Why the obsession with the leader? Because the leader of a cult is generally the cultist who has moulded themselves to fit the ideals and desires and persona of the God the most effectively. The prayers of such individuals reach the ears of the Gods all the more swiftly, and they are more likely to be granted powerful magic.
The ultimate aim of a God for his or her cultists is for the cult leader to develop their Affinity with the God to the point where they can become an avatar, and for their followers to support them in this and to obey them as they would the God made flesh should they become an avatar.
Every turn, cults are expected to pray to their Gods in gatherings. They are led in prayer by their leader, but silently - any member of the cult may pray for anything they like. Cultists are expected to state in these prayers what they have done for their god, and what they desire. The God will give them such rewards for missions completed as it feels necessary, grants such spells as it feels they deserve or require, and gives such instructions as it feels will further its aims directly to the cult leader.
Rite of Initiation
Any cultist may initiate any layperson into the cult. The person being initiated's Divine Affinity becomes attuned to the God (so, for example, Divine (Self) becomes Divine (God)), and gains one point of Affinity. The initiator also gains Divine Affinity, if and only if the Divine Affinity of the initiated individual is no less than 5 points beneath the initiator's Affinity. (If you're someone with Divine (Soldier) 4, and you initiate someone with Divine (Self) 11, it's a big deal. If the reverse is the case, it's less important.)
The ritual takes 1 turnsheet action and a Minor investment on the part of the Initiator to obtain suitable ritual herbs, oils, incenses and whatnot, and a turnsheet action and a Minor investment on the part of the initiatee to produce a holy charm, symbol, amulet or rosary of the god.
Rite of Fealty
This ritual is conducted by a cult leader and a congregation whenever a new cult leader arises. This happens under three circumstances:
The ritual takes 1 turnsheet action and requires a Significant investment in incense, candles, chalk, holy symbols and big black robes. If it is not undertaken, the Rite of Supplication may not happen, and if the members of the cult are not already cultists they may not perform the Rite of Initiation.
Rite of Supplication
This is the ritual prayer for guidance and toys that must be undertaken each turn. No turnsheet action or investment of money is required; however, if the cult wishes to receive spells it must provide some physical token of the completion of a mission for the god.
The cult leader must lead the Supplication, and is the only member of the cult who hears the words of the God. However, spells may be given to any of the cultists present.
No more than one Rite of Supplication can be performed per lunar cycle (read: per turn), and an individual cultist may gain no more than one spell per Rite.
To receive a Cantrip, a cultist must be a member of a Novice Coven and have undertaken a significant service (one requiring a turnsheet action) for the God in the past turn.
To receive an Enchantment, a cultist must be a member of a Noted Sect and have undertaken an important service (one requiring at least one turnsheet action and a risk of injury, arrest, or serious inconvenience) for the God in the past turn.
To receive a Grand Ritual, a cultist must be a member of a Beloved Congregation and have undertaken a major service (one requiring multiple turnsheet actions involving some sort of permanent sacrifice on the part of the cultists) for the God in the past turn.
Note that a god may waive any of the above requirements should the situation be especially urgent. Note further that should a cultist request a spell they don't meet the criteria for, they will not get a flat refusal: the God may instruct them go to on an especially perilous mission in order to obtain the spell.
Things which can demote a cult into the next category down:
A cult may only be promoted or demoted by one category per turn.
If a Novice Coven is demoted, then the leader of the cult is excommunicated at the next Rite of Supplication: the god makes it known to all the cultists that it is severely displeased with the failure of the cult, and that it will not deal with the cult until the leader is overthrown. Until the issue is resolved, a new leader is chosen, and the Rite of Fealty performed, none of the cultists' spells will work.
If a Notable amount of money has been spent on the relevant drugs, the initiated individual will encounter a daimon of minor standing and become Noted by the Power (an example for the Sky would be the eagles).
If a Significant amount of money has been spent on the relevant drugs, or if the initiatee has an Affinity of 6 or more, they will be Marked by the Power, having encountered a daimon of moderate power (an example for the Sky would be the Cloud-Fortresses).
If the initatee is already at Affinity 11 or more, regardless of how much he or she spent on the drugs, they will become Loved by the Power, having been granted a vision of one of its greatest daimons (an example for the Sky would be the very Sun itself).
Hearing the [Power]'s Voice
This is the meditation that cultists perform each turn to commune with their patron daimon, much like the Rite of Supplication of the cultists.
To receive a Cantrip, a shaman must be Recognised by the Power, and have gained a point of Affinity in the past turn (unless their Affinity is greater than 6 or they are Loved by the Power). It should be noted that performing a significant service (one requiring a turnsheet action) for the Power is enough to gain a point of Affinity within the 1-5 range.
To receive an Enchantment, a shaman must be Marked by the Power, and have gained a point of Affinity in the past turn (unless their Affinity is greater than 11). Performing an important service (one requiring at least one turnsheet action and a risk of injury, arrest, or serious inconvenience) for the Power is enough to gain a point of Affinity within the 6-10 range.
To receive a Grand Ritual, a shaman must be Loved by the Power, and have gained a point of Affinity in the past turn, and must have a very good use for the Ritual. Performing a major service (one requiring multiple turnsheet actions involving some sort of permanent sacrifice on the part of the character) for the Power is enough to gain a point of Affinity within the 11-15 range.
Calling the [Power]'s Hand
Just because shamen are along doesn't mean they're without help. In moments of distress, shamen can call out to the Power and it will send a daimon to spirit them away to the wilds.
Doing this in public means it's very difficult for you to come back, unless you can disguise yourself well. It also pisses off the relevant daimon unless it really is a life and death situation you're in. It also requires wailing, or chanting, or singing, or howling, or otherwise making a big noise for a few minutes - you could do it whilst running from your pursuers, or fighting your assailants, but if they're good enough to shut you up within 5 minutes the daimon won't come.
The government loves sorcerers. They understand what the hell the cultists and shamen are up to. The Ministry of Public Works issues Sorcery Permits that have similar terms to Alchemist's Licences. Sorcerers tend to get hassled less by officials since it's more difficult to prove someone's been practicing unlicenced sorcery, and spells are less worrying to the government than alchemical essences; the former are more difficult to put in a bottle and sell to terrorists.
The Taking
This is the one which lets you nick spells. The specifics vary depending on the specific spell you are stealing, but the generalities are the same:
Hey presto! Spell stolen!
To gain a Cantrip you must be at least an Apprentice Sorcerer, and finding the relics required will take a turnsheet action.
To gain an Enchantment you must be at least a Journeyman Sorcerer, and finding the relics required will take at least one turnsheet action, probably several.
To gain a Grand Ritual you must be at least a Master Sorcerer, and finding the relics required will be an epic quest indeed.
One of the items used in the ritual will usually become vital to the use of the spell (see spell examples below) - these are known as tokens of power, or just Tokens.
It's bad luck to steal from sorcerers. Their tokens of power are signed and sealed by them, and others meddle with them at their peril...
The Seeing
This is a short ritual allowing the magician to perceive supernatural entities that may be inhabiting or haunting a place. It takes around an hour, and requires intense concentration (and so cannot be done in-session) - it involves drawing swirling patterns in a rare ink (which is a Notable purchase) upon one's eyelids, and last as long as the patterns are not smudged (what with sweat and tears, this tends to be only a few hours). The patterns cannot be tattooed on the eyelids - the ink isn't suitable for tattoos.
The Binding
If a spirit is found haunting a place, or roving the land in a dead man's body, or what have you, a sorcerer can bind it within an item - a gemstone, a piece of glass, a chessboard, a wooden stave, a walking-stick, an umbrella, whatever, so long as the item is finely crafted and suitably durable (this is a Significant purchase). The more potent the sorcerer, the more powerful the spirits they can bind. To bind a spirit the sorcerer must anoint the item in his blood, trace a certain pattern with it in chalk, and then go to where the spirit is and commence chanting. The spirit will struggle and fight, and will attempt to stop the caster, but if the caster is strong enough this will not avail it. Once the Binding is complete the Asking or the Sending may proceed.
Lesser spirits may be bound by Apprentice Sorcerers.
Potent spirits may be bound by Journeyman Sorcerers.
Awful spirits may be bound by Master Sorcerers.
For as long as the spirit is bound in the item, the item is regarded as a token of power. Should anyone steal the item from the sorcerer, the spirit will escape come midnight.
The Summoning
A Master Sorcerer need not seek out Lesser spirits, but can instead summon them to him for Binding and then Asking, Sending or Breaking.
To summon a spirit, the sorcerer must stand beneath the open sky, make a bonfire, toss a Significant investment of herbs upon it, and call. It will come. Better be ready with that Binding.
The Breaking
Breaking is the nastiest thing you can do to a spirit that you have Bound. Merely break the item it is trapped within, and it will die and never come back.
Sometimes there'll be good reasons to do this. The entity in question may be especially brutal and nasty, or perhaps it is the ghost of one you have sworn undying vengeance upon. If there's no good reason to Break the spirit, commiting such a senseless act of violence will increase your Fire Affinity by 1, unless it is 6 or more.
The Asking
The Asking is a bargain made with a Bound spirit. The spirit will be freed by the sorcerer, and in return the spirit will give the sorcerer details of a spell.
Lesser spirits can give details of a Cantrip.
Potent spirits can give details of an Enchantment or a Cantrip.
Awful spirits can give details of any type of spell.
The Sending
Instead of being freed in return for information, spirits can be freed in return for a single service.
The Surrendering
Sometimes a sorcerer will want to give up a spell. Perhaps they want to rebalance their Affinities, or maybe they just want to get the Sky (for example) off their back.
To surrender a spell, draw a magic circle, burn a Significant investment of herbs and incense, place the token of power in the circle, and stand well back. The God or Power will reclaim the token for itself.
To gain a greater shift in Affinity (and to appease the Power or God in question even more), the sorcerer can submit to a punishment by standing in the circle next to the Token.
WORD ON A WING
To cast this spell, you must be alone at the top of a hill in the wilderness, the taller the better. Shamen of the Sky are given three little words which allow them to command the winds to carry a single message to someone. Speak the three words, then speak your message - which cannot last longer than ten seconds - and speak the name or title of the one you want the message to go to. They will hear it almost instantly. You can send one message on the North Wind, one on the East, one on the South and one on the West, but after that you have to wait two months before they will serve you again.
Sorcerers can steal this spell. The required relic is a piece of iron that has fallen from the sky. In the Taking the three words are trapped within the iron. Casting the spell is similar, except instead of speaking the words the sorcerer merely holds aloft the iron.
TEARS OF FREEDOM'S JOY
To cast this spell, you must dance naked under the sky for hours, chanting and wailing and celebrating your freedom. By so recreating the song and dance of the Gods at the birth of the world, you move the Sky itself to tears as it remembers its glorious birth. It begins to rain. Anybody who is trying to free themselves or somebody else from imprisonment - literal or metaphorical - during the rainstorm will find themselves refreshed and confident, and their attempt is much more likely to succeed. Everyone who frees (or tries to free) themselves or anyone during the rainstorm will gain a point of Sky Affinity, unless their Sky Affinity is greater than 8.
Sorcerers must make a mask out of the skin of magpies, and paint it in the likeness of s God (a likeness which must be in use by an active cult) to steal this spell, and wear the mask during the dance so that the Sky will mistake them for a God. (This will involve at least one turnsheet action to get the magpies and make the mask, and a clever plan to discover how a cult represents its god.)
WIND OF CHANGE
To cast this spell a representative of imprisoning Authority must be sacrificed beneath the open Sky at the top of a hill in a ritual lasting from sunset to midnight. Suitable sacrifices include:
When the sacrifice is made a terrible storm will ensue. During this storm, any attempt to rebel against people in authority - against rulers, against crime lords, against cult leaders - by their underlings will have a much greater chance of succeeding.
For a sorcerer to steal this spell, they must craft a knife for the sacrifice out of the bones of a dead daimon of the Sky.