Thursday, May 19, 2011

Relics and Artifacts in Outremer

Relics and Artifacts are important objects of veneration and power in Outremer. Relics are parts of the body of a saint or prophet. Artifacts are objects a saint or prophet used. Unlike in our own time, there is little burden of skepticism to be overcome in claiming an item as a relic or artifact. The proof is in the pudding, as they say - if miraculous deeds are performed in the presence of a relic or artifact, it is the real thing. Yet relics and artifacts obtain their power through belief, which can create a chicken and egg paradox in the absense of reasonable expectation - and here is the key.

In order to function as a relic or artifact, the object must be held to be true before it is used, with the successful use constituting the proof of its power. If an object is claimed to be holy, those hearing the claim must either attempt to doubt or accept it's power when the claim is made. If they decide to doubt the claim, they must fail on a Test of Faith to truly believe. If they decide to accept the claim, they must succeed at a Test of Faith to truly believe. This test has the following modifiers to believe:

If the object is found under supernatural circumstances, such as a person claims he had a dream or vision where the object could be found, and the object is found there undisturbed, such as buried under firm layers of soil, the modifier is -3 to disbelieve, and +3 to believe. If the object is found disturbed, for instance if the soil is broken up or loose, the modifier is reversed to +3 to disbelieve, and -3 to believe.

If an unbroken chain of possession stretching back to the original or previously proved provenance can be provided, such as mention in wills or letters, the modifier is -2 to disbelieve, and +2 to believe. If the chain is broken, for instance if the object is mentioned first centuries after the object was lost, the modifier is reversed to +2 to disbelieve, and -2 to believe.

If the object is found in reasonable circumstances, such as on the battlefield where the original was lost, or the tomb of the saint or prophet, the modifier is -1 to disbelieve, and +1 to believe. If the object is found in an odd place, for instance if the object is found in a location the person was known not to have died or lived, the modifier is reversed to +1 to disbelieve, and -1 to believe.

In other words, the more convincing the circumstances of its discovery, the more widely accepted the claim will be.

Relics and artifacts also vary in power. The more obscure the saint or prophet, the less power it will hold. This power would be ranked from 3 (highest) to 1 (lowest) according to this parameter. This number is the additional number of dice all believers in the object would have when in the presence of the object, but only when the object is on their side. This is reversed is the object believed in is on the other side, to a penalty of 3 to 1 dice, with a minimum of 1 die.

Relics and artifacts can only have power over people who believe in them, for good or ill. Since the Hebrew saints and prophets are considered holy by both Christians and Muslims as well as Jews, objects connected to them can have power over people from all three faiths. Christian saints or prophets would have no power with Muslims or Jews, and objects sacred to Muslims only would have no power over both Christians or Jews.

-clash

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