Form
Performed at the activation of any non-trivial device. Approximately ninety seconds for a small device, several minutes for a vehicle, hours to days for a war-engine.
Steps
- Approach — the priest physically approaches the device, hands at rest. The pause is the first frame of the rite.
- Inscription of intent — the priest names aloud the action the device is being asked to perform: “To carry. To compute. To fire.”
- Anointing — sacred unguent applied to the principal contact surfaces (the start key, the activation lever, the priming relay).
- Binary cant of awakening — see Cant of Awakening — the tonal sequence is transmitted through the priest’s vocoder or by direct contact via Lingua-Technis link.
- First action — the device’s first operation is carried out under close observation. Any deviation is recorded for the day-log.
- Closing — “Servant of the Omnissiah, you wake. Do well.”
Doctrinal note
The Litany is, technically, optional for trivial devices (lightswitches, hand-tools); it is mandatory for any device with a Machine Spirit (see Machine Spirit). In practice, the more devout perform a short form even for simple tools, on the principle that to break with ritual is to break with faith (Law 16).