petitions. It is generally believed that the Pools themselves reside somewhere in the Celestial Realm, and are connected to each person via their heart.

An individual's Pool persists for a short time even after their death, so long as their heart remains intact. During this period, funerary rites are performed to reclaim the Favor in the deceased's Pool, usually to be passed on to the Pools of their next of kin. If the Heart is destroyed or damaged, or the funerary rites are not performed, the contents of the Pool enter the physical world as the Old One's Favor.

Types of Prayers

Devotions

Devotions are Prayers performed to accumulate Favor with the Celestial Gods. In general, this involves a period of stillness and silence which is often described as one's heart reaching out for one the Hearts of the Gods. The first-person experience of Devotions varies from person to person, but most people describe it as a feeling of unison with the God, sometimes accompanied with sensory input such as visions or sounds.

The factors that determine the amount of Favor gained from a given Devotion is a subject of great cultural significance. One of the most important roles of the Floracian Church's teachings is to show citizens how to live their lives in such a way that pleases the Gods and results in effective and fruitful Devotions. Additionally, the Church erects public places of worship such as shrines, temples and churches, which are arranged in such a way that maximizes the Favor gained from Devotions. Although Devotions can theoretically be performed at any place and time, most people prefer to attend the regular services held at such dedicated places of worship.

Petitions

Petitions are Prayers performed to draw Favor from one's Pool into the physical world, and use it to alter reality according to one's will. Petitions can vary greatly in both scale and complexity. For example, a simple Petition to the Grand Maker might be the creation of a spark to start a fire. A complex one might be the controlled introduction of impurities into a gemstone to achieve a specific appearance. Complex Petitions not only require a larger amount of Favor, but also more knowledge and concentration. The latter two can be augmented somewhat using assistive devices.

Assisted Petitions are Prayers which use assistive devices to communicate detailed intent of the desired effect to the relevant God, even if the individual performing the Prayer lacks technical knowledge, or is distracted. Assistive devices will, however, still require Favor to produce the intended effects. Most such devices must be powered by the user's own Favor, but some modern devices can be "pre-loaded" with stabilized Godsblood, so that the user need not expend any of their own Favor during use. Most magically-powered technology (firearms, optical devices, locks, etc.) uses one form or another of assisted petitions.