Open Terrace

This article is a concept created during SummerCamp 2023! It is subject to changes, retcons, or may be sent to the secret vault after the event.

Hurry, now! We won't have much time to dally. We've a list of prayers to send, and I'll be damned if I don't get to half of this list before our time is through...

— Savelan faithful, ushering their family along

Open Terrace is a tradition permitting the entry of common folk into the Alabaster Terrace and Castle Amsa, which are typically closed to the public, for the purposes of celebration and prayer.

Privilege from a Right

Castle Amsa houses many of Arsavela's most precious holy relics, and was once an open house of prayer for Aurel's citizens. Regular prayer sessions would be held in the grand halls, with different ceremonies to different gods and saints held in the presence of their individual relics. The Castle would be open at all hours to permit prayer whenever the people were inclined to hold their worship, allowing for a wide breadth of ceremonies and a great deal of privacy for each ceremony.
Due to the closed nature now adopted by the Alabaster Terrace, however, this practice was forced to be relegated to specific days of the year, at only within certain windows of time.

Prayer on Wings

To send a prayer on wings was once a common tradition in Arsavela, especially in the city of Aurel. In praying to the gods, the people would pray for the health of the queen and her kin, and for the continued prosperity of the kingdom. This tradition called upon the symbol of the monarchy, the savelan barn owl, in the gestures made during the act of prayer.
Those who continued to practice this traditional prayer display were heavily scrutinized, as prayers within Castle Amsa became more and more closely observed. No longer was prayer in Aurel's cathedrals a private affair between a human and their gods.

Relics and Latent Magic

Castle Amsa houses many relics believed to have been creations and possessions of the Antecedents, ranging from holy relics of the gods to mysterious tools and objects likely used for ceremonies and rituals in ancient times. Many of these relics have a peculiar draw to them, for some more than others, which may be linked to the magical bloodlines of humanity.
As most who reside in Arsavela remain unaware of their magical bloodlines, due to never having opportunities to discover them, this remains a theory at best.

The city was once free to the people; is this gesture enough to keep the people content?

Ancient Aurel Cathedral by Strixxline via Midjourney

Location

Kingdom of Arsavela
Aurel
Alabaster Terrace
Castle Amsa

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Prayer Conflicts

Fewer days of the year, and fewer times available for prayer and ceremony meant that meticulous planning was now required to hold prayers and ensure certain ceremonies could be held.
Scheduling conflicts were nigh unavoidable, and as worshipers of different deities stepped on each other's toes for real estate in the castle, new layers of stress fell onto the prayer process, driving many away from organized prayer at the castle and amid their holy relics.