Icon of the Industrious

Description

An Icon of the Industrious allows a priest to perform ceremonies as if they were dedicated to the virtue of Prosperity. It generally takes the form of a piece of religious art, usually depicting a paragon or exemplar of Prosperity such as Zemress or the Little Mother. The Icon is not always a portrait, however - in Wintermark it is sometimes crafted in the form of a medallion or short rod decorated with the bones and feathers of a magpie, and known as an Icon of the Magpie. Often these icons bear the Rune of Wealth, but they are equally as likely to bear the Rune of Victory. While Pallas is traditionally associated with Prosperity, the idea that Tykonus - which represents struggle and success more than mere wealth and material possessions - is a better fit has gained some purchase in recent decades. In Varushka it often takes the form of a statuette of bees surrounding a hive, and is known as a Hive of Industry. Other less common variants are certainly possible - such as the colourful illuminated scrolls recounting the lives of the exemplars popular in the Brass Coast.

This Icon is especially popular in the Marches. While all the Virtues are recognised and celebrated, many Marchers feel a strong connection to Prosperity. These Icons are often given more down-to-earth names by Marcher priests and lay folk and it is more common to hear talk of an Icon of the Exhausted, Icon of the Aching, or Icon of the Sweated Brow than it is an Icon of the Industrious. A particularly Marcher form of this icon is that of a carefully braided cord, often decorated with tiny silver charms or drops of ambergelt, used to cinch up a handful of corn or wheat stalks to create a Prosperous Sheaf.

The icon is equally valuable to a priest who is dedicated to one of the other six virtues as it is to a priest who is dedicated to none of them. It allows them to perform ceremonies such as anointing, consecration, and hallow, and create auras of Prosperity in place of the auras they would otherwise have access to. It also allows a priest to cooperate with priests dedicated to Prosperity who are not part of their sect.

Rules

• Form: Weapon. Takes the form of an icon. You must be holding this item in hand to use its magical properties.
• Requirement: You must have the dedication skill to bond to this item.
• Effect: You may perform ceremonial skills other than dedication as if you were dedicated to the virtue of Prosperity.
• Materials: Crafting an Icon of the Industrious requires 7 measures of ambergelt, 5 measures of iridescent gloaming, and 9 measures of dragonbone; It takes 1 month to make one of these items.