>
>How hard would it be for a stranger to infiltrate a rokari mass /
>reading ceremony ? Of course, he/she would be disguised, use
>concealment magics, etc.
A church is (generally) a community, so a stranger will tend to stick out like a sore thumb, even if they are a member of the religion. They may not provoke a hostile reaction, but (dependant on the nature of their magic) they are very likely to be noticed, and this attention will make it harder to preserve the facade that they are good Rokari.
Their unfamiliarity with the Rokari service is going to be a potential risk. If they are not from some other sort of Malkioni tradition then the whole service is going to seem very strange, and if they are from another Malkioni sect then they may give themselves away unconciously by making a wrong response (Saying the wrong words, or the right words at the wrong time. Standing/sitting/kneeling at the wrong time. Wearing/not wearing hat/shoes/"holy symbol" - that sort of thing)
> More specifically, how could the church's Guardian react ? Could it
> sense a foreigner among the pious, even if said foreigner has no
> hostile intention beyond listening in ?
That might well depend on the nature of the guardian (and possibly the foreigner). Assuming that a Rokari Church Guardian works in a similar manner to an Orlanthi Wyter, a Guardian that offers protection from "Pagan" Hsunchen might fail to spot "Heathen" Orlanthi or "Heretical" Ship of Life Malkioni
Relying on Concealment or Disguise Magic (rather than mundane skills) might make it harder for the congregation to spot the intruder, but much easier for the guardian (casting "foreign" magic in a temple always being harder)
> And how would you play this, rules-wise, to spice up the moment and
> make the player sweat in expectation and fear ?
>
First handle getting in to the church - test of diaguise/sneak/conceal whatever against a difficulty dependant on the particular church chosen. If there is a large floating population then it will be easier than the isloated village church. Success indicates they seem to fit in , failure means they are attracting attention - describe how the congregation react, pointing and staring, or coming and questioning them about who they are, where they come from (they are not necessarily hostile, they might just be curious). The characters responses might result in them choosing to abort the plan, or provoke the church authorities to intervene before they learn anything.
Then the service proper starts - make another test to see if the Liturgist (Vicar/Bishop/Wizard whoever) or other "Officers" of the church recognise the presence of intruders. They may have a lingering benefit or penalty from the result of the previous test. A success will result in them learning some of what they were after (assuming that it was something that would be revealed in a regular service, obviously!), a failure means they have been rumbled. A low failure (marginal/minor) means the authorities re trying to deal with them subtely, without disrupting the service - describe how they spot glances in their direction, and officials approaching where they are located - they can try to sneak out, fight their way out or stay put and try and bluff their way out later. A high failure sees them denounced from the pulpit...
I see the Rokari as very much "Fire and Brimstone" style preachers, haranguing their congregation for their sins and failures, so even successfully hidden characters may feel uneasy when the Liturgist announces that their is a sinner amongst the congregation who will never reach solace unless they renounce their evil ways and make restitution, especially as he seems to be looking directly at them... If they are safe (and play it cool) then the parishoner in the row behind them breaks down and makes a public confession and act of contrition
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