Ascension in Monvesia, Part 2: Sponsor

So, you've chosen the Saint that you would like to intercede on your behalf in the process of your Ascension.  Now what?  Well, you must ...

1. ... prepare a gift for the Saint;
2. ... make a pilgrimage to a holy site of the Saint's Sphere;
3. ... make contact with the Saint; and
4. ... petition the Saint to be your sponsor.

If successful, you will earn the right to proceed on your chosen Saintly Path.

Gift

The petitioner must create a gift of particular relevance to the Saint--relating in some way to their history, personality, etc. This gift should aesthetically represent and/or include the qualities of the Saint's Sphere (which will become the petitioner's Sphere, if successful). The more valuable the gift, the higher the chances for the character to receive a favorable response from the Immortal--generally, it should have a value greater than 25,000 gp.

Pilgrimage

Once the gift is prepared, the petitioner must make a pilgrimage to a place where a Saint of that Sphere may be contacted. This is usually a remote, hard to reach place with a reputation for dangerous hazards nearby. For example:

• A tall mountain's peak (Aerosphere)
• A secluded grove (Hydrosphere)
• A primordial lava pool (Pyrosphere)
• A forgotten tomb (Nerosphere)
• A lost temple (Heirosphere)
• An ore-rich cavern, untouched by miners (Lithosphere)

This pilgrimage should take at least one game year, and the character should rise one level (or gain 40,000 XP) during this journey. The petitioner may be distracted by several side adventures along the way, so care must be taken that the gift is not damaged or stolen. If it is, the damage must be repaired or the item recovered before continuing.

The final approach to the holy site (such as climbing the mountain to its summit) should also be challenging. It is recommended that the DM create four encounters that must be met along the way. The encounters should test the character’s mettle and worth according to four "virtues." These "virtues" are determined by your chosen Sphere:

• Aerosphere:  Cautiousness, Knowledge, Prudence, and Tenacity (focus, intent)
• Heirosphere:  Charity, Mercy, Piety, and Wholesomeness (health and cleanliness)
• Hydrosphere:  Honesty, Patience, Respectfulness, and Temperance
• Lithosphere:  Courage, Discipline, Industry, and Justice
• Necrosphere:  Cleverness, Gravitas (sense of importance and responsibility), Guile, and Perseverance 
• Pyrosphere:  Confidence, Dignity, Humour (courtesy, friendliness), and Passion

By testing the identified virtues, the petitioner's dedication to the Sphere is also tested.  The majority of these encounters will not be combat oriented, however--in fact, how a petitioner avoids combat may be part of a test.  Not all of these encounters need be won to reach the final destination, but they must all be met.

Contact

Once the destination is reached, the character must meditate for 1d6 days, calling to the Saint in thought. The Saint will always hear the call but will judge the character’s worthiness before responding.

To check for the Immortal’s response, roll 1d10 and modify the roll as follows:

• -7 if the character is of the opposite temperament
• -5 if the character is of a different, but not opposite, temperament
• -3 per additional intelligent being accompanying the petitioner
• -3 per test failed during the final approach
• +2 per test passed
• +4 per artifact brought

Use the resulting number to determining the Saint's initial reaction:

• < 3, the Saint is displeased; in 1d6 days, the Saint will send an omen to let the petitioner know that he or she will not answer the call.
• 3 or 4, the Saint is displeased, but an angel has taken notice; the angels arrives in 1d100 days.
• 5 - 8, the Saint arrives in 1d100 days; he or she will send an omen 1d4 days in advance to herald their arrival.
• > 8, the Saint is very pleased, and will arrive in 1d6 days.

While awaiting the Saint's arrival, the petitioner should remain at the pilgrimage site and meditate for 80% of his or her waking hours. If the petitioner leaves the mountain, check the Saint’s response again with a -2 modifier. If the Saint responds, he sends an omen to tell the character to return to the pilgrimage site. If the second result is above 8, the Saint appears wherever the character is at the end of the waiting time, but not while the character is in the company of anyone else. 

The arrival of an divinity (saint or angel) is always a performance. This arrival may be grandiose or mysterious. If grandiose, the Immortal appears in an elemental form based on his sphere: 

• Erupting from the earth (Lithosphere)
• Swooping in on a flaming chariot (Pyrosphere)
• Carried in on a wave or storm cloud (Hyddrosphere) 
• Emerging from within a twister (Aerosphere)
• Descending on rays of light (Heirosphere)
• Stepping from shadows created by a sudden eclipse (Necrosphere)

The Saint’s appearance automatically paralyzes all mortals in the area. He or she may release individual creatures from this paralysis at will.

 

Petitioning

The Saint (or angel) will first examine the petitioner; then, communicating either verbally or telepathically, will ask what the character wants. The petitioner must explain his desires humbly and present his gift.

To determine the Saint's response to the petition, roll 1d10.  Use the above modifiers, as well as any of the following that apply:

• -5 if the character is haughty
• -2 if the gift's value is less than 25,000 gp
• +1 if the petitioner has chosen the Saintly Path the Saint's Sphere favors
• +2 if the gift is worth between 50,000 and 100,000 gp
• +3 if the gift is worth more than 100,000 gp

Use the resulting number to determining the Saint's response to the petition:

• < 3, the petition is rejected; the Saint destroys the gift and gives the petitioner a quest which must be completed before returning to petition again.
• 3 - 8, the petition is accepted.
• > 8, the petition is accepted with pleasure; the Saint gives the petitioner a small magic item related to his or her Sphere, then teleports the character home.

Whatever the response, the Saint will take the gift.  There is also a 50% chance that he will take any other treasure or magic items the character [and his companions, if any] are carrying. Taking other magic items does not modify the response roll further (unless they are artifacts, as noted above).

If the Saint accepts the character’s petition, he instructs the character in the steps required to complete their chosen Saintly Path (details of these steps will follow in post 3 of 3). The Saint will answer any of the petitioner’s questions if they are reasonable. He or she will then set the conditions for the next meeting before leaving as if having never been there.

Once the Saint leaves, he or she will not be seen again until the Saintly Path is completed (or the character returns to petition again, if initial contact was a failure). From this point on, the Saint (though unseen) is instrumental in placing obstacles and challenges in the character’s path.  In this endeavor, the Saint may enlist the aid of other Saints of the same Sphere--or even non-opposing Spheres.

Edited September 9th, 2015.