The Divine Gate

During the height of the Wizard Kings rule over the world, they were able to seal the path between our world and the outer plains from the deities. This was created to bind the deities from the mortal world so they could not manifest into an avatar and walk among the mortals. When this was done nobody was able to commune with the deities nor could divine magic be worked. It was the end of the era of the gods.
While the prophesied heroes of old did come, over three centuries later, and beat back the Wizard kings to open the gate. The moment that the gate was opened, the divine essence then returned to the world. With that, the All Father was able to push his Avatar once more into this realm. It was he that granted the prophesied heroes their wish to restore the loss of the old races in our world.
It is said that the All Father then step back through the gate, weakened by being gone so long and having worked so great a magic, he was tired. The All Father then sealed the door, not fully, it was cracked enough to limit an avatar full access to the mortal world. Open just enough to allow the deities to talk with us.
It is said the All Father had to seal the gate, to avoid a cosmic power vacuum. By sealing the gate again, it kept the deities from starting an apocalyptic war over the mortals. A war they would have fought to replace their lost followers. A war so they could strengthen their control over forgotten domains. For their anger of being locked away for over three centuries, closed off from the ambrosia gained by mortals who worshipped them.
Since that time, the avatars of old have not been seen in our realm. The deities have begun to speak again to the minds of their faithful followers, to appear in visions.
Some theologists and historians attribute that wish spell as needed to keep the deities in power. For a world that had learned to live without the divine presence might not be so quick to invite them back into their lives. Without followers, the divine would waste away from the memory of the short-lived races.
By bringing back so many races of sentient beings at the height of their power from the past; it brought people back towns and temples to deities old and new. It immediately caused them to cry out for their divine protectors. A process that started rebuilding the power base of the gods.
Note, the oldest races that lived in both the time before and the time after; claim the powers of the divine are weaker than they once were. That said, their whispers are stronger than ever. The deities are more involved now and seem to pay more attention to the prayers of their followers.
The unfortunate side effect of this mass repopulation of the world would go on to more than a century of warfare. The mortal races brought back were from antiquity and some long lost to the world. Mixing with the modern nations of man. Lands that were well defined with borders suddenly had too many beings to support. This was the dawn of the Race Wars.

See Also

Divine Form - Avatars of the Deities .:. Ritual Investiture

Divine Vessel

The deities were not willing to only whisper to their followers, still, it was all they could do for three score years. Then something changed. An avatar could not make it through the cracks in the gate, one of the old gods of war figured out how to possess a Devine Vessel. Using a Divine vessel, a deity can possess their most faithful followers and for short times empower them with great feats and talk through them.
It should be noted the focus on the deity to possess and puppet a follow requires great determination from the deity. This focus means while they are doing this, they are not paying attention to their domains at large. Which for our sakes keeps them from doing it often, as they are then vulnerable to attack in the heavens.
Divine Vessels must be true and willing recipients of their deities. Conversely, once the deity is in control of a vessel, it is up to the deity to leave again. It should be noted that a mortal vessel is not a worthy container for a deity’s essence. Prolong exposure to that much divine energy will age, maim, and eventually kill the host.
Some that have been so touched by the divine energies retain powerful boons and abilities. Others go mad and lose their sanity unable to rationalize a world without the divine energy inside them, feeling so lost that they kill themselves rather than to be without it.
Despite the cost to the mortal, there are many that would willingly give their lives to their deity in such a manor. Many fanatical followers will spend their lives in pursuit of such an honor so that their family line might be elevated, or for the chance that if they survive, they might be deified by the other members of their religion.