Gods, Immortals
Immortals are extraordinarily powerful individuals - similar to people in form and personality, yet also similar to spirits, and yet also extradimensional, ruling over personal realms outside of the normal rules of the mortal world.
By all appearances, Immortals are a side-effect of Creation, either elevated in personal power by the Creators, or by Destiny, or possibly by some combination of factors including magic and psionic power. Whatever the truth of their existence, they exist. They can walk the world and even affect it directly in ways that even the Creators cannot.
Because of their ability to affect the world, the Immortals have become appealing objects of worship by mortals. Much of the Free Empire worships Immortals more actively than they do the Creators. This does not diminish their belief in the Creators' existence, but merely relegates them to secondary consideration for spiritual guidance and power.
In practice, the Immortals are emotional beings with their own philosophy and motivation. Through their priests and worshippers they advance their own agendas. Occasionally they appear in a mortal-seeming form to act in the world directly, something the Creators don't do. However, this seems to happen in cycles: Sometimes many or all the Immortals appear, and sometimes they all remain remote, unseen by mortal eyes.
This is due to agreements: In their interactions with each other, Immortals agree to stay out of direct mortal manifestation. When one of them violates this compact, then the others follow suit to match or counter that action. These divine conflicts playing out directly tend to have some pretty devastating effects on the mortal world, which is why they eventually reach agreement to remain apart.
The Immortals have a vast array of powers and abilities, with one clear restriction: One Immortal's power cannot directly contradict or cancel the power of another Immortal.
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