Excommunication is the much feared act of permanently severing of Devotion (or Excision)-users from regenerating devotion (passively or actively). Historically, this censorious privilege was delegated to Archprelates by the Divine Patron of the Holy Church of Achaea. Following the Church Era, the power was passed to the Caliphs of Shallam, and still later, entrusted to the Deacons of Celestia. Although being excommunicated affects the Devotion skill hardest, certain Spirituality abilities also become unavailable to Priests when devotional magic fades to nothing.
Excommunication has a similar variant in the land of Evil, called anathema.