TestofTheRegionalTemple

The Test of the Regional Temple

The Test of Temples, Forum Version

 Concept: Building on the discipline of Worship's focus on people working in 
 concert with one another, this test idea focuses on residents of a given region 
 cooperating over time. A resident of a region is probably most easily defined by 
 their Home location. Residents of a region will work together to build temples that 
 serve that region, and tend the Gods at these temples over time to ensure that 
 these temples remain sanctified.

Test Details: Those who would build a Regional Temple to bring the Gods' favor to their region should first select a Common Shrine that they will expand into a proper Temple. A group of seven Initiates of Worship who reside in the region where the Temple is to be built must gather at this Common Shrine and perform a ritual together to sanctify the shrine as a Temple construction site. Once the foundation is sanctified, it will remain so for one week during which time any resident of that region may add materials to build the Temple.

A Regional Temple will continue to function as Common Shrines do.

Once the Temple is complete, any resident of its region may enhance its grandeur by contributing one (and only one) embellishment to make the Temple more fine and pleasing to the Gods. (Examples: marble facade, marble columns, silver braziers, reflecting pool, temple garden, raeli tiled sanctum, silk altar cloths, embalming chamber, ornamental gilding, statues of the gods, or sacred scrolls.)

Each Regional Temple's Grandeur will be defined as the number of persons who contributed to its construction plus the number of embellishments added.

Once a Temple has been constructed, its sacred fires must be tended at least once every two days to ensure they do not go out, and remain holy. A group of three residents of the Temple's region will be required for the ritual to tend the Gods at the temple. They may gather spontaneously at their own direction to perform the ritual, but each group of three may only perform the ritual together at this Temple once per week. At the end of the tending ritual, each participant may make a sacrifice of their choice to the Gods at the temple. If the ritual is not performed at least once every two days, the sacred fires will go out and need to be rekindled.

Every person who participated in the construction of a Temple, or who has added an embellishment thereto, gains points each week equal to:

 Temple Grandeur times the number of weeks its fires have been tended without 
 interruption times the number of Test-related activities performed at that Temple.
 (Test-related activities: Principles of Worship or Humble Priests, Marriages 
 performed, Vigils or Festivals held at this location)

Individuals will also gain points if they participate in the fire-tending ritual and make an offering at the end of it, with points determined by the relative rarity of their chosen sacrifice (sacrifices throughout Egypt are compared for this purpose, not only this region).

A Regional Temple that has been continually tended without interruption for a month or more will bestow a random benefit to residents of that region while they are performing activities within the region.

If a person changes their Home location to a different region, they will lose any benefits from Temples they tended in their old region, but the Temple will retain any embellishments they contributed to it.

Temples could hypothetically be designed to be dedicated to a specific God. This would involve more coding of permutations, but add unique details. E.g. Sobek might prefer green marble, paints or raeli tiles for the glorification of His temples, while Isis might prefer blues and so on. Such temples of specific Gods would offer benefits to residents of that region based on the character of the God, rather than randomization or some other factor.

Humbly submitted, Sesnut