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Answers
What bothers me the most is this:
When Alchemists were introduced and the Divine team wanted cities to pick between Alchemists and forestals, there was an in-game explanation: that the Alchemical font blocked the forestal's natural abilities (or something like that). In Cyrene's case, they discussed the options, argued over it, and eventually voted on it, eventually accepting Alchemists and grandfathering forestals. Because there was an in-game explanation, players were able to engage a mechanical element (picking forestals or alchemists) through their characters, expressing their agreement, disgust, or ambivalence about the situation.
Without an in-game canon/event/explanation, characters cannot engage with a game mechanic.
The current 100/66/0 percentile arrangement was never accounted for in the lore, which means that no matter what is said on these forums, characters cannot discuss the blessing discrepancy in-game. What should happen is that the Bloodsworn Gods say something like, "Let it be known that all devotionists who leave Targossas are not true protectors of Creation. As such, their blessings shall be weaker - possibly nonexistent - until they return to the Holy City of Light." This would allow characters to interact with the blessing issue directly, calling for the strongest advocacies from both sides. Targossians will likely approve (Creation > Your Feelings), while other devotionists (#Cyrene) will likely feel slighted, abused, untrusted, and fundamentally disrespected. Some may move to Targossas to further their powers, others may seek compromise with Targossas while remaining outside of it. Still others may ragequit the priesthood/paladinhood entirely and become new Eleusian druids/sentinels
TL;DR: Make up an IG reason for this game mechanic, let Targossas and Cyrene duke it out, then accept the consequences that follow.
As for the topic at hand - I feel like it would be better if there were some sort of IC way to deal with the different levels of blessing effectiveness. This could be a great RP event and a good way for the new Deacon of Celestia to get some face time!
Sup derail
Sharing a little of our holy magic is more than generous thank you.
How about we make non-Cyrenian bards deal 20% less damage than Cyrenian bards?
Or make void stance 50% worse for non-Babelites?
They already paid for the skills one way or another. Just because skills are cheaper than artefacts, that doesn't mean they're cheap outright. In fact, I'd argue that they're not really cheaper than artefacts given the tradeoff that by being a priest, you can't be some other class, like blademaster.
And based on my reports, life sucks when you're not a blademaster. Do you really want to nerf people who already suffer the terrible life of not being a blademaster? They can't even evade, gosh, what more do you want!
On an OOC level, however, the admins have pretty much indicated that Cyrene and Hashan will remain unwanted bastard children cities, with no plans of ever actually giving them some sort of game mechanic-supported factional identity.
So, for the time being, priests and paladins functionally are Cyrene's factional classes, if in a really dumb way that a lot of people wish we could just move away from.
All factional classes are controlled to some extent (usually a large one) by their respective factions. Mhaldor can anathematize people they don't want to use Necromancy, Devotionists can Excommunicate, Forestals can forest-enemy, Occultists have exclusive access to the Eschaton. This is important, because it creates balance when it comes to group conflict between organizations.
I have no issue with Bards being factionalized, but currently they aren't. I was in support of Runewardens returning to Cyrene when Phaestus was Patron - it would have been a major plot arc in Achaea and fun to see.
They're lucky enough to keep the class let alone benefit to the same degree as those who belong to the faction of the factional class. It surprises me anyone would say the class is gimped if you play it as a Cyrenian. You can still aura others, hands others, heal others, use all of Devotion to 100% of its capability. A decrease in the effectiveness of Blessings is a very small price to pay.
And Cyrene's lucky we get to keep the class? Oh no, lucky would be getting the classes stripped from Cyrene and getting our own classes. Lucky would be getting our own font of Devotion and running it in a Cyrenian fashion. Lucky would be a lot of things, but having a heavily policed pair of classes that people believe we shouldn't have because ??? That isn't lucky. It's par. It could be worse, yes. We could have the classes stripped and get nothing in return, taking away the only factional classes we have open to us and basically being laughed at while we lose a solid roleplay stance and another reason to fight. But that right there is the unlucky side. It not happening doesn't mean we're lucky. We are maintaining the status quo and that is just that.
Cyrene was founded by a Paladin player, we've had Paladins and Priests for far longer than Targossas has even existed. I fully understand that the current RP of the Bloodsworn Gods (and the players following them) has developed a lot into a direction that wants to cut off Cyrene from that power, but it might be helpful to bear in mind that it is a recent development, not something historical. Yes, there was the church once upon a time, but the development of a highly radical, fanatically religious body governing (and having the means to do something about it) the "misuse" of a Devo's abilities is new.
I would be in favor of removing devo classes from Cyrene if we got something new and shiny for it. I don't think there's a new class anywhere on the horizon, though, and just cutting them out and leaving us with nothing would definitely suck.
The best answer is it was done for factional combat balance. Meaning non RP applicable.
Your think this is bad? You should have seen it when Rho/Mhaldor pulled Devotion/Necromancy from people not in their city.
Do I quit my city to keep class and forsake my character's history, or do I pull out my credit card and throw down for 500 cr?
It was a great quarter for Achaea.
I likewise understand why Tecton doesn't want to let Targossas excomm the existing 70-odd Cyrenian priests (they've paid rl money for their class), but there is zero reason why new Devotionists are still allowed in Cyrene.
Cyrene can say what they want about how much it would suck to take away their access to the one remaining factional class they have, but the fact is that it is not their factional class. Priests and Paladins belonged historically to the Church, with missionaries sent elsewhere. Mortal Church leadership was lax in the policing of Cyrenian Devotion/Healing/Spirituality use, and that has been addressed now by the replacement for the Church (and the disastrous Citadel that followed): the city of Targossas and the Bloodsworn.
Not liking that doesn't change it, and if we were allowed, Targossas would absolutely further roleplay out the situation with Devotion and where it stands. But we've been told unequivocally that this situation is not going to change, so there's no motivation to roleplay a situation you disagree with but know you cannot effect.
The best solution would have been for Cyrene's new Houses to not allow Priests/Paladins, and to move on to solidify their claim on Bards and Runewardens, but that didn't happen.
Oh well.
(Okay going back to my excommed corner now).
That love soon might end You are unbreaking
And be known in its aching Though quaking
Shown in this shaking Though crazy
Lately of my wasteland, baby That's just wasteland, baby
Like I said, maintaining the status quo is par. It's not lucky or unlucky. Things could be worse but they could be a lot better.
I don't think anyone was suggesting it -was- their factional class. Pointing out that it is their only factional class and that it would suck to have it ripped without getting anything for it would be crappy. Understandable? Sure. Still not a good thing.
One quick question for all the Targossians pointing out that they want to strip it and would if they could. Isn't allowing Cyrene to keep their Devotion something keeping them from embracing one of the other factional classes? I want to point out that, mechanically this might not work, but roleplaying wise, isn't keeping Cyrene in the Light a way to ensure they never decide to allow Occultists or Necromancers into their city? Okay, necromancy doesn't fit into the Cyrenian landscape, and Occultism isn't much better, but ICly, hasn't anyone ever pondered the repercussions of stripping Cyrene of devotion? They could always say, well, we lost our priests and paladins... maybe we should revisit allowing other classes into the city.
Once more, because I know that sounds a bit stupid, I'm not saying it could happen, I'm not sure it would even be allowed to happen, but if I was running an organisation that was trying to spread Light and there was a small Bastion of peace lovers that were clinging to a portion of that Light by a thread, I would think twice before ripping that thread away because it might mean they fall.
These are more conversations to be had IC, though. Show some activity on the Diaspora if you're in it and I'll happily condescend you when I'm around.
(my character frequently argues that this isn't true because there will be a future free of Evil when we can be Good without, you know, needing to drive that point home, but mechanically the game will never dispose of the Good vs. Evil conflict driver)
Not part of the Diaspora. Not a Priest or Paladin. When I was, the Diaspora didn't do anything. It sounds like that's changed, but I never got to see it.