Musings on the Divine (A Realms Treatise

When Illinar invaded Banecroft, part of their success hinged on their manipulation and betrayal of the Empire - a coalition of chaos worshipers and necromancers I was a part of. In that betrayal and the following war, I found focus and a path out of madness. As Justari looked down into our realm, they saw their Illinarian worshipers falling from their teachings. Justari presented a divine mandate to me. Repent for my crimes, denounce the gods of chaos, and take up arms against Illinar - or burn. I accepted.

There is much more to my story. But at each turn of the page, they are there in the margins - the gods. They weave themselves through our world and our lives.

I have fought with gods, against gods, and for gods. I have seen gods bless an army in Rathkeale only to forsake those warriors in Rhiassa. I have seen priests in Chimeron call down holy fire from the heavens, only to see their simplest pleas go unanswered in the Borderlands.

Why? What causes these inequities?

I have spent nearly two decades since my first encounter with Justari musing on this question. What I share with you here are the answers I've gleaned.

Perhaps some of this you will know to be true, but be warned that in these pages lies heresy. Maybe I am still mad at heart, but here we are.

Slaader

High Priest of the Rhiassan Church of Justari

Defining Divinity

To start, let us agree on what makes a being divine. To be a god, a being must meet three criteria: immortality, power over a fundamental aspect, and worshipers.

Immortality is here-in defined as the absence of aging. Worship is herein defined as receiving reverence and adoration from others. Fundamental Aspect is herein undefined. Anything can be represented by a fundamental aspect. Divine Dominion can exist over ideals, events, beasts, or objects.

This trinity is at the core of divine power. You will encounter beings throughout the vastness of the multiverse who claim to be divine. Still, in the absence of this trinity, these beings are often just delusional braggarts. Though, I have found these beings to be the most dangerous of adversaries.

We can represent the divinity thusly ~

The Path to Divinity

By diagramming the intersections of these requirements, we may better understand the nature and power of many benefactors and threats to our Realm.

Immortals - These are beings who are, quite simply, unable to die. In our Realm, these could be naturally occurring beings, constructs, or beings created from pure magic. Undeath can also offer a form of immortality. Still, immortality dependent on third-party sources, like undeath or a magical artifact, is not necessarily a qualifier for divinity. The demon Dark Soul, or any of the seemingly infinite demons that assail our homes, may serve as examples of immortals.

Icons - Icons are those beings who are revered by others and revered above all others. Despite worship being essential to the trinity, it is not divine in and of itself. For example, at the height of Folkstone's power, Lord Sir Jarrod was revered blindly by his people. Despite this rabid loyalty, he remained only just a man.

Shaman - Shaman are beings with a high level of power or control over a fundamental aspect. Since fundamental aspects are so broad, so are the types of Shaman you may encounter. You have likely encountered powerful wizards, priests, or actual shamans in the traditional sense. I once fought a goblin who had supernatural control over fire. He was a jerk, but given his uncanny ability to control flame, I'd also consider him a Shaman.

Venerates - Immortal life and the adoration of others is a dangerous combination. Imagine never aging and being surrounded by devotees. One could pass a comfortable existence this way, but these beings always seem to want that last little piece of the trinity. Many undead lords who have bolstered the ranks of their devotees through necromancy are placed in this category. Azrael, a self-proclaimed Lord of Vampires, always comes to mind. There might be more noble examples, but I cannot think of one.

Wardens - Wardens seem akin to Icons on the path of divinity. In my experience, they are more opposite than alike. A Warden is an immortal being with significant control over a fundamental aspect. One common type of Warden is the elemental - unaging beings of pure fundamental nature. Some of the more powerful Dream Lords, such as Morpheus or the Nightmaster, would also fall into this category as they never age and control a fundamental aspect of the slumbering world.

Hierophants - A being with power and dominion over a fundamental aspect who also controls the adoration of others is known as a Hierophant. Hierophants sit at the cusp of godhood, needing only a divine spark or power to grant them the immortality to ascend. Not all Hierophants seek this power. Many powerful wizards, both malignant and benevolent, sit here. Darak Tur of the Dark Hand comes to mind. Many mortal champions, lords, or priests blessed by divine beings also fall into this category.

The Divine Order

A flaw in this line of thought is, of course, a lack of nuance. I acknowledge that a being could theoretically possess some small amount of each divine requirement but not be a god. Usually - these little divine fish are kept off the top of the food chain by a bigger divine fish.

Within this divine pecking order are a handful of beings who live on the fringes and intersections on the Path of Divinity. These include Divine Manifestations, Lesser Gods, Demigods, Avatars, and Mortal Champions.

Divine Manifestations - Some gods prefer to involve themselves directly in mortal affairs. In these cases, they will take on a direct physical manifestation. These Divine Manifestations possess the full power of the gods they represent. Some gods are known to employ this tactic more than others. For example, Arioch often appeared in a short black leather coat and a red bandana to sew chaos. He, much like the aforementioned goblin, was a big jerk.

Lesser Gods - Lesser gods possess full divinity but lack the influence or control over fundamental aspects of more powerful deities. A god may be considered lesser if the fundamental aspect they have power over is weaker than another or if they do not possess a significant number of followers. Many Lesser Gods are present in our Realm, such as Comedus, Brenda, or Melikki.

Demigods - Demigods are typically beings who share mortal and immortal lineage. They usually have limited powers connected to a fundamental aspect and have mortal vulnerabilities. Nero serves as an example. As a mortal with divine lineage, he ascended during the Bedlam wars to become a messenger Demigod.

Avatars - Sir Tetch describes the role of Avatar's well in her text on the Ascension War.

She writes:
"The Avatars are the 'more than mortal' go-between or communication vessel between mortals and gods. The Avatars MUST do what their 'patron' commands them to do, whether they want to or not. The Avatars are the god's agents. Not all Avatars like their gods. Not all Avatars willingly serve their gods."

Many known Avatars exist, such as the Red Knight, the Avatar of Justari, or The Champion, the Avatar of Dionin.

Mortal Champions - Any mortal may call themselves a champion of a god. Still, true Champions are mortals chosen and sometimes empowered by the gods to carry out a specific purpose or quest. Mortal champions possess free will. They are fallible. Justari has had many champions, including Peregrin and Cecil Greyblade, and for a time, I used that title.

The Origins of Divine Beings

We know there to be many and varied origins for divine beings. Some gods are born directly out of a fundamental aspect. The Kal en Dral, as an example, are not Wardens like other elementals but gods born out of the fundamental aspect of each of the four basic elements. Justari is a divine being given form out of the mortal ideal of Justice.

Some gods are chosen by sport, like during the divine tournament known as the Ascension War. That's right, sport to determine godhood.

We know that gods may die by both divine or mortal hands. This creates power vacuums in the divine order, which are either quickly filled or can be exploited.

We also know that mortals may ascend the Path of Divinity by gaining power over a fundamental aspect, achieving immortality, and amassing followers.

It is essential to acknowledge the variety of divine origins when considering our relationships with the gods. Contemplation leads to the first heresy - divinity is not absolute. Divinity can be created, earned, lost, or stolen. Divinity evolves.

Fueling the Divine

By definition, one can not become more immortal, so how do divine beings improve their standing in the divine order? They do so by obtaining either consolidating power over a fundamental aspect or, as is more likely, by obtaining more worshippers.

Worship acts as food and currency for the divine. You may have heard this referred to as an Oasis or a Well. You may have heard of those who trade rendered souls for favors. Descriptions that attribute physical descriptions to this purely metaphysical process only confuse our understanding.

Worship works like this - you pray, sacrifice, dedicate, adore, invoke, cast in a god's name, uphold a value, or protect a fundamental aspect. The associated gods see these acts, and those in whose name you take these actions grow in power.

The more these acts are done in a god's name, the more divine power they will amass. In turn, the god gains more control over their fundamental aspect and can take more meaningful actions in the real world.

Take the example of Comedus. Comedus was a Warden. An immortal being of unknown origin who held dominion over the fundamental aspect of humor. After holding several admittedly absurd tournaments, mortals began giving him gifts and casting spells in his name. By gaining worshippers, he completed the trinity and ascended to the role of a Lesser God. This allowed him to appear as a Divine Manifestation and lead mortals through the shadow to a Meeting of the Gods to eavesdrop on divine discussions about the Erl King.

Worship feeds and powers the gods. We know this to be true. Contemplation then leads us to the second heresy. If more worship provides more divine power, then less worship weakens divine power. Mortals, by withholding or preventing worship, can starve the gods.

With this truth known, we begin to understand why and how each god's power wanes as we move through planes of the multiverse or kingdoms in the mortal Realm. The less worship originating from a particular location, the less empowered a divine being is to affect that location. Much like a farmer may abandon a barren field, the gods will not pay mind to a land without worshippers. Contemplation then leads us to the third heresy. Gods, even those tied to the fundamental aspects that underpin our reality, do not give of themselves without getting in return.

The amount of worship or respect a god has in place directly impacts the power they will bestow on their followers. This is why in Rhiassa your intervention to Justari may be answered with nothing asked in return, but the same request goes unanswered in Rathkeale.

Divine Alliances

Sometimes, gods will ally themselves in groups called a Pantheon. A Pantheon may be forged by a shared divine origin, a pact between divine entities, or by the bonds forged by mortal worshippers.

We know it to be true that some gods are more powerful in specific physical or metaphysical Realms. They hold dominion in a way that limits the influence of other deities. Examples include Garm's hold over Hell or the Erl King's hold over Sothron.

The gods often enter allegiances against divine foes to preserve their divinity, protect a fundamental aspect, or protect their worshippers. They will also grant boons, powers, and protection to those you would call your enemies.

We know this to be true. The Vampire Lord Azrael had made pacts with many deities to protect himself from the mortals who would hunt him. Justari blessed the armies of Illinar while they marched on the Realm until they turned to the worship of dark magics.

Contemplation leads us to the fourth heresy. The gods are fickle, they are fallible, and they are imperfect. In short, no god is absolute.

The Trap of Devotion

It is common for those who call themselves Heroes of the Realm to swear devotion to one deity. The average peasant does not limit themselves to such. In a day, they may pray to Gaia for a strong harvest, to Justari for fair dealings in trade, and perhaps even to Vandor to avenge a sheep taken by a predator. They offer a little, for a little.

Zealous devotion is dangerous for the body and the spirit. When you offer much to a god or accomplish much in their name, you become a target for that god's enemies. When you dedicate yourself wholly to one ideal, you place a heavy weight upon yourself. A weight that, if you are not careful, will drown you.

Let us say that in the woods, you find two starving children. They are ill and weak. You have enough rations for only two people to survive the journey to the other side of the wood. Which child do you choose to save? Do you leave both to die? Do you give them the food and leave yourself to die? Which is the Just choice? What does the Light demand? How will you cause the most Chaos?

Zealous devotion seems easy from the altar to the nave, but in practice, it distorts our moral compass. What may seem like the righteous course may alienate us from our gods, allies, or friends. Furthermore, by devoting ourselves to only one god or fundamental aspect, we deny the complex nature of our world. When our vision is too narrow, we cannot see that which is true.

Contemplation leads us to the fifth heresy. Devotion to a single fundamental aspect or deity does not provide clear moral guidance. The line in the sand will always move with the wind.

A Call to Worship

So, here we are. I know these heresies to be true, but with an open heart, I call you all to worship.

To worship is to accept these heresies. The god's desires, concerns, challenges, and means exist beyond the comprehension of most mortal beings. We give unto the gods, and we hope they give unto us. Hope lies at the heart of worship.

So pray to the gods for a good harvest, magic to heal, prowess in battle, and sleep free of nightmares. Dedicate works to the ideals of beauty, light, civilization, and justice. Ask forgiveness for the dark things you have done and the chaos you have sown. Feed the gods with your faith and hope.

To accept the heresies is to know that worship is a partnership to be tended and nurtured. Through acts of devotion and prayer, we can transcend the limits of our mortal Realm and touch the fundamental aspects of our universe. We become better not by blindly following an ideal but by striving to understand these fundamental aspects that connect us.

In turn, the god's blessings and interventions can shape the mortal world and empower us to protect the fundamental aspects within their influence. In return, we should expect their dedication to us. The ideal relationship is one of symbiosis, not servitude.

Like any partnership, things will not always be perfect and success is dependent on both parties. Be patient with each other and yourself. There is a delicate balance to be struck between the unknowable divine and the real. The gods' support may not come in the way you want, but look for it in the nuance of small blessings. Give thanks when you find it.

This is where so many fall. We want a god to be absolute when it is not. We demand reward when none is owed. Mortals, like gods, are fickle. So what, then, when you feel unsupported by a god? You must reflect long and look deep. Faith should not be cast away on a whim because mortals, like gods, are fallible.

However, during your reflection, if you learn your gods have truly abandoned you, forsake them. Let them starve on their cruelty and indifference.

The final heresy is to know your gods owe you nothing, and you owe them nothing.