Blessing of Aurora
The Blessing of Aurora is the special gift granted to Curates which distinguishes them from a typical Priestess. One who possesses the blessing is marked with the Crown of Aurora on the back of her right hand and endowed with an array of miraculous abilities which she is charged with using to help others. The powers are not the user's own, but rather she becomes able to expend her own spiritual energy in order to act as a conduit for the divine powers of Aurora herself. These powers are not granted lightly. Only a selection of Priestesses who demonstrate the highest levels of devotion, knowledge and potential can be nominated by a Cybele and the authorization goes all the way up to the Paragon council. A Curate who shames the church would be as much a liability as one who serves well is a priceless asset.
Powers of the Blessing
Healing
The primary responsibility of a Curate is healing the sick and injured. This divine healing is so powerful that it has circumvented the need for any other type of medicine to exist, other than the most basic bandages and pain killers. Under the care of a Curate, any disease or injury can be perfectly healed in minutes or up to a week depending on severity. They need only touch a patient and recite a prayer to begin the accelerated healing process. As one may imagine, sickness is rare and short lived in most of the Human world as a result of this skill. Most people receive a check up every Sunday when they attend Sabbath, and clinics are regularly staffed for emergencies. The ability to instantly numb a person for pain relief is also included in this skill.
Severing
Known more commonly by euphemisms such as departure or sending, the Severing literally cuts the bonds between the soul of the deceased and their corporeal body so they can return to the paradise known as Tanor, said to be located in or on the Sun. This duty sees many Curates making long or dangerous journeys to retrieve the bodies of those who meet unfortunate ends in far flung corners. Not only is the purification and reincarnation of the soul at risk, but those who are not severed are known to eventually become tainted. Ultimately this gives birth to ghosts and evil spirits which become a direct threat to those still living.
Banishing
The banishing power is the other side of the coin from Severing. If an evil fae, imp, spirit or demon must be destroyed, the power of Banishing is necessary. Banishing is almost invariably a violent process as the target must be rendered unable to resist the effect. Accordingly, the power is often temporarily placed on mundane weapons. Without such a focus this power manifests as a pillar of light which burns away the target, to varying degrees of success, depending on factors such as the difference in strength between the Curate and the target.
Empathy
Divine Empathy is a supernatural sixth sense which is constantly active. With this, the Curate can detect life and spiritual strength as well as read emotions. With practice one can apply this in a variety of ways, from telling when someone is lying to detecting a pregnancy within hours after fertilization. Other examples include sensing malicious intent or even familial bonds.
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