Offerings are an important aspect of the interplay between mortals and the deities of Avalon. You can offer items from about your person or bodies of the dead at special locations marked by a particular deity. These locations can be found by typing SURVEY and looking for the number of marks (if any) one of the land's divinities has bestowed upon the locale. Then you may OFFER <item> to give up the item (losing it permanently) to bolster the might of your chosen deity. The extent of a deity's growth in power from an offering depends on the type of offering and its quality. Great treasures are worth more than commonplace trinkets. Bodies of heroes you have slain are worth more than bodies of rabbits you may have picked up with ease.
A deity is told (or it is recorded) whenever an offering is made, so they will certainly recognise your efforts if your name appears often when they come to review the diligence of their morta flock. Offering much can be a good precursor to requesting patronage - a proof of commitment and determination. It can be as part of co-ordinated effort on the part of a divine order to boost its patron, perhaps in readiness for a conflict with another of the immortal pantheon. The possibilities are many. It is advisable to include a prayer with any sequence of offerings, or perhaps if you are offering to a deity to whom you have never done so before. To do this type PRAYER followed by the text of your prayer. You must be standing in a marked location for your prayer to be heard - but heard it wil be, whether or not the deity is visible in the land at the time or not.
There are many ways to enhance the value of offerings. It is possible to perform offerings as part of a broader ritual of devotion, or obeisance. See HELP OBEISANCE for further information. Employing divine globes (see HELP GLOBES) or ensuring offerings are made in the most sacred possible marked spot, such as a temple altar rather than a simple shrine (see HELP TEMPLES). All such things can make the difference in your future, and can colour your relationship with the Gods of the land - for, love them or loathe their immortal influence, they cannot be ignored.
See HELP SHRINES for info on the various holy constructions (from shrines to temples to cathedrals to monasteries) and HELP TEMPLES, HELP OBEISANCE and HELP DEVOTIONS for instructions on pious activity and HELP FESTIVALS for details of the many holy festivals available to priesthood and requiring congregation to carry through.
NOTE: if you expected to find info on special offers and deals for procurement, this can be found in the HELP DEALS content.
